Caffè crema
Encyclopedia
Caffè crema refers to two different coffee drinks:
As a colorful term it generally means "espresso", while in technical discussions, referring to the long drink, it may more narrowly be referred to as Swiss caffè crema.
Variant terms include "crema caffè" and the hyperforeignism
"café crema" – "café" is French, while "caffè" and "crema" are Italian, thus "café crema" mixes French and Italian. In French, "cream coffee" is used instead "café crème".
"cream coffee" was the original term for modern espresso
, produced by hot water under pressure, coined in 1948 by Gaggia
to describe the light brown foam (crema) on espresso. The term has fallen out of use in favor of "espresso".
As a colorful synonym for "espresso", the term and variants find occasional use in coffee branding, as in "Jacobs
Caffè Crema" and "Kenco
Café Crema".
, except that these latter are diluted espresso, and consist of making ("pulling") a normal (short) espresso shot and combining it with unbrewed hot water. By contrast, a caffè crema extracts differently, and thus has a different flavor profile.
As a long, brewed rather than diluted, espresso, caffè crema is the long end of the range ristretto
, normale, lungo
, caffè crema, and is significantly longer than a lungo, generally twice as long. Rough brewing ratios of ristretto, normale, lungo, and caffè crema are 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:6 – a doppio ristretto will be approximately 1 oz/30 ml (crema increases the volume), normale 2 oz/60 ml, lungo 3 oz/90 ml, and caffè crema 6 oz/180 ml. However, volumes of caffè crema are vary significantly, from 4–8 oz (120 ml–240 ml), depending on how it is brewed and taste, and there is no widely agreed standard measure in the Anglosphere. In terms of solubles concentration, a caffè crema is approximately midway between a lungo and non-pressure brewed coffee, such as drip or press.
The motivation for the caffè crema is that it produces a traditional large cup of coffee, just as brewed coffee does: the small size of espresso is due to the original Gaggia
lever espresso machine of 1948 requiring manual pressure, and thus a single (solo) espresso of 30 ml was the maximum that could practically be extracted. The development of pump-driven espresso in the 1961 Faema removed this restriction, but by then a taste had developed for the short espresso, and these continued to be produced on the new machines, long caffè crema only emerging in the 1980s.
The caffè crema is not a common drink in the Anglosphere
, and is virtually never available in cafés due to the need to significantly change the grind compared to standard espresso. Cafés instead serve Americanos or long blacks. The caffè crema was briefly used in Australia in the 1980s, but was replaced by the long black.
One can make a caffè crema in a commercial setting by using the existing filter grind, which is approximately correct, in the espresso machine and otherwise brewing normally, but this would be a very unusual request.
- An old name for espressoEspressoEspresso is a concentrated beverage brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee. Espresso is widely known throughout the world....
(1940s & 50s). - A long espresso drink primarily served in southern Switzerland and Austria and northern Italy (1980s onwards), along the Italian/Swiss and Italian/Austrian border..
As a colorful term it generally means "espresso", while in technical discussions, referring to the long drink, it may more narrowly be referred to as Swiss caffè crema.
Variant terms include "crema caffè" and the hyperforeignism
Hyperforeignism
A hyperforeignism is a non-standard language form resulting from an unsuccessful attempt to apply the rules of a foreign language to a loan word , or occasionally to a word believed to be a loan word. The result reflects "neither the .....
"café crema" – "café" is French, while "caffè" and "crema" are Italian, thus "café crema" mixes French and Italian. In French, "cream coffee" is used instead "café crème".
Synonym for espresso
"Caffè crema", and the English calqueCalque
In linguistics, a calque or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal, word-for-word or root-for-root translation.-Calque:...
"cream coffee" was the original term for modern espresso
Espresso
Espresso is a concentrated beverage brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee. Espresso is widely known throughout the world....
, produced by hot water under pressure, coined in 1948 by Gaggia
Gaggia
Gaggia is an Italian company that makes coffee machines, especially espresso and cappuccino machines, in addition to small kitchen appliances...
to describe the light brown foam (crema) on espresso. The term has fallen out of use in favor of "espresso".
As a colorful synonym for "espresso", the term and variants find occasional use in coffee branding, as in "Jacobs
Jacobs (coffee)
Jacobs is a brand of coffee that traces its beginnings to 1895 in Germany by Iohann Jacobs and is today marketed in Europe by Kraft Foods. Major markets are Austria, the Baltic countries, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Azerbaijan,...
