Madrid cuisine is quite diverse and was formed under the influence of all Spanish regions, thanks to the large number of immigrants from Andalusia, Galicia, Asturias, Castile-Leon, and other areas who moved to Madrid in order to find work (last century), which ultimately helped create an amazing a cultural mosaic that is only possible in Madrid.
During winter, Madrid cuisine is dominated by red meat dishes, soups and high-calorie recipes such as “Callos a la Madrilena” (Madrid style tripe stew), “Cocido Madrileno” (Chickpea stew) or “Sopa Castellana” (Castilian soup). Not forgetting also the traditional sausages from Castilla León, like “Morcilla” (blood sausage) or “Cecina” (cured meat).
When summer comes, high-calorie dishes give way to light and healthy recipes such as salads, gazpacho, salmorejo (cold cream soup consisting of tomatoes and bread) or tortilla (Spanish potato omelette). You should definitely try the delicious sandwiches with fried squid - one of the traditional dishes of Madrid cuisine.
Features of preparing cortado
At the moment, it is the people of Spain who drink the most coffee. Spaniards can enjoy coffee drinks for several hours. The first coffee shop was opened in this country even before the First World War began.
Nowadays there are a large number of coffee shops in Spain, as well as coffee drinks themselves. Cortado is considered the most favorite. This drink was invented in Madrid. It is prepared on the basis of espresso and baked milk. Coffee beans must be well roasted; it is better to take Kenyan varieties.
The drink should look as if it was divided into two parts: dark and light. The coffee lives up to its name. Cortado means "to cut" in Spanish. In addition to milk, caramel, chocolate or cream are often added to the drink.
It is best to brew coffee over an open fire. To do this you will need a Turk or a saucepan. The coffee is brought to a boil at least three or four times. As soon as the foam rises, the Turk must be removed from the stove, wait a few minutes, and then put back on the fire. In this case, the cortado will turn out rich. Baked milk must be whipped only by hand, while warm. If you use a mixer, you will get lumps instead of a delicate foam.
Carajillo: hot option
There is a serving option where the alcohol is set on fire with sugar to enhance the taste. The sugar caramelizes, excess alcohol is burned off, and the bouquet of the drink is especially expressive.
How to make fiery carajillo?
Sugar is placed in a heated glass cup with thick walls, poured with alcohol and set on fire. Pre-prepared espresso is carefully poured into the burning rum or brandy and served immediately.
The finished drink is sometimes decorated with whipped cream, but real connoisseurs believe that the only worthy addition to carajillo are coffee beans and dark chocolate.
How would you describe the taste of cortado?
Cortado has a delicate melted honey taste. Creamy notes give way to a characteristic coffee bitterness. If the beans are poorly roasted, then the coffee will turn out weak and tasteless. If the grind is coarse, the drink will not be strong.
If you add cream to the cortado, then the coffee will taste too rich and milky, and the drink itself will become too high in calories. Condensed milk will make the cortado sweet, so this recipe is suitable for those with a special sweet tooth.
When it comes to coffee beans, it is best to grind them yourself rather than buying ground coffee.
Who invented this coffee
The author of this drink is still unknown. According to one version, it was invented by Spanish soldiers who fought in Cuba. They added rum to their coffee to give themselves courage and courage. In Spanish, the word for “courage” is “coraje,” which is why the drink was given its name. Soldiers could drink it at any time of the day, for example, to drive away sleep during night duty.
Another version gives the laurels of inventing the cocktail to the Barcelona muleteers, who ran into the tavern and told the bartender: “Una copa i un cafè, que ara guillo,” which translates as “A glass and coffee, and I’m leaving.” The last phrase served as the basis for the name of the drink.
Preparing Spanish coffee cortado
- Heat the glass with steam or pour boiling water over it.
- Pour hot espresso (50 ml).
- Add a teaspoon of sugar.
- Take a separate container and beat 50 ml of baked milk. The foam should be soft.
