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Main
Date: 12 Jul 2006 04:23:46
From: zmish
Subject: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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Hi This is newbie Coffee Painting Lady. I'm cuban/american and I have
been drinking cortaditos since I was a child. Just wondering if you
guys had tasted cuban coffee and what your thoughts were?
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Date: 12 Jul 2006 10:16:37
From: gscace
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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Yeah, I was talking about real arabica grown in Cuba. It's Tough to
source green beans from there.
-Greg
Jack Denver wrote:
> "Cuban style coffee" is not the same as "Cuban grown coffee". Even in
> pre-castro days, Cubans in the big cities drank more imported Brasil than
> Cuban grown beans (the economy was geared more to sugar production).
>
> In the US, Cuban style coffee has continued and many of the original island
> brands have been fled with their owners, most owned by Rowland - Bustelo,
> Pilon, El Pico, Ideal, Estrella, Souto, etc. I'm not convinced that it all
> doesn't come from the same vat and get put in different colored bags.
>
> My thoughts - most of those Rowland bricks are pretty bad stuff, loaded down
> with Robusta. It's no wonder that a Cuban style coffee has a ton of sugar in
> it (the sugar is mixed in before serving). Otherwise, it's just espresso
> and the usual advice applies - get high quality fresh Arabica beans, a good
> grinder, a clean machine, etc.
>
>
>
> "gscace" <gregory.scace@nist.gov> wrote in message
> news:1152713028.033469.9770@35g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> >
> > zmish wrote:
> >> Hi This is newbie Coffee Painting Lady. I'm cuban/american and I have
> >> been drinking cortaditos since I was a child. Just wondering if you
> >> guys had tasted cuban coffee and what your thoughts were?
> >
> > I'm from the US and unfortunately there's this silliness here that
> > prevents me from getting real Cuban coffee. I've gotten Cuban coffee
> > from Canada in the past and liked it, although I don't drink it in the
> > traditional way with sugar. Your post reminds me to try scoring some
> > more since I will be in Canada later this week.
> >
> > -Greg
> >
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Date: 12 Jul 2006 13:58:43
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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"gscace" <gregory.scace@nist.gov > wrote in message
news:1152724597.186450.189250@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Yeah, I was talking about real arabica grown in Cuba. It's Tough to
> source green beans from there.
>
> -Greg
>
>
Well or course, not at all up here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Cheers!
Craig.
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Date: 12 Jul 2006 13:53:54
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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The OP I think was asking about "Cuban style" and not the real stuff.
It's tough to source in the US because we have a trade embargo with Cuba and
it's illegal to import. I've had it in Canada, and it was OK - typical
island coffee, you could do a lot worse, but there's a reason why Cuba was
famous for its sugar and cigars and not for the growing of coffee.
"gscace" <gregory.scace@nist.gov > wrote in message
news:1152724597.186450.189250@75g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Yeah, I was talking about real arabica grown in Cuba. It's Tough to
> source green beans from there.
>
> -Greg
>
>
>
>
> Jack Denver wrote:
>> "Cuban style coffee" is not the same as "Cuban grown coffee". Even in
>> pre-castro days, Cubans in the big cities drank more imported Brasil
>> than
>> Cuban grown beans (the economy was geared more to sugar production).
>>
>> In the US, Cuban style coffee has continued and many of the original
>> island
>> brands have been fled with their owners, most owned by Rowland - Bustelo,
>> Pilon, El Pico, Ideal, Estrella, Souto, etc. I'm not convinced that it
>> all
>> doesn't come from the same vat and get put in different colored bags.
>>
>> My thoughts - most of those Rowland bricks are pretty bad stuff, loaded
>> down
>> with Robusta. It's no wonder that a Cuban style coffee has a ton of sugar
>> in
>> it (the sugar is mixed in before serving). Otherwise, it's just
>> espresso
>> and the usual advice applies - get high quality fresh Arabica beans, a
>> good
>> grinder, a clean machine, etc.
>>
>>
>>
>> "gscace" <gregory.scace@nist.gov> wrote in message
>> news:1152713028.033469.9770@35g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>> >
>> > zmish wrote:
>> >> Hi This is newbie Coffee Painting Lady. I'm cuban/american and I have
>> >> been drinking cortaditos since I was a child. Just wondering if you
>> >> guys had tasted cuban coffee and what your thoughts were?
>> >
>> > I'm from the US and unfortunately there's this silliness here that
>> > prevents me from getting real Cuban coffee. I've gotten Cuban coffee
>> > from Canada in the past and liked it, although I don't drink it in the
>> > traditional way with sugar. Your post reminds me to try scoring some
>> > more since I will be in Canada later this week.
