Spain is a real coffee country, but the range of coffee is quite different from what we Europeans know. Especially for those who take milk in their coffee, it is quite a challenge to order the right coffee, because the prepacked milk cups that are common in Northern Europe, do not exist in Spain. Therefore, ordering your daily coffee is a lot easier if you have some knowledge about it. Below is a list of the most common coffees and when you can order them without going out of style.
Café solo
Coffeeand nothing but coffee. A small cup of coffee with very strong black coffee, usually drunk after a meal but often also over breakfast. In Italy and in most European countries, the Spanish café solo is known as an espresso or ristretto.
Cortado
A strong cup of coffee, still not very big, but with a splash of hot milk in it. The cortado is very often served in a small glass, but can also come in a smaller coffee cup.
Americano
This coffee is served in a larger cup or glass, is less strong than a café solo, and is served without milk. A lot of foreigners order this coffee "con leche aparte," or "with milk separately," but if you prefer coffee with milk, read on about how to order a coffee with milk the correct way.
Café con leche
A typical breakfast coffee; a large cup of coffee with hot milk. This coffee is similar to the Italian cappuccino in that in Spain it is customary not to order café con leche after 11 a.m. but to opt for a stronger coffee variety. Among foreign visitors, the café con leche is perhaps the most famous variety, since it is the Spanish version of a white coffee.
Carajillo
This is a small and strong cup of coffee with a splash of whiskey, cognac, baileys or other liqueur of your choice. This type of coffee is widely drunk by Spanish men and is popular after a meal, although there are some Spaniards who will order this coffee without batting an eyelid in the early morning. To order a carajillo, ask for "un carajillo de ..." supplemented by the liqueur of your choice.
Café con hielo
This coffee variety is particularly popular during the hot summer months. The coffee, usually café solo or cortado, is brought with sugar and a glass with ice. The drinker first adds the necessary sugar to the coffee and then self-pours the coffee into the glass to create an iced coffee. Super refreshing and the coffee tastes even more intense.
Cappuccino
This originally Italian coffee needs no introduction. This is actually an Americano topped with either whipped cream(nata) or whipped milk(con leche). The Spanish themselves are unlikely to order a cappuccino, but if they do, they certainly won't order whipped cream, this is more for the foreign visitors.
Descafeinado
Finally, there are the variations without caffeine ... where you can choose between a descafeinado de máquina, which is made with the coffee machine, or a descafeinado de sobre, which is brought in a bag, similar to an instant coffee. For the latter, you also have the choice of whether you want it "con agua o con leche," whether you prefer hot water or hot milk to dissolve this caffeine-free instant coffee in.
If you then thought we were finally done with this, you are mistaken ... In fact, there are still many variations possible, allowing everyone to "personalize" their coffee ... and not making it any easier for the camarero or camarera on duty to remember the correct order!
- Corto de café: with less coffee
- Largo de café: with more coffee
- Con la leche fría: with cold milk
- Con la leche templada: with lukewarm milk
- Con la leche (muy) caliente: with (very) warm milk
- Con sacarina: with sweetener
- Con azúcar moreno: with cane sugar
- en vaso: for those who prefer to drink coffee from a glass
- and taza: for those who love a cup or a mug
Having a coffee in the afternoon, somewhere between 2:30 and 2:30 p.m., as is quite common in Northern Europe, will often be frowned upon in Spain. The Spaniard is then seated at the table for lunch... and does not understand why you would want to order a coffee at that time of the day, because of course they do it after the siesta, somewhere between four and six, when life starts again.
Although instant coffee machines like Nespresso & Dolce Gusto are now established and gaining popularity in Spanish households, this was once different. Many Spaniards, out of habit, still drink their daily cup of coffee outside their home. They usually stick to one coffee at breakfast, and one coffee after lunch. It has been one of my favourite morning rituals for twenty years; having a coffee outside on a terrace even before the work day begins ... instant good mood assured!
What is your favorite Spanish coffee and where do you prefer to drink it?
