Cuban Espresso Shootout in Miami: Bustelo vs Pilon

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 4:05 pm

Living in South Florida is a treat. Why?

Well first because it is Paradise - at least for as long as we remain above sea level, hardly reassured anymore. South Florida is the next best thing and truly international with notable populations from Central and South America, the Caribbean and far from least: from Cuba.

There are any number of Hispanic restaurants that serve espresso, but the best - yes, I'm prejudiced - are Cuban. The espresso comes in the the form of a Cafe Cubano - aka Cafecito or Colada - which is a strong espresso, with or without good cane sugar, and served in a 2 oz foam cup, which may also then be poured into little 1/2 oz plastic "shot" cups (the Colada). The Cortadito simply adds some heated milk and is served in a smallish ceramic coffee cup, while the Cafe con Leche is served with even more heated milk and is served in a large coffee cup.

This is nothing like American brew and drink coffee, but the process is labor intensive with a bit of hot espresso poured over the sugar, then stirred vigorously to make a paste, whereupon the rest of the espresso and/or the heated milk is added. Done properly, all are a work of art and must have a beautiful carmelized "foam" on top. This "espuma" is greatly valued by Cuban drinkers.

Back to the coffee...

Those of you who visit here - and most of you will - may have seen the ubiquitous vacuum-packed yellow and red Bustelo - or - the alternative red and yellow Pilon:

. . .

While Bustelo is perhaps the most visible otherwise, it is the Pilon that is preferred by our large Cuban population. As for the best, you can do no better than to buy a Pilon based espresso at the world famous Versailles on Calle Ocho (Little Havana), step up to the window and bar for sidewalk service, and enjoy the Cuban espresso of your choice.

What's the difference? According to a Coffee Jive video reserve...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLhX4rusWlA

This will be tested. BTW, a brick of the Pilon or Bustelo (10oz) goes for about $2.50 - both also offer a premium blend for about $4.25. Stay tuned for our review of these two...

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 6:24 pm

It's "Taka Taka Time"...

I discovered Marta Darby and her wonderful Cuban videos for foodies. Born in Cuba, then raised in Miami and finally, to California. A free plug:

"Marta Maria Darby is an avid blogger, business owner, cook, graphic designer, scrapbooker, photographer and homemaker. Born in Havana, she fled Cuba with her parents, brother, and 4 sisters when she was just 5 years old. Her family lived in Miami for the first 3 years of their exile, and then moved across the country to the “left coast” and settled in California. Marta’s blog,

MyBigFatCubanFamily.com, is a daily destination for hundreds of Cubans worldwide. Each day she weaves delightful stories and anecdotes about her passionate and sometimes strange Cuban family, their delectable Cuban food, and other crazy Cuban-American adventures.

She publishes her delicious recipes every other week on BabaluBlog.com – one of the most popular Cuban blogs online. Marta lives with her husband, Eric, and 4 children, in Southern California, in their cozy home with a white picket fence. "

It's all about "espuma"!

. . . . . . .

Having just read about Bustelo and Pilon, you owe it to yourself to be able to make the basic Cafe Cubano or Cafecito. All you need is a Bialetti espresso pot, some sugar (Demeraran is better, but white cane sugar is fine). The pure magic is the "espuma" or sweet foam, which believe me, makes all the difference in the world. It's easier than you think:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTFupUE8Io8
And for the whole process:
http://www.mybigfatcubanfamily.com/my_b ... blend.html

The trick: start with 1 tablespoon of sugar for 2 demitasse cups (total of 8oz, a demitasse is 4oz), and use less water than you think (see first video). And then it's "taka taka time"...