Thanks to all of you who responded to my request for information on Cuban coffee - I will see how I get on. It seems that politics foul everything up - Bush and Blair probably drink instant anyway !!! |
My understanding is that both have signed contracts with Proctor and Gamble to use their products exclusively. |
Does something taste better if it is verboten? Coffee grown in Cuba
needs all the help it can get. It's a low grown, very mild cup,
usually with defects of age or bad storage conditions (fats turning
rancid, premature bagginess ) detectable. Just about a month ago I
received a green sample of Turquino and it was actually NOT defective
(first time I ever had such a good sample). But it was fairly flat. I
saw the potential in the cup for a Kona-like profile, but as is it
was still very "low-grown" in character. BTW - you were asking about
coffee grown in Cuba, and not "Cuban Coffee" the brew style?
Tom
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"Great coffee comes from tiny roasters"
Sweet Maria's Home Coffee Roasting - Tom & Maria
http://www.sweetmarias.com Thompson Owen george
Sweet Maria's Coffee - 1115 21st Street, Oakland, CA 94607 - USA
phone/fax: 888 876 5917 - tom |
O.K. Tom, What is "Cuba Coffee," the brew style? I have to know now! Sue On 8/16/05, Tom & Maria - Sweet Maria's Coffee wrote: <Snip> <Snip> <Snip> |
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For me it is just part of the coffee hobby. Much like kopi luwak,
it is part of the culture and experiencing it is simply one of the
bases in this subculture to touch to feel you have a full
appreciation of it. Cuban grown coffee is only an issue that reaches
the list because it is a difficult base to touch.
Jim Gundlach
On Aug 16, 2005, at 9:03 AM, Tom & Maria - Sweet Maria's Coffee wrote:
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"The espresso machine is an accessory to the grinder, not the other
way around."
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For me it is just part of the =
coffee hobby. Much like kopi luwak, it is part of the culture and =
experiencing it is simply one of the bases in this subculture to touch =
to feel you have a full appreciation of it. Cuban grown coffee is =
only an issue that reaches the list because it is a difficult base to =
touch. Jim Gundlach
On Aug 16, 2005, at =
9:03 AM, Tom & Maria - Sweet Maria's Coffee wrote: |
Now that I think about it a little.............. When I was a kid, we lived= on Abaco in the Bahamas. My best friend and next door neighbor was Cuban. I= remember her mother drank coffee all the time ( at least it seems so). The= only thing I really remember was that she used a tremendous amount of milk= and sugar. Is that what you mean, or maybe she really just didn't like coffee!! She also made the best black beans and rice in the world! Sue On 8/16/05, Sue wrote: <Snip> <Snip> <Snip> <Snip> |
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Sue,
Here is one, of many, approximation of a Cuban coffee using a
pump espresso machine:
As you prepare to pull a double shot, have two catch cups
available. Put one or two teaspoons of sugar in one, this will be
your drinking cup. As you start to pump catch the first part of the
shot into the cup with the sugar. Catch just enough to make a paste
of the sugar and espresso. Push the first cup out from under the
portafilter with the second and mix the sugar/espresso mixture into a
paste as the rest of the shot flows in the second cup. Then pour the
espresso from the second cup into the cup with the paste, stirring
gently. It should produce additional foam. Some add steamed or
scalded milk before drinking.
Jim Gundlach
On Aug 16, 2005, at 9:13 AM, Sue wrote:
<Snip>
"The espresso machine is an accessory to the grinder, not the other
way around."
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Sue, Here is one, =
of many, approximation of a Cuban coffee using a pump espresso =
machine: As you prepare to pull a double =
shot, have two catch cups available. Put one or two teaspoons of =
sugar in one, this will be your drinking cup. As you start to pump =
catch the first part of the shot into the cup with the sugar. =
Catch just enough to make a paste of the sugar and espresso. Push =
the first cup out from under the portafilter with the second and mix the =
sugar/espresso mixture into a paste as the rest of the shot flows in the =
second cup. Then pour the espresso from the second cup into the cup =
with the paste, stirring gently. It should produce additional foam. =
Some add steamed or scalded milk before drinking. =
Jim Gundlach
On Aug 16, 2005, at 9:13 AM, Sue =
wrote: |
I was going to avoid this topic. My brother and sister-in-law brought me some Turquino back from a trip they took. It was nice of them to think of m= e and my coffee adventures. The beans were soft. The taste was flat and very= uninteresting. The remaining beans after the first pot went in the composte= pile. As Pecan Jim said, it was worth the experience, but I wouldn't work= too hard to find this coffee again. Les On 8/16/05, Pecan Jim Gundlach wrote: <Snip> <Snip> s <Snip> wn <Snip> ase <Snip> s <Snip> <Snip> of <Snip> <Snip> a <Snip> BTW <Snip> <Snip> n <Snip> up <Snip> <Snip> <Snip> <Snip> |
If you ever make it to San Juan, PR stop at Mallorquina on Calle San Francisco. It's the oldest restaurant in Puerto Rico (it is said to date from 1848). Friendly, not many tourists.The food is good but basic Puerto= Rican and Spanish fare. Wonderful for breakfast, sit at the counter and you can watch the staff mak= e your coffee on the oddest contraption you ever saw. It's a huge constructio= n made up of random pieces of plumbing plus other bits & pieces that's always= supporting a pot of coffee & another of hot milk. Similar to Cuban coffee,= you'll get strong coffee (tastes like Moka) with lots of milk. --MikeW On 8/16/05, Sue wrote: <Snip> <Snip> s <Snip> nt <Snip> <Snip> <Snip> -- "Not all things that are countable, count, and not all things that count,= are countable". Albert Einstein |
<Snip>
Mike raises a good point here - some coffee experiences are MANDATORY
and it doesn't matter if it tastes good ... just drink it! :-] No
seriously, I think it's great to taste the way other people drink
coffee, even if it basically sucks, by our standards. "Good" in terms
of taste is culturally relative and it is interesting to find out
what people mean when they say "Good". The coffee in Colombia is made
on these fantastic old brewers and yes, it's terrible, but put enough
sugar in it and you'll finish the cup. The best thing of all is that
you are there, in the middle of a marketplace, not another tourist in
sight (your wallet safely back at the hotel in a safe!) and you are
enjoying coffee on their terms. It's part of the fun. And for me,
that goes for old truckstops off the interstate, greasy spoons,
Nawlins, etc etc.
Tom
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"Great coffee comes from tiny roasters"
Sweet Maria's Home Coffee Roasting - Tom & Maria
http://www.sweetmarias.com Thompson Owen george
Sweet Maria's Coffee - 1115 21st Street, Oakland, CA 94607 - USA
phone/fax: 888 876 5917 - tom |