Kuba – Königin der Karibik mit morbidem Charme
Cuba – the mere name conjures up exotic associations with cigars, rum, cocktails, vintage cars, that incomparable yellowed charm and, of course, the music of this island. The Buena Vista Social Club is just one of the more prominent examples of this.
Due to decades of isolation and communism with all the economic consequences of a planned economy, this island has far more potential than real opportunities – and this is especially true for coffee. I still remember my first coffee from Cuba – even back in 2000, Cuba had this unique nostalgic attitude to life and far less quality coffee than was already in demand at the time. With every sack of coffee, the Cubans also sold a piece of this image. The ‘Turquino’ tasted of tobacco and raisins – whether this was due to my expectations or not – and had distinct nutty notes. A very well-rounded, pleasant coffee. The very first subsequent delivery revealed a completely different coffee – flat, bland and disappointing – and the realisation that good Cuban coffee was not so easy to obtain and was subject to significant fluctuations in quality.
The first coffee plant was brought to Cuba in 1748 by José Antonio Gelabert. He established a plantation in Wajay on the outskirts of Havana. His plants originated from Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic) and are therefore among the oldest cultivated Typica varieties in the world. In 1791, coffee cultivation experienced an upswing due to French colonists who fled the Haitian Revolution and brought better production methods and coffee plants to Cuba. The main growing areas were in Santiago de Cuba, Las Villas, Candelaria and Las Terrazas in Pinar del Rio. The growing areas in eastern Cuba, which were shaped by coffee cultivation in the 19th and 20th centuries, have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2000 as ‘unique cultural landscapes shaped by coffee cultivation’. This includes 171 coffee plantations or ‘cafetales’, as well as the irrigation infrastructure, the entire transport network of mountain roads and bridges covering a total area of 81,475 hectares, stretching across the administrative districts of Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba. In the midst of this unique area, in addition to the ‘La Isabelica’ museum, the ‘Ti Alba Farm’ house and the ‘San Juan de Escoia’ garden, there are numerous ruins of former plantations, with the houses of the former owners, drying yards, processing facilities and workers' quarters.
French settlers (mostly with roots in the Basque Country) introduced ‘wet processing’ to this area, as evidenced by numerous hydraulic structures, cisterns, aqueducts and fermentation tanks. In the 18th and 19th centuries, they cultivated coffee there under shade trees, which were integrated into the natural flora from naturally growing forest trees and specifically planted fruit and ornamental trees. This integration of agriculture into primary forest is considered a testament to an era whose traces have otherwise largely disappeared worldwide. It was only through the abandonment of coffee cultivation in the early 20th century – due to political unrest against the French settlers and the simultaneous rise of sugar cane cultivation – that this unique structure was preserved, as traditional cultivation methods were no longer competitive with the more modern production methods that had become prevalent in other Latin American countries. At the height of coffee production, Cuba exported around 330,000 sacks (60 kg) of coffee, mostly to Europe, especially Germany and the Netherlands. Due to the Cuban Revolution of 1959, coffee production declined dramatically, leading Cuban coffee producers to add roasted peas to their coffee in order to be able to offer sufficient quantities at all.
The collapse of the USSR caused the largest decline in coffee production, from around 220,000 bags (60 kg) in 1989–1990 to a low of 3,500 bags (60 kg) in the 2007–2008 harvest year. Coffee production has now recovered to around 100,000 bags (60 kg). Cuba's largest growing area is in the Sierra Maestra, where both Arabica and Canephora are cultivated. Most of the coffee is cultivated by small and micro farmers – since 2003, certified organic coffee has also been harvested on around 4,000 hectares. The smaller growing region of Baracoa is located in the south of the country. The area under cultivation has fallen from 170,000 hectares (1961) to 28,000 hectares (2013) at the peak of production. All Cuban coffee exports are handled by the state export agency Cubaexport, which pays fixed prices set by the state to coffee producers and processors. Unfortunately, this system does not promote quality improvement, as it is not profitable for producers to produce higher quality products. Only around 11,000 sacks (60 kg) are available for export – and the quality is very inconsistent. Cuba's coffee production is far from sufficient to cover its own consumption, so in 2015 Cuba imported coffee beans worth USD 50 million to meet domestic demand. Cuba imported around 19,000 tonnes (316,000 60 kg bags).
