How to Make Cuban Coffee?

The coffee industry is very vast. When diving deeper into it, you’ll get amazed at a diversity of drinks you haven’t tried yet. I prefer classic black coffee, but it comes in multiple variations and makes me drink something unusual, like Cuban coffee.

On their island, Cubans have been growing coffee for a long time and formed a certain culture of growing and roasting beans. All coffee trees have a favorable neighborhood with cocoa and fruit trees next to them, which affect the taste of the beans. Cuban arabica is rich in juicy fruit and delicate floral notes with chocolate and light smoky undertones. When it comes to roasting, they prefer medium intensity. It allows preserving a unique bean flavor and reducing its acidity to make the taste more harmonious. By the way, Cuban coffee is held in high esteem among Russians because it lacks pronounced acidity.

What is the difference between Cuban coffee and traditional espresso? Cuban coffee is the strongest and quite sweet type of espresso made from coffee beans grown in Cuba. For export, beans undergo medium roasting, but for local consumption, they are dark-roasted. While traveling around the island, tourists may notice it. Usually, the coffee is brewed in Moka pots, but in real-life conditions on plantations, other affordable means are used, such as large and small mugs, pots, and others. Also, Cubans love sweet coffee and put so much sugar in it that it turns into a liqueur. In the original recipe, cane sugar is used.

When brewing at home, you can use a cezve as an appropriate utensil. Pour 200 ml of water, add 2 heaped teaspoons of ground coffee and 2 heaped teaspoons of brown cane sugar. Bring the drink to a boil over low heat, then take it off the stove and pour it into cups. The coffee is served in small cups or bowls. Add rum up to your taste. Cognac is not suitable because the coffee won’t have its characteristic flavor. Also, Cuban coffee can be brewed using a coffee machine or a French press. However, a Moka pot is considered an ideal brewing utensil. In this case, don’t take too finely ground coffee.

It is recommended to drink this beverage in small servings because a large amount of ground coffee makes it too concentrated, rich, and slightly thick. In addition, the beans grown in Cuba have high caffeine content. This explains why this Cuban drink gives such an energy boost. There is also one nuance that should be observed: add sugar to the drink during the brewing process.

Aside from the basic ingredients, Cuban coffee may contain some other mouth-feel components.