Coffee, Cuban

Jamie Silva’s café cubano uses supplied dark-roast ground espresso, water and granulated sugar. A few first drops of brewed coffee make the sugar foam, or espumita, before the rest of the same brew joins it.

The selected stovetop espresso maker receives water and ground espresso according to its manufacturer’s instructions. It brews over medium-high heat.

Four tablespoons of granulated sugar go into the selected measuring cup. The first few drops of brewed espresso are added to the sugar while the maker continues brewing. Silva identifies these early drops as especially concentrated.

The sugar and early coffee drops are stirred vigorously until the foam is pale and thick but drippy. The source advises adding a few drops at a time while developing that consistency. Once brewing finishes, the remaining espresso is poured into the same cup and stirred slowly into the foam.

The combined coffee is served immediately in espresso cups. Silva explicitly describes the finished cafecito as hot. Her listed serving suggestions are prepared coconut, guava and cheese pastelitos.