Caffè Crema" and "Kenco
Kenco
Kenco is a brand of instant coffee, and roast & ground coffee distributed by Kraft Foods in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Originally known as the Kenya Coffee Company, they started distributing coffee to Britain in 1923...
Café Crema".
Swiss drink
The term "caffè crema" also refers to a long espresso drink, popular since the 1980s in southern Switzerland and northern Italy, which consists of a running 180 ml–240 ml (6–8 oz) of water when brewing an espresso, primarily by using a coarser grind. It is similar to an americano or a long blackLong black
A long black is a style of coffee, most commonly found in New Zealand and Australia. It is now becoming available in the UK, predominantly in London....
, except that these latter are diluted espresso, and consist of making ("pulling") a normal (short) espresso shot and combining it with unbrewed hot water. By contrast, a caffè crema extracts differently, and thus has a different flavor profile.
As a long, brewed rather than diluted, espresso, caffè crema is the long end of the range ristretto
Ristretto
Ristretto is a very "short" shot of espresso coffee. Originally this meant pulling a hand press faster than usual using the same amount of water as a regular shot of espresso. Since the water came in contact with the grinds for a much shorter time the caffeine is extracted in reduced ratio to the...
, normale, lungo
Lungo
Lungo is Italian for 'long', and refers to the coffee beverage made by using an espresso machine to make an espresso with much more water , resulting in a stretched espresso, a lungo....
, caffè crema, and is significantly longer than a lungo, generally twice as long. Rough brewing ratios of ristretto, normale, lungo, and caffè crema are 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:6 – a doppio ristretto will be approximately 1 oz/30 ml (crema increases the volume), normale 2 oz/60 ml, lungo 3 oz/90 ml, and caffè crema 6 oz/180 ml. However, volumes of caffè crema are vary significantly, from 4–8 oz (120 ml–240 ml), depending on how it is brewed and taste, and there is no widely agreed standard measure in the Anglosphere. In terms of solubles concentration, a caffè crema is approximately midway between a lungo and non-pressure brewed coffee, such as drip or press.
The motivation for the caffè crema is that it produces a traditional large cup of coffee, just as brewed coffee does: the small size of espresso is due to the original Gaggia
Gaggia
Gaggia is an Italian company that makes coffee machines, especially espresso and cappuccino machines, in addition to small kitchen appliances...
lever espresso machine of 1948 requiring manual pressure, and thus a single (solo) espresso of 30 ml was the maximum that could practically be extracted. The development of pump-driven espresso in the 1961 Faema removed this restriction, but by then a taste had developed for the short espresso, and these continued to be produced on the new machines, long caffè crema only emerging in the 1980s.
The caffè crema is not a common drink in the Anglosphere
Anglosphere
Anglosphere is a neologism which refers to those nations with English as the most common language. The term can be used more specifically to refer to those nations which share certain characteristics within their cultures based on a linguistic heritage, through being former British colonies...
, and is virtually never available in cafés due to the need to significantly change the grind compared to standard espresso. Cafés instead serve Americanos or long blacks. The caffè crema was briefly used in Australia in the 1980s, but was replaced by the long black.
Brewing method
As the caffè crema is very uncommon in the Anglosphere, and not widely available outside of home brewing, there are few English-language resources on how to brew it, nor consistency in what precisely is understood by this. What is generally done is to coarsen the grind, but otherwise extract in much the same way as espresso, stopping the shot when it blonds, as is usual for espresso – the coarser grind resulting in greater volume, but the extraction taking approximately the same time (25–30 seconds). Some variants include tamping less or extracting for slightly longer (35–40 seconds), and coarser grinds generally result is less mass of grinds fitting into a given filter basket, leading some to prefer using triple-shot baskets to allow sufficient coffee.One can make a caffè crema in a commercial setting by using the existing filter grind, which is approximately correct, in the espresso machine and otherwise brewing normally, but this would be a very unusual request.
See also
- Americano (coffee) – hot water added to espresso.
- LungoLungoLungo is Italian for 'long', and refers to the coffee beverage made by using an espresso machine to make an espresso with much more water , resulting in a stretched espresso, a lungo....
- a shorter version of long espresso. - Long blackLong blackA long black is a style of coffee, most commonly found in New Zealand and Australia. It is now becoming available in the UK, predominantly in London....
– famous in Australia.