Local Life and Lore in Miami
By Amy Driscoll and Larry Lebowitz, FrontDoor.com | Published: 11/19/2008
Fit in with Miami locals by getting to know the city's Cuban cafe culture.
THE CUBAN CAFE CULTURE
Many people have tried Cuban coffee or its cousin, espresso, but Miami raises the high-octane delight to an art form. At least double the strength of the typical American cup of Joe, Cuban coffee is a daily morning ritual for most Cubans and Cuban-Americans and often served in tiny cups, or tacitas, at the end of a meal. Hardcore traditionalists still make it in stovetop pots, but most of the cafe Cubano in Miami is brewed in Italian-made espresso machines.
Here are a few tips to understanding Cuban coffee culture. First, you don't sip or savor cafe Cubano. You shoot it like a shot of liquor. Finer Cuban restaurants will serve a glass of ice water to cleanse the palate before drinking the cafecito.
Many stand-up counters and cafeterias around Miami that serve smaller bites and pastries will also provide large orange coolers of ice water. Also, don't be surprised if conversations at the coffee counters turn a little heated. Maybe it's the humidity, maybe it's the caffeine, maybe it's just Miami, but politics and coffee seem to go together.
To order a coffee with the confidence of a local, you need to become familiar with these popular terms:
- Cafecito: Espresso Cuban style. Served in a small cup, it is very strong and very sweet. Don't be stunned if you see people adding even more sugar.
- Cafe con Leche: The Cuban version of Cafe au Lait, add one shot of cafecito to a small cup of steamed milk.
- Cortadito: "Thinly cut" in Spanish, add a tablespoon or two of hot milk to cafecito.
- Colada: A larger container of cafecito served in a to-go cup with a lid and a handful of tiny, plastic thimble-sized espresso cups to share with your friends and co-workers after lunch or for a late-afternoon pick-me-up.
- Espumita: The first few drips of cafecito are dripped into a pot with a few teaspoons of sugar. The person making the cafecito will whip this mixture into a sweet foam for the top of the drink. This foam is the espumita.
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