- Pour the milk into the coffee in a thin stream.
- Decorate the top with foam that will remain in the container.
- You can't mix it.
Baked milk can be made at home:
- Pour milk into a clay dish and add sour cream to it. The proportions are five to one.
- Place the milk and sour cream in the oven.
- Simmer for one to two hours at a temperature of eighty degrees.
- Wrap in a towel and keep in a warm place for several hours.
Once the milk has cooled, you can whisk it and add it to your coffee.
COFFEE DICTIONARY IN SPANISH. WHAT COFFEE SHOULD YOU ASK FOR IN A SPANISH CAFE?
SPANISH COURSES IN SPB HISPANISTA ABOUT THE CULTURE OF SPAIN:
WHAT COFFEE SHOULD YOU ASK FOR IN SPANISH IN A SPANISH CAFE?
In Spain, in many respects, they do not adhere to the accepted rules, so you can find “Americano coffee” here in a completely different form than we are used to seeing it in Russia and other European countries. The Spaniards have their own for each of the standard coffee preparation options; besides, in different regions you can always find a local coffee recipe, the main thing is to know exactly what the name is and what it means!
Caf é expreso , “ caf é solo or simply caf é – the simplest version of espresso coffee, usually served in a cup, but always hot, and includes only 30 ml of drink
Café cortado is the same café solo to of milk is added to reduce the acidity of the coffee; it is often served in a small glass cup.
Café con leche , or in our opinion, coffee with milk, when about 100 ml is added to the coffee. milk, which can be served cold, warm or hot and with or without foam. This drink can be poured into a glass or large cup with more milk than coffee. They drink this in the morning for breakfast.
Café corto is 15 ml . espresso coffee, i.e. half regular coffee, but with the same dose of coffee.
Café largo is still the same espresso and with the same dose of coffee, but now in a larger volume up to 40-50 ml, so the Spaniards consider this option a softer one .
Café doble is a double serving of espresso coffee in 30 ml .
Café con hielo – iced coffee, served like espresso, but with a glass of ice cubes . Further, as they say, everyone adds to their taste!
Café del tiempo , iced coffee with a slice of lemon, can be found in Valencia, especially in the summer . It consists of regular or decaffeinated coffee, with sugar, and served cold or with plenty of ice.
Bomb ó n – espresso coffee with condensed milk. Served in a small glass glass, it turns out beautifully and has an unusual taste! This option can also be called biberó or goloso
Carajillo – “This is not just coffee with liqueur!”, any Spaniard will tell you. A real carajillo, which is not so easy to find in modern Spain, is first warmed brandy with coffee beans and a slice of lemon, to which the prepared café solo is then added. They say that Spanish soldiers drank this coffee to gain courage and stay alert for a long time.
Asiático - This variant is a fishermen's coffee found in the Murcia region, rumored to have been invented in Cartagena after the civil war. It consists of café solo, to which condensed milk, brandy or liqueur and ground cinnamon are added. Should be served in a well-heated glass or goblet. Excellent replacement for strong drinks during cold weather!
Belmonte is still the same café bombón with a drop of brandy.
Barraquito is especially popular in the Canary Islands and is based on coffee, regular milk and condensed milk.
May be with additives in the form of liqueur, cinnamon and lemon.
How to drink cortado correctly?
It is advisable to enjoy cortado after lunch. The Spaniards drink it even in the late afternoon. Despite the fact that this drink is delicate and soft, it can invigorate to some extent. People suffering from hypertension have no contraindications to this coffee.
Cortado is served in a small thick glass glass on a porcelain saucer. With a small spoon and a packet of sugar. Thanks to hot baked milk, rich espresso does not seem strong and bitter.
In France, this drink is usually served with cold milk with the addition of chocolate chips or even nuts.
Subtleties of eating carajillo
To enjoy the bouquet of carajillo, its aesthetics and taste, you can adopt the traditions adopted in the homeland of the drink.
