Coffee — the Portuguese way

FÁTIMA MOURA
Words

JOÃO FAZENDA
Illustrations

The Portuguese are rather fussy about their coffee, which they normally order with the help of a long sentence, replete with specifications. There’s café normal (a regular shot of espresso), curto (a small shot), italiana (a micro shot), cheio (full to the brim), abatanado (an Americano - one shot of coffee, double the water), duplo (a double shot) and carioca (using the same coffee grounds again). Other preferences include the cold cup, or hot cup, or small cup or large cup. And let’s not forget the pingado (regular espresso with a splash of cold milk), garoto (regular espresso with milk foam), galão (espresso with hot milk, served in a tall glass), meia de leite (50/50 coffee and hot milk in a large cup), and café com cheirinho (espresso spiked with strong booze, normally aguardente).
To complicate matters further, there are also regional variations. In Lisbon, a regular espresso is called a bica, which alludes to the taps that featured on old coffee machines. In Porto, it’s called a cimbalino, which references the classic Italian coffee machines used to make it (La Cimbali). If you ask for a garoto in the capital, make sure you change the name to pingado when you’re in Northern Portugal’s largest city.

For now, the Portuguese have bravely resisted North American coffee concoctions. Disguised with Italian names, these spurious and distorted creations (e.g., Frappuccino) often come laden with whipped cream, caramel, vanilla or chocolate. 

Drinking coffee is our main way of socialising, and most probably our favourite. A first date often gets off the ground with the question, “Fancy getting coffee some time?”. Luckily, it also works for a simple meeting with friends. 

We are proud, unconditional fans of our coffee. Any foreign travel, even for a few days, leaves us pining for salted cod, but also for our national brew. So convinced was the AICC (Portuguese Coffee Association) of its uniqueness that it created the Portuguese Coffee - a Blend of Stories brand, which, with the help of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), has focussed its promotional efforts on the Canadian and UK markets. This initiative stemmed from an alliance of Portuguese roasters, who argue that the unique and distinctive characteristics of the country’s coffee are derived primarily from how the beans are roasted. As a result, the association sells a quality hallmark to roasters, which guarantees that their product adheres to the Portuguese Coffee profile. 

When it comes to a Blend of Stories, there are many to tell. In the 18th century, Portugal began cultivating coffee throughout its colonies, especially Angola, which became the world’s fourth largest producer by the 1970s. Originally, it was a Portuguese army officer called Francisco de Melo Palheta who first took coffee to Brazil in 1727. This seemingly banal event hides a remarkable story of espionage and seduction, which saw Palheta become involved with the governor’s wife in French Guiana to obtain coffee seedlings, a well-guarded treasure at the time. So successful was the endeavour that Brazil has become the world’s largest coffee producer by far. In the same century, we Portuguese took the coffee plant from Brazil to the São Tomé archipelago, where it became a great source of wealth.

Our stories may be unique, but what makes our coffee so special? Three characteristics define the Portuguese profile: very dark, generous crema (head) and bitterness, the last two being typical of the Robusta variety we have drunk for many years. When Portugal had colonies, and particularly during the authoritarian Estado Novo period (1933-1974), coffee imports from these countries were a priority. This meant that most coffee drunk in Portugal was Robusta-based, excluding other varieties like Arabica.

The Robusta bean produces the best crema but also a bitter hint, due to its high caffeine content. Arabica, the other major coffee variety, has more sugars, an attractive aroma, and often a desirable acidity in place of bitterness. The coffee’s dark hue stems from intense roasting, which was generally employed to mask flaws and compensate for Robusta’s deficient aroma.

The Portuguese Coffee hallmark currently recommends medium roasts for our coffee. This is often less intense than those in other European countries, such as Italy, as the brand profile blend is based on better quality coffees, which may include Arabica. 

Another key aspect of espresso is the quality of the machines used, as well as their respective cleaning and maintenance. Machines must be cleaned every day and filter holders rinsed after each use. If residues are left uncleaned, the coffee becomes burnt, lending an unpleasant taste, as well as ruining the aroma of better-quality beans. Pressure levels should also be checked regularly to avoid excessive contact between the hot water and coffee, which can ruin pleasant aromas.

The Portuguese pride themselves on their coffee consumption, with 40% of the population drinking two cups a day. However, they are moderate when compared to others. The largest consumers come from Nordic countries, led by Finland with 12 kg per year, three times our annual 4 kg (0.15 cups, per capita, per day), which puts Portugal well down in the rankings. That said, while we drink mostly espresso, Scandinavians tend to make jugs of filter coffee, much of which goes down the drain before a fresh pot is brewed. 

Before the Covid pandemic and the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, about 80% of the coffee drunk in Portugal was consumed in one of the many cafés throughout the country, so it’s no coincidence that the drink and place share the same name in Portuguese - café. Big coffee drinkers or not, this beverage has always been an important part of people’s social lives in Portugal, as well as the inspiration for cafés, where many key events in our political and social history have occurred.