December 22, 2006, The art of coffee, By Stephanie Turner, Did you know?, Interesting coffee facts

There was a time in San Miguel, not that long ago, when there weren’t any espresso machines, or even a good cup of brewed coffee. Nescafe was par for the course. It was almost impossible to buy whole beans or decent ground coffee.

It seemed Mexico exported all of their prized beans to other places and left nothing for their own residents to enjoy.

Now there is an espresso machine in every restaurant and café, but that doesn’t mean you can get a good latte. For a lot of Americans, Starbucks may have refined our palettes for good espresso and expanded our coffee vocabulary, but it is truly the small coffeehouse that gives espresso its soul. And one of those very special places has opened in San Miguel.

Just off the beaten track on calle Correo, about halfway up and on the right between calles Recreo and Chiquitos, a small, understated metal sign on a beige and brown building simply spells out CAFE.

And behind the espresso machine is an artist. His name is Adam, 24, a native of Montreal who has that cool retro-arty-guy look. The walls serve as a gallery space for various local artists or Adam’s paintings, which he creates in his studio in the back part of the café. He is not only an accomplished visual artist; he has mastered the craft of making an excellent espresso drink.

It is art in a cup, not just figuratively but literally as well. In the frothy, creamy, steamed-milk foam he etches a beautiful rosette, each cup a small masterpiece to be enjoyed by eye and mouth alike. Each espresso shot is pulled from the shiny stainless-steel espresso machine with the utmost care to make sure each step of the process is done correctly.

The first, and most important, factor is the grind, which Adam says he checks consistently during the day. The grind determines how the water will pass through the coffee to extract the rich oils. Of course, the coffee itself is key; Adam uses Punta del Cielo coffee beans from Oaxaca that are roasted in Mexico City.

Another important factor is the dose, or the amount of coffee that is put into the portafilter, the little filter with the handle that is latched onto the espresso machine.

Adam carefully fills the small stainless steel filter and levels it off perfectly. The next step is to tamp the coffee down into the portafilter. Adams says this must be done consistently with the same pressure each time; this affects how fast the water moves through the grounds.

Next, he checks the water temperature by letting some water flow out of the machine before latching on the portafilter. He can tell by looking at how the water “dances” whether it is the right temperature. If the water is too hot, which it often is, it releases too many of the oils and makes the coffee bitter. If the temperature is too low, it will make a sour shot of espresso. A darker-roasted, oilier bean requires a lower temperature for making the espresso.

The rich, dark elixir drips and runs out of the portafilter into a pretty talavera cup. The next step is to make the creamy milk foam to top it all off. A stainless-steel spout spits out steam to froth the milk, a control knob determines how fast the steam comes out, and with the perfect adjustment the milk is turned into creamy, pourable foam that is then poured over the espresso. With trained, quick wrist movements Adam pours the foam in a way that leaves a rose or fern-like white and brown drawing in the foam. You can customize your latte or café Americano by adding flavored syrup, and there is tea and hot chocolate for those who don’t drink coffee.

Adam also sells pastries, cheesecake, muffins, quiche, and delicious sandwiches made with fresh baked bread or croissants. Best of all, you can enjoy all of this sitting in comfortable upholstered chairs that Adam designed, pick up an art magazine or barista trade publication and kick back. If you are a customer you can also check your email for free.

Many San Miguel residents have already found this coffee Mecca and are truly grateful that this artist cum barista has found San Miguel.

Did you know?

Interesting coffee facts

-Legend has it that the coffee bean was discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder. It was monks who first roasted the beans.

-Coffee is the second most traded product in the world, after petroleum. Worldwide coffee production tips the scales at about 6 million metric tons.

-After brewing, espresso coffee contains 2.5% fat, and filter coffee contains 0.6% fat.

-Up to the 1500s coffee was primarily a Middle Eastern drink. It was thought to be a tool of the devil in Europe. Many in the Catholic Church wanted it banned. Pope Clement VIII was an avid drinker, however. Instead of banning it, he decided to bless it instead, to steal it from the devil.

-All coffee is grown within 1,000 miles of the equator, from the Tropic of Cancer in the north to the Tropic of Capricorn in the south.

-Caffeine in a basic eight-ounce cup of coffee can range from 65 to 120 milligrams. Instant coffee packs a smaller punch, with 60 to 85 milligrams, while a single shot of espresso weighs in at 30 to 50 milligrams. By way of comparison, brewed tea has an average of 40 mg of caffeine per serving, and a can of cola has between 38 and 45mg. An ounce of dark chocolate has 20 mg and an ounce of milk chocolate 6 mg.

-Cappuccino is named for the resemblance of its color to the robes of the monks of the Capuchin order. The first use of cappuccino in English is recorded in 1948.

-Over 2,000 substances (700 to 850 affecting flavor) have been identified in green Arabica beans. By comparison, wine only has 150 flavor-influencing components. Hence, coffee is one of the most complex beverages consumed today.

-A group of women formed the Women’s Petition Against Coffee (WPAC) in London in 1674. They complained that their men were always at the coffeehouses, rather than at home, during domestic crises.

-In 1732, Johann Sebastian Bach composed his Kaffee-Kantate. Partly an ode to coffee and partly a stab at the movement in Germany to prevent women from drinking coffee (it was thought to make them sterile), the cantata includes the aria “Ah! How sweet coffee tastes! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter far than muscatel wine! I must have my coffee.”

-Dark-roasted coffees, although they taste stronger, actually have less caffeine than medium roasts. The longer a coffee is roasted, the more caffeine burns off during the process.