- Coffee is served in thick-walled glass cups. Regular espresso cups will also work.
- The drink is consumed in the afternoon or evening. It is popular at the holiday table or at a gala dinner.
- Coffee does not require any special additions, as it has a bright taste and aroma. Harmony with its bouquet is created by desserts with a slight bitterness: dark chocolate, coffee beans, candied orange peels.
Carajillo is a recipe that is quite high in calories due to the alcohol content, the caloric content of which is not inferior to cakes. One serving of carajillo with sugar contains approximately 98-100 calories. If you drink without added sugar, the calorie content is reduced to 70-72 calories.
Interesting facts about carajillo
In rural areas of Spain, homemade grape brandy is most often used. When alcohol is ignited, the aroma of the drink becomes much stronger.
In Costa Rica, the word "carajillo" is synonymous with young boy or child and has a disparaging tone.
The drink corretto is the Italian equivalent of carajillo.
It should be remembered that after a cup of classic carajillo you should not drive, since a breathalyzer test will show a result of at least 0.4 mcg/l.
Alcohol is not only added to coffee. There is also tea with cognac, the benefits of which are already described on the website.
Classic coffee con leche recipe
Compound:
- espresso - 60 ml;
- milk - 40–80 ml;
- ground cinnamon - a pinch;
- sugar - to taste.
Cooking method:
- Prepare your espresso. The optimal combination would be 2 teaspoons of ground coffee and 50–60 ml of water.
- Mix the drink with a pinch of cinnamon. Cinnamon can be immediately combined with ground coffee, from which espresso is brewed, then the taste of the cocktail will be more harmonious.
- Pour the espresso into a 150-180 ml cup.
- Heat the milk and pour it into the milk jug.
All that remains is to pour into the cup exactly as much milk as the person you are treating with a coffee-milkshake asks for, and offer him a few lumps of sugar.
What it is
The country leading in the amount of coffee consumed is Spain. People living in this country cannot imagine their life without coffee. Cortado was invented in a Madrid coffee shop. It is customary to serve it without stirring in a small glass glass. They drink it most often in the afternoon.
To diversify the taste of the drink, add a little dark chocolate, honey, sweet caramel or cream.
Cortado has several names. In Cuba it is called cortadito, in Portugal - pingo, and in the cities of France - noisette.
Cooking recommendations
To get a completely authentic drink, truly appreciate the taste and not be disappointed due to the banal reason of improper preparation, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Instant powder is absolutely not suitable for creating real original Spanish coffee.
- Strong alcoholic drinks in the recipe should only be of high quality. Otherwise, the final taste will not be up to standard and will ruin the whole experience.
- Coffee beans should not be ground in advance; the beauty of the drink is in its freshness.
- You should remember which ingredients are already present in the recipe. Liqueur and condensed milk have a sweet taste, so you can make a mistake with the amount of sugar.
- The Spanish drink is really strong and black. You should not skimp on coffee when preparing it.
Basque with prunes
This unusual recipe was borrowed from the mysterious Basque country, from a people living at the junction of Spain and France. Basque cuisine does not use an abundance of spices. Pure, without impurities, combination of the bitterness of coffee with the astringency of natural dried prunes, flavored with the unique taste of Spanish sherry brandy (Brandy de Jerez), creates an amazing kaleidoscope of taste impressions. Traditionally, this drink is served in an elegant Irish glass.
Let's take products for 2 servings:
- 1 cup of ready-made strong black coffee;
- 4-6 pcs. prunes;
- 1 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- 0.5 tbsp. cream;
- 0.5 tbsp. sherry brandy.
- Let's make coffee with prunes from freshly ground beans. Let's cook it in a Turk, according to tradition, alternating moments of boiling with a little settling.
- Mix the hot drink with alcohol and sugar.
- Divide the prunes into cups so that everyone gets them equally.
- Lightly pour the aromatic coffee mixture on top and add heavy cream.
