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Post subject: spanish coffee
Posted: Jun 07, 2006 - 08:53 PM
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Hi guys!
A little background may be required for this queery.
It goes back about 12 years, I was in Spain on holiday and bought some ground coffee from a local store. The guy on the checkout said "not for Eengleesh too strong" good I thought!...Wow, loved it!
It fired my interest in coffee and I've got to the point where I, and my 13 yr old son, buy green beens, roast them, degass them etc. Perhaps not a true buff but we know what we like.
Back to the point, I have never found out what was special about the coffee/roast. It is a Douwe Egbert.. Marcilla..Gran Aroma...Mezcla..Tuesto Lento, are all words which appear on the label.
Over the years I have written to them but they won't provide much info, it is apparently a blend of coffee containing "Tuesto Natural" and something else.
I've moved on, but I'm still curious about what got me interested!
A long shot I know but anyone offer me any info? |
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zapty
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 08:16 AM
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Joined: Sep 15, 2005
Posts: 1194
Location: Heerlen, Zuid Limburg, The Netherlands
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Hello guest and welcome to the forum,
Douwe Egberts is the Dutch parent of Marcilla who produces the blend that you mention.
In Spain it is fairly common practice to roast coffee beans with the addition of sugar, in order to reduce the acid and the bitterness of the coffee. That sounds in itself very interesting.
The in such a way roasted coffee (sugar and beans roasted together) is added to the slowly roasted coffee ("tueste lento") to 20% - 50%. The result is called "mezcla" (Spanish for "mixture"). One "mezcla" 70/30 consists therefore of 70% "tueste lento" and 30% "café torrefacto". Normally this Gran Aroma blend would consist of 100% Arabica beans.
Although one would think that this (sugar and beans roasted together) would be gross to say the least it (the blend you mention and the practice as a whole) has a nice aroma and very good taste...IMO. |
_________________ Bezzera B3000A, Giotto Premium, several Cona's, several Balance Brewers, Atomic, Milano etc,
Aristarco, Rancilio MD 40, Ditting and Eureka MCI grinders, several antique roasters, a mini500/800N propane/electric Taiwanese roaster, greens all over the place...and some other unmentionables that have not been mentioned......
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GeorgeW
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 10:27 AM
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Joined: Nov 02, 2005
Posts: 2094
Location: fife scotland
Status: Offline
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zapty wrote:
Hello guest and welcome to the forum,
Douwe Egberts is the Dutch parent of Marcilla who produces the blend that you mention.
In Spain it is fairly common practice to roast coffee beans with the addition of sugar, in order to reduce the acid and the bitterness of the coffee. That sounds in itself very interesting.
The in such a way roasted coffee (sugar and beans roasted together) is added to the slowly roasted coffee ("tueste lento") to 20% - 50%. The result is called "mezcla" (Spanish for "mixture"). One "mezcla" 70/30 consists therefore of 70% "tueste lento" and 30% "café torrefacto". Normally this Gran Aroma blend would consist of 100% Arabica beans.
Although one would think that this (sugar and beans roasted together) would be gross to say the least it (the blend you mention and the practice as a whole) has a nice aroma and very good taste...IMO.
I'm absolutely certain you made all of that up.  |
_________________ Super Jolly
Hottop
Aerobie
Various sizes of Moka stove-tops
Failed Pavoni Europiccola owner.
Zass
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bogner
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 11:43 AM
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Joined: Apr 11, 2006
Posts: 135
Location: Viborg, Denmark
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| hehe made up or not - it sounds like a coffee I'm gonna try on holiday this summer |
_________________ you may think you can fly, but you better not try ...
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zapty
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 01:15 PM
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Joined: Sep 15, 2005
Posts: 1194
Location: Heerlen, Zuid Limburg, The Netherlands
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| I'm afraid not George, however crazy it may sound. |
_________________ Bezzera B3000A, Giotto Premium, several Cona's, several Balance Brewers, Atomic, Milano etc,
Aristarco, Rancilio MD 40, Ditting and Eureka MCI grinders, several antique roasters, a mini500/800N propane/electric Taiwanese roaster, greens all over the place...and some other unmentionables that have not been mentioned......
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BazBean
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 01:45 PM
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Joined: Sep 25, 2005
Posts: 1635
Location: Scarborough UK
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Zaps......
i am seriously impressed ...nice info and very interesting. |
_________________ Knowledge can be absorbed, but passion cannot be taught !
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zapty
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 03:15 PM
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Joined: Sep 15, 2005
Posts: 1194
Location: Heerlen, Zuid Limburg, The Netherlands
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It is a Spanish custom that really does not get done anywhere else but it does result in a very robust and full bodied cup of coffee sans bitterness....