>> >
>> > -Greg
>> >
>
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Date: 12 Jul 2006 07:03:48
From: gscace
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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zmish wrote:
> Hi This is newbie Coffee Painting Lady. I'm cuban/american and I have
> been drinking cortaditos since I was a child. Just wondering if you
> guys had tasted cuban coffee and what your thoughts were?
I'm from the US and unfortunately there's this silliness here that
prevents me from getting real Cuban coffee. I've gotten Cuban coffee
from Canada in the past and liked it, although I don't drink it in the
traditional way with sugar. Your post reminds me to try scoring some
more since I will be in Canada later this week.
-Greg
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Date: 12 Jul 2006 12:52:26
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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"Cuban style coffee" is not the same as "Cuban grown coffee". Even in
pre-castro days, Cubans in the big cities drank more imported Brasil than
Cuban grown beans (the economy was geared more to sugar production).
In the US, Cuban style coffee has continued and many of the original island
brands have been fled with their owners, most owned by Rowland - Bustelo,
Pilon, El Pico, Ideal, Estrella, Souto, etc. I'm not convinced that it all
doesn't come from the same vat and get put in different colored bags.
My thoughts - most of those Rowland bricks are pretty bad stuff, loaded down
with Robusta. It's no wonder that a Cuban style coffee has a ton of sugar in
it (the sugar is mixed in before serving). Otherwise, it's just espresso
and the usual advice applies - get high quality fresh Arabica beans, a good
grinder, a clean machine, etc.
"gscace" <gregory.scace@nist.gov > wrote in message
news:1152713028.033469.9770@35g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>
> zmish wrote:
>> Hi This is newbie Coffee Painting Lady. I'm cuban/american and I have
>> been drinking cortaditos since I was a child. Just wondering if you
>> guys had tasted cuban coffee and what your thoughts were?
>
> I'm from the US and unfortunately there's this silliness here that
> prevents me from getting real Cuban coffee. I've gotten Cuban coffee
> from Canada in the past and liked it, although I don't drink it in the
> traditional way with sugar. Your post reminds me to try scoring some
> more since I will be in Canada later this week.
>
> -Greg
>
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Date: 12 Jul 2006 16:51:20
From: zmish
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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Hi- I didn't even know you could get real cuban from CUba coffee. I
was really refering to the ones I was brought up in Miami. The brands
are: Bustelo,Pilon etc. There are alot of places online that seell
these brands. There is a chain in Florida called Navarro and they are
online and sell these and other cuban style products. Another is a site
called three cubans or something like that. You really don't have to
go to Cuba for espresso- Miami has like an espresso kiosk in about
every corner. That and the bakeries. Of course I am biased but I
can't wait for my next trip Home. I know that bustelo and Pilon are
Florida based companies. The difference might be in the way they roast.
The secret to the foam in cuban espresso is to take the first two or
three drops that brew which are the strongest and add 4 TB of sugar and
beat and stir until it gets this foamy yellow color (2-3 minutes).
When you pour te rest of the espresso in you will have the most thick
and creamy foam EVER!
zmish wrote:
> Hi This is newbie Coffee Painting Lady. I'm cuban/american and I have
> been drinking cortaditos since I was a child. Just wondering if you
> guys had tasted cuban coffee and what your thoughts were?
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Date: 12 Jul 2006 23:15:29
From: David Hutchinson
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 04:23:46 -0700, zmish wrote:
> Hi This is newbie Coffee Painting Lady. I'm cuban/american and I have
> been drinking cortaditos since I was a child. Just wondering if you
> guys had tasted cuban coffee and what your thoughts were?
Hi there
I'm on my second bag of a rather good Cuban - makes nice espressos.
www.hasbean.co.uk is my supplier. Sorry to hear the US folks can't try it...
--David
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Date: 12 Jul 2006 19:00:22
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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"David Hutchinson" <djch-news1@phluffy.burrowmates.bogus > wrote in
message news:pan.2006.07.12.22.15.28.815265@phluffy.burrowmates.bogus...
> On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 04:23:46 -0700, zmish wrote:
>
>> Hi This is newbie Coffee Painting Lady. I'm cuban/american and I
>> have
>> been drinking cortaditos since I was a child. Just wondering if you
>> guys had tasted cuban coffee and what your thoughts were?
>
> Hi there
>
> I'm on my second bag of a rather good Cuban - makes nice espressos.
> www.hasbean.co.uk is my supplier. Sorry to hear the US folks can't try
> it...