THE FOLLOWING BEANS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CUBA'S SPECIALITY COFFEES:
Cubita: full-bodied coffee with lots of spicy notes and nuts. Mild aftertaste.
Turquino: strong raisin, nut and tobacco notes with a full body and long-lasting aftertaste.
Serrano: typical caramel notes that really come through when you add milk.
Like almost all Cuban coffees, it has a very smooth aftertaste and good body.
Estrella del Norte (Sierra Maestra Mountains) at an altitude of around 1,300 metres. The flavour profile is described as having notes of chocolate and nuts, a full-bodied flavour and a mild aftertaste.
Coffee from Cuba: Only around 11,000 bags (60 kg) are available for export.
As in every coffee-producing country, Cuba has its own unique drinking habits when it comes to coffee. The drinks are mostly espresso-based and are mainly drunk with sugar and milk. The following four typical coffee drinks are particularly noteworthy. Cubans themselves usually drink coffee in the morning as ‘café con leche’, a latte with a higher milk content of approx. 80 percent milk and 20 percent coffee, mixed with a little salt and plenty of sugar. This is eaten with Cuban bread and butter. The coffee and milk are usually served separately – black coffee on the one hand and heated milk in a small jug on the other.
Cortadito: ‘small cut’ – an espresso covered with frothed milk.
Café Cubano: (also known as Cafecito) is drunk after lunch or dinner and is similar to an espresso. It is always served with a glass of water and is prepared by pouring it directly over Demerara sugar, which has been added to the cup beforehand. The hot espresso dissolves the sugar – the ingredients are usually stirred together. This creates the so-called espumita (foam), which later floats on top of the drink.
Colada: is a special version of a four to sixfold espresso, which is drunk together from a large cup. It is often accompanied by a cigar, the tip of which is dipped into the espresso.
#Cuba #CoffeeCulture #CubanCoffee #SpecialityCoffee #CubaTravel #CubanMusic #CubaEnjoyment #CoffeeEnjoyment #IslandVibes
Due to decades of isolation and communism with all the economic consequences of a planned economy, this island has far more potential than real opportunities – and this is especially true for coffee. I still remember my first coffee from Cuba – even back in 2000, Cuba had this unique nostalgic attitude to life and far less quality coffee than was already in demand at the time. With every sack of coffee, the Cubans also sold a piece of this image. The ‘Turquino’ tasted of tobacco and raisins – whether this was due to my expectations or not – and had distinct nutty notes. A very well-rounded, pleasant coffee. The very first subsequent delivery revealed a completely different coffee – flat, bland and disappointing – and the realisation that good Cuban coffee was not so easy to obtain and was subject to significant fluctuations in quality.
The first coffee plant was brought to Cuba in 1748 by José Antonio Gelabert. He established a plantation in Wajay on the outskirts of Havana. His plants originated from Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic) and are therefore among the oldest cultivated Typica varieties in the world. In 1791, coffee cultivation experienced an upswing due to French colonists who fled the Haitian Revolution and brought better production methods and coffee plants to Cuba. The main growing areas were in Santiago de Cuba, Las Villas, Candelaria and Las Terrazas in Pinar del Rio. The growing areas in eastern Cuba, which were shaped by coffee cultivation in the 19th and 20th centuries, have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2000 as ‘unique cultural landscapes shaped by coffee cultivation’. This includes 171 coffee plantations or ‘cafetales’, as well as the irrigation infrastructure, the entire transport network of mountain roads and bridges covering a total area of 81,475 hectares, stretching across the administrative districts of Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba. In the midst of this unique area, in addition to the ‘La Isabelica’ museum, the ‘Ti Alba Farm’ house and the ‘San Juan de Escoia’ garden, there are numerous ruins of former plantations, with the houses of the former owners, drying yards, processing facilities and workers' quarters.