Am I the only one around here who knows about this and has tasted it before? |
_________________ Bezzera B3000A, Giotto Premium, several Cona's, several Balance Brewers, Atomic, Milano etc,
Aristarco, Rancilio MD 40, Ditting and Eureka MCI grinders, several antique roasters, a mini500/800N propane/electric Taiwanese roaster, greens all over the place...and some other unmentionables that have not been mentioned......
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zapty
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 05:37 PM
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Joined: Sep 15, 2005
Posts: 1194
Location: Heerlen, Zuid Limburg, The Netherlands
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| The green beans actually get misted with a sugar solution before being roasted and after roasting they get mixed with a regular roasted bean sort (arabica). |
_________________ Bezzera B3000A, Giotto Premium, several Cona's, several Balance Brewers, Atomic, Milano etc,
Aristarco, Rancilio MD 40, Ditting and Eureka MCI grinders, several antique roasters, a mini500/800N propane/electric Taiwanese roaster, greens all over the place...and some other unmentionables that have not been mentioned......
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GeorgeW
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 05:49 PM
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Joined: Nov 02, 2005
Posts: 2094
Location: fife scotland
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| I'd really like to try that. Nice one. |
_________________ Super Jolly
Hottop
Aerobie
Various sizes of Moka stove-tops
Failed Pavoni Europiccola owner.
Zass
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BazBean
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 05:50 PM
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Joined: Sep 25, 2005
Posts: 1635
Location: Scarborough UK
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The only "spanish" connection i have to offer is "cortado" .
a curious macciato type drink. espresso with a short shot of hot steamed UHT milk. quite sweet due to UHT element.
Recently went to Tenerife for the first time and spend an age trying out coffee bars only to be sadened to see 8 second pours fireing out blonde coffee. rather then drink it as espresso i went for the cortado to try and salvage the whole affair. needeless to say it was unsucesfull.......
2 days in ..... started drinking Tea.
and no, i did not try and educate the natives on the finer points as wearing a straw donkey and having castinets inserted is something i tend to avoid...  |
_________________ Knowledge can be absorbed, but passion cannot be taught !
La Spaziale S5,
La Spaziale EK 2 Group
k30 mahlkonig
Mazzer Jolly, Futurmat , MC 5 Iberital,
Brasilia RR, Macap Deli Grinder.
A growing Tamper collection
(Plus my own playground for the above- A Shop)
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BazBean
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 05:53 PM
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Joined: Sep 25, 2005
Posts: 1635
Location: Scarborough UK
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| Misting with a sugar glaze must make a heck of a mess with the roasting drum?. Caramelised Hotop... *** Shudder ** |
_________________ Knowledge can be absorbed, but passion cannot be taught !
La Spaziale S5,
La Spaziale EK 2 Group
k30 mahlkonig
Mazzer Jolly, Futurmat , MC 5 Iberital,
Brasilia RR, Macap Deli Grinder.
A growing Tamper collection
(Plus my own playground for the above- A Shop)
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zapty
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 06:03 PM
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Joined: Sep 15, 2005
Posts: 1194
Location: Heerlen, Zuid Limburg, The Netherlands
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Well the beans will of course be dried before roasting and it is not like sugar coated candy so the mess is actually not to bad.
I have done the process many years ago and maybe I will start another experiment in ToTo soon if time allows. Will let you know the results... |
_________________ Bezzera B3000A, Giotto Premium, several Cona's, several Balance Brewers, Atomic, Milano etc,
Aristarco, Rancilio MD 40, Ditting and Eureka MCI grinders, several antique roasters, a mini500/800N propane/electric Taiwanese roaster, greens all over the place...and some other unmentionables that have not been mentioned......
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 09:36 PM
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Zapty Your knowledge amazes me!!
You have put an end to years of mystery. I have asked endless people and no one has had the slightest idea, your explanation sounds very plausible and your taste description spot on. Very full bodied with lots of mouth feel, no bitterness and very rich.
Thanks guys  |
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phil
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 08, 2006 - 11:30 PM
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Site Management

Joined: Aug 22, 2003
Posts: 2315
Location: Swindon, UK
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Therte was a thread about torrefacto quite some time ago, raised initially by Jim (kingseven) IIRC.
Use the site search to find it. I keep all of the old keywords back to day one nearly three years ago (the database is getting quite big now ) |
_________________ Da Boss
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Conas, Zassenhaus hand grinder....
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CakeBoy
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Post subject:
Posted: Jun 09, 2006 - 08:44 PM
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Joined: Oct 18, 2005
Posts: 9604
Location: Oxfordshire, England
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| All the Spanish places that I have ever frequented have used UHT milk. I have never come accross the "sugar roasted" beans you mentioned Zapty, though I would be very interested to try them. Most places I have tried in Spain have used Colombian Arabicas of various types. |
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