>
> --David
Yeah, it is a BUMMER about that Cuba embargo thing..
Craig.
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Date: 13 Jul 2006 06:29:09
From: Omniryx@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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zmish wrote:
> When you pour te rest of the espresso in you will have the most thick
> and creamy foam EVER!
Alas, it will still taste like Pilon....
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Date: 13 Jul 2006 10:22:55
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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Unfortunately, the "Cuban style" market still seems caught in that phase
where the only awareness is of brand name and there is no understanding of
what is behind the label. Of course this is no different than most American
consumers who think in terms of "Folgers" vs. "Maxwell House" and buy
whichever one is on sale that week. In some ways it is worse because all
that sugar masks the bitter rubbery taste of the robusta in the bricks and
so people can't really tell good from bad. It's unfortunate because
otherwise Cuban style coffe is a rare outpost of espresso culture in
America, and an everyday Italian type espresso culture that is accessible to
all and not just an "elite" market.
<Omniryx@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1152797348.994928.199500@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> zmish wrote:
>> When you pour te rest of the espresso in you will have the most thick
>> and creamy foam EVER!
>
> Alas, it will still taste like Pilon....
>
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Date: 13 Jul 2006 15:50:54
From: Marshall
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:22:55 -0400, "Jack Denver"
<nunuvyer@netscape.net > wrote:
>Unfortunately, the "Cuban style" market still seems caught in that phase
>where the only awareness is of brand name and there is no understanding of
>what is behind the label. Of course this is no different than most American
>consumers who think in terms of "Folgers" vs. "Maxwell House" and buy
>whichever one is on sale that week. In some ways it is worse because all
>that sugar masks the bitter rubbery taste of the robusta in the bricks and
>so people can't really tell good from bad. It's unfortunate because
>otherwise Cuban style coffe is a rare outpost of espresso culture in
>America, and an everyday Italian type espresso culture that is accessible to
>all and not just an "elite" market.
I think this is not the case in California, where Gavina's all-arabica
espresso blends dominate the Cuban market. They also have a cheaper
"La Llave" line, which is only sold outside California and may or may
not include robusta (I don't know).
Marshall
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Date: 13 Jul 2006 12:26:38
From: Craig Andrews
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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"Marshall" <mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net > wrote in message
news:naqcb21p6brfoqhtv3j4tvlhs0qbcv06ur@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:22:55 -0400, "Jack Denver"
> <nunuvyer@netscape.net> wrote:
>
>>Unfortunately, the "Cuban style" market still seems caught in that
>>phase
>>where the only awareness is of brand name and there is no
>>understanding of
>>what is behind the label. Of course this is no different than most
>>American
>>consumers who think in terms of "Folgers" vs. "Maxwell House" and buy
>>whichever one is on sale that week. In some ways it is worse because
>>all
>>that sugar masks the bitter rubbery taste of the robusta in the bricks
>>and
>>so people can't really tell good from bad. It's unfortunate because
>>otherwise Cuban style coffe is a rare outpost of espresso culture in
>>America, and an everyday Italian type espresso culture that is
>>accessible to
>>all and not just an "elite" market.
>
> I think this is not the case in California, where Gavina's all-arabica
> espresso blends dominate the Cuban market. They also have a cheaper
> "La Llave" line, which is only sold outside California and may or may
> not include robusta (I don't know).
>
> Marshall
I had two Cuban coffees that were very good. A nice change! {:-)
9 *Cuban Turquino
A medium bodied coffee, rich with a light smoky aroma & a taste that's
lightly reminiscent of the scent of Cuban cigar leaves, unique! $6/lb
(Sorry, sold out!)
10 *Cuban Altura Lavado
$6/lb (Sorry, sold out!)
Craig.
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Date: 13 Jul 2006 23:35:29
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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Is there a significant Cuban community in CA? In what cities? I know the
Gavina's were from Cuba but I don't think their customer base is.
Gavina's stuff is a cut above Rowland's but La Llave seems to be an effort
to compete with Rowland on price in the Latin brick pack market (under $3
for a 10 oz. brick). It doesn't claim to be all Arabica and I'd be very
surprised if it was. I wonder why they don't sell it in California? Maybe
they don't want to be associated with a low quality product in their home
market.
AFAIK, the coffee that Mexicans seem to crave the most, judging from
grocery store shelves, is Nescafe and a couple of other brands of instant
(Legal). It's very interesting that Mexican's crave "their" brands (meaning
the Nescafe, Coke, Tang etc. that's labeled for the Mexican market) even if
the American versions cost less. I wonder if there really is any difference
in what is in the jars of these products (the Mexican Coke used to be 100%
sugar but now I think they are going over to corn sweetener too - NAFTA at
work I guess.)