French settlers (mostly with roots in the Basque Country) introduced ‘wet processing’ to this area, as evidenced by numerous hydraulic structures, cisterns, aqueducts and fermentation tanks. In the 18th and 19th centuries, they cultivated coffee there under shade trees, which were integrated into the natural flora from naturally growing forest trees and specifically planted fruit and ornamental trees. This integration of agriculture into primary forest is considered a testament to an era whose traces have otherwise largely disappeared worldwide. It was only through the abandonment of coffee cultivation in the early 20th century – due to political unrest against the French settlers and the simultaneous rise of sugar cane cultivation – that this unique structure was preserved, as traditional cultivation methods were no longer competitive with the more modern production methods that had become prevalent in other Latin American countries. At the height of coffee production, Cuba exported around 330,000 sacks (60 kg) of coffee, mostly to Europe, especially Germany and the Netherlands. Due to the Cuban Revolution of 1959, coffee production declined dramatically, leading Cuban coffee producers to add roasted peas to their coffee in order to be able to offer sufficient quantities at all.
The collapse of the USSR caused the largest decline in coffee production, from around 220,000 bags (60 kg) in 1989–1990 to a low of 3,500 bags (60 kg) in the 2007–2008 harvest year. Coffee production has now recovered to around 100,000 bags (60 kg). Cuba's largest growing area is in the Sierra Maestra, where both Arabica and Canephora are cultivated. Most of the coffee is cultivated by small and micro farmers – since 2003, certified organic coffee has also been harvested on around 4,000 hectares. The smaller growing region of Baracoa is located in the south of the country. The area under cultivation has fallen from 170,000 hectares (1961) to 28,000 hectares (2013) at the peak of production. All Cuban coffee exports are handled by the state export agency Cubaexport, which pays fixed prices set by the state to coffee producers and processors. Unfortunately, this system does not promote quality improvement, as it is not profitable for producers to produce higher quality products. Only around 11,000 sacks (60 kg) are available for export – and the quality is very inconsistent. Cuba's coffee production is far from sufficient to cover its own consumption, so in 2015 Cuba imported coffee beans worth USD 50 million to meet domestic demand. Cuba imported around 19,000 tonnes (316,000 60 kg bags).
THE FOLLOWING BEANS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CUBA'S SPECIALITY COFFEES:
Cubita: full-bodied coffee with lots of spicy notes and nuts. Mild aftertaste.
Turquino: strong raisin, nut and tobacco notes with a full body and long-lasting aftertaste.
Serrano: typical caramel notes that really come through when you add milk.
Like almost all Cuban coffees, it has a very smooth aftertaste and good body.
Estrella del Norte (Sierra Maestra Mountains) at an altitude of around 1,300 metres. The flavour profile is described as having notes of chocolate and nuts, a full-bodied flavour and a mild aftertaste.
Coffee from Cuba: Only around 11,000 bags (60 kg) are available for export.
As in every coffee-producing country, Cuba has its own unique drinking habits when it comes to coffee. The drinks are mostly espresso-based and are mainly drunk with sugar and milk. The following four typical coffee drinks are particularly noteworthy. Cubans themselves usually drink coffee in the morning as ‘café con leche’, a latte with a higher milk content of approx. 80 percent milk and 20 percent coffee, mixed with a little salt and plenty of sugar. This is eaten with Cuban bread and butter. The coffee and milk are usually served separately – black coffee on the one hand and heated milk in a small jug on the other.
Cortadito: ‘small cut’ – an espresso covered with frothed milk.
Café Cubano: (also known as Cafecito) is drunk after lunch or dinner and is similar to an espresso. It is always served with a glass of water and is prepared by pouring it directly over Demerara sugar, which has been added to the cup beforehand. The hot espresso dissolves the sugar – the ingredients are usually stirred together. This creates the so-called espumita (foam), which later floats on top of the drink.
Colada: is a special version of a four to sixfold espresso, which is drunk together from a large cup. It is often accompanied by a cigar, the tip of which is dipped into the espresso.
#Cuba #CoffeeCulture #CubanCoffee #SpecialityCoffee #CubaTravel #CubanMusic #CubaEnjoyment #CoffeeEnjoyment #IslandVibes