"Marshall" <mrfuss@ihatespamearthlink.net > wrote in message
news:naqcb21p6brfoqhtv3j4tvlhs0qbcv06ur@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:22:55 -0400, "Jack Denver"
> <nunuvyer@netscape.net> wrote:
>
>>Unfortunately, the "Cuban style" market still seems caught in that phase
>>where the only awareness is of brand name and there is no understanding of
>>what is behind the label. Of course this is no different than most
>>American
>>consumers who think in terms of "Folgers" vs. "Maxwell House" and buy
>>whichever one is on sale that week. In some ways it is worse because all
>>that sugar masks the bitter rubbery taste of the robusta in the bricks and
>>so people can't really tell good from bad. It's unfortunate because
>>otherwise Cuban style coffe is a rare outpost of espresso culture in
>>America, and an everyday Italian type espresso culture that is accessible
>>to
>>all and not just an "elite" market.
>
> I think this is not the case in California, where Gavina's all-arabica
> espresso blends dominate the Cuban market. They also have a cheaper
> "La Llave" line, which is only sold outside California and may or may
> not include robusta (I don't know).
>
> Marshall
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Date: 14 Jul 2006 07:18:39
From: Marshall
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 23:35:29 -0400, "Jack Denver"
<nunuvyer@netscape.net > wrote:
>Is there a significant Cuban community in CA?
No. But there are several very popular Cuban restaurants and bakeries.
Porto's in Glendale and Burbank is probably the most famous
bakery/cafe, and the small Versailles chain (Culver City, Encino & ?)
has the most popular restaurants.
Marshall
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Date: 13 Jul 2006 17:39:08
From: zmish
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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Marshall wrote:
> On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:22:55 -0400, "Jack Denver"
> <nunuvyer@netscape.net> wrote:
>
> >Unfortunately, the "Cuban style" market still seems caught in that phase
> >where the only awareness is of brand name and there is no understanding of
> >what is behind the label. Of course this is no different than most American
> >consumers who think in terms of "Folgers" vs. "Maxwell House" and buy
> >whichever one is on sale that week. In some ways it is worse because all
> >that sugar masks the bitter rubbery taste of the robusta in the bricks and
> >so people can't really tell good from bad. It's unfortunate because
> >otherwise Cuban style coffe is a rare outpost of espresso culture in
> >America, and an everyday Italian type espresso culture that is accessible to
> >all and not just an "elite" market.
>
> I think this is not the case in California, where Gavina's all-arabica
> espresso blends dominate the Cuban market. They also have a cheaper
> "La Llave" line, which is only sold outside California and may or may
> not include robusta (I don't know).
>
> Marshall
I have to say that I do not consider myself "cuban style" and I do
enjoy a variety of coffees in very different labels and forms. Also I
do enjoy the sugary foam from time to time but I also like it straight
with nothing added. It is my experience that there is no rubbery taste
to these blends. It may not be an elite cup of java but it does make
a very decent cup and unique in taste. You might like it or hate it but
it should be tried. There are also many brands as some people have
mentioned- i just happen to have mentioned two.
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Date: 14 Jul 2006 15:36:38
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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zmish wrote:
> Hi This is newbie Coffee Painting Lady. I'm cuban/american and I have
> been drinking cortaditos since I was a child. Just wondering if you
> guys had tasted cuban coffee and what your thoughts were?
ok - I know that it's been mentioned that the OP means cuban style
coffee but..
I've had cuban turquino which is very nice, and am now on a peaberry
which is pretty good too - it has a body similar to some columbians but
a little more oomph and perfume.
It also goes really nicely in an espresso blend!!
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Date: 14 Jul 2006 15:33:10
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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Craig Andrews wrote:
>
> I had two Cuban coffees that were very good. A nice change! {:-)
>
> 9 *Cuban Turquino
I love that stuff!
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Date: 14 Jul 2006 15:30:00
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Cuban Espresso Anyone?
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David Hutchinson wrote:
> On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 04:23:46 -0700, zmish wrote:
>
> > Hi This is newbie Coffee Painting Lady. I'm cuban/american and I have
> > been drinking cortaditos since I was a child. Just wondering if you
> > guys had tasted cuban coffee and what your thoughts were?
>
> Hi there
>
> I'm on my second bag of a rather good Cuban - makes nice espressos.
> www.hasbean.co.uk is my supplier. Sorry to hear the US folks can't try it...
>
> --David
I've had some of that too! need to get some more soon! (Assume you're
talking about the peaberry)
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