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jreboll

Jul 16, 2005, 7:00 PM

Post #1 of 18 (1967 views)

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coffee flavoring

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I like to make my coffee with a french press and then add flavored cream, either hazelnut or irish cream. Are there any coffee flavoring additives that I can buy in Mexico?

jennifer rose

Jul 16, 2005, 7:36 PM

Post #2 of 18 (1961 views)

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Re: [jreboll] coffee flavoring

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Yes, coffee flavorings are available here. Yesterday Costco had a huge display of them. In Morelia, a broad range are available at Cafe Europa, Lilian's and the Italian Coffee Company.

Carol Schmidt


Jul 17, 2005, 2:10 PM

Post #3 of 18 (1943 views)

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Re: [jreboll] coffee flavoring

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The gringo-oriented gourmet delis in San Miguel have several flavors of coffee flavorings as well. I don't see the lower-calorie varieties, though, and so have refrained. I store a vanilla bean in with my ground coffee, though. In Seattle I was astounded at the varieties (and of course they were a third of the price of the imported bottles here).

Carol Schmidt

Bubba

Jul 20, 2005, 8:51 AM

Post #4 of 18 (1903 views)

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Re: [Carol Schmidt] coffee flavoring

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Try this:

In cities you can now find good freshly dark roasted coffee.Grind it to a powder or espresso grind. If you know how to make Arabic coffee that is the best for this but a good espresso machine is a substitute. Add cardamom seeds to the finished product. Normally in Arabic coffee, the coffee is heavily sweetened but you can use Splenda or drink it unsweetened.

My other favorite flavorings for coffee are Irish Whiskey, dark rum and calvados or cognac.

We discovered a most unlikely delicious coffee at a restored hacienda/museum/hotel near La Trinitaria, Chiapas. They take the darker Nescafe granules and make a paste with it, sugar and cream. Then they top steamed milk with this concoction which you stie before drinking. I hate to admit it but this was outstanding. Add a little cognac and you may never leave there.


(This post was edited by Bubba on Jul 20, 2005, 4:23 PM)

Carron

Jul 20, 2005, 9:29 AM

Post #5 of 18 (1898 views)

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Re: [Bubba] coffee flavoring

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Some of the best coffee I have ever had was in the always bone-chilling city of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. At the bus station no less!! As a native of New Orleans, I am not easily impressed by most of the wimpy coffees I find away from home, but the kiosk in the bus station there serves steaming hot coffee with a generous shot of Kahlua. Enough to make me want to stay in the city forever, if not in the bus station.

I have a dear friend I visit in Oaxaca. What do we drink on chilly early mornings? Right!

sfmacaws


Jul 20, 2005, 1:42 PM

Post #6 of 18 (1878 views)

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Re: [Bubba] coffee flavoring

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I've had that Nescafe made with hot milk instead of water. Sorry, it is STILL Nescafe - you can't lose that distinctive taste. Bleh!!

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Bubba

Jul 22, 2005, 6:31 AM

Post #7 of 18 (1841 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] coffee flavoring

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Jonna:

How can you doubt Bubba? Have we not shared a rum or two here and there. I too would doubt this fabulous concoction made with Nescafe and Brigitte and I only ordered it because that is all the restaurant offered. You may test my veracity at the Hacienda Santa Maria which is a knockout restored hacienda, museum and restaurant in Santa Maria Pueblo between Comitan, Chiapas and the Montebello Lakes on the Guatamala border. This is wonderful place to stay and you talk about beautiful country!

Incidentally, Santa Maria, about 20 kilometers from La Trinitaria, is a Pentacostal village. In that section of sourthern Chiapas there are a number of protestant villages formed when locals who converted to various protestant Christian religions were expelled from traditional Catholic oriented villages in the region. The locals could not be friendlier (unlike much of Chiapas where you are as welcome as the plague) because the evangelicals teach the notion of embracing all who come around. They will take you to their Pentacostal church and introduce you to the preacher. In Bubba's native Alabama we called these folks "Holy Rollers" but that was not very nice.

You can probably park your RV in Santa Maria if you go to one of their services and "git it on" when they do..


(This post was edited by Bubba on Jul 23, 2005, 8:19 AM)

Marlene


Jul 23, 2005, 8:07 AM

Post #8 of 18 (1810 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] coffee flavoring

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I've had that Nescafe made with hot milk instead of water. Sorry, it is STILL Nescafe - you can't lose that distinctive taste. Bleh!!

Reading this reminds me of the first time I drove into Mexico. When we stopped for gas at a lonely Pemex station I inquired if he had coffee to go. Absolutely, says he. My friend says the look on my face was priceless when he handed me a plastic cup of hot water and pointed to the Nescafe jar and yucky spoon. The was the pretty much the worst thing I had ever tasted.

Now, looking back on that, I realize just how adaptable we all can be if we try hard enough. I have successfully programmed my taste buds and can now accept a cup of coffee at the homes of family or friends here without making a face. Thankfully, some of them have a little stash of Don Pancho Licor de Café stashed in the cupboard. Definitely "perks" up the flavor of Nescafe.

Bubba

Jul 23, 2005, 9:16 AM

Post #9 of 18 (1803 views)

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Re: [Marlene] coffee flavoring

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In our travels around Chiapas and Oaxaca states we have been grateful to find coffee at all. I don't think it is customary to drink coffee in the morning down there where they grow the stuff. Roadside modest eateries typically bring out hot water and a jar of Nescafe that is usually caked from age and disuse. In Oaxaca city just try to find any coffee at all once you leave the zocalo or major hotels. We took a taxi early one morning from the zocalo to Teotitlan del Valle and asked the driver to stop at the first eatery that had coffee. We passed not a single place. Proprietors with whom we inquired about coffee thought we were nuts.

The concoction at the Hacienda Santa Maria is another matter. The making of a paste of dark roast Nescafe, whipped cream and sugar floated on hot steamed milk is outstanding. What makes this even more amusing is that the Hacienda Santa Maria is a coffee plantation and they will sell you a bag of their fancy beans at an outrageous price but sell only Nescafe at their (quite good) restaurant. Let's face it, coffee is too valuable to consume locally as opposed to exporting it. I remember when I lived on Mobile Bay and all the best fresh shrimp was immediately shipped to Chicago.

Now we're real serious about coffee to the point that at home we use an Italian espresso maker by La Cimbali known as a DOMUS CLASSIC. For those of you living in the greater Guadalajara area, you can buy this very good machine that is just right for a small family and will make great espresso with a beautiful crema. You can buy these machines at Cafe Martinique next to Centro Magno. They also make a dynamite cup of coffee there and serve good food. These espresso machines are expensive around here but the alternative is American coffee that Mexicans call ""cafe (or agua) de calcetin".


(This post was edited by Bubba on Jul 23, 2005, 9:24 AM)

Anonimo

Jul 24, 2005, 4:33 AM

Post #10 of 18 (1772 views)

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Re: [Bubba] coffee flavoring

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These espresso machines are expensive around here but the alternative is American coffee that Mexicans call ""cafe (or agua) de calcetin".
LOL!
We also heard Nescafé described as "NoEsCafé", on one of our earlier trips to Zacatecas.

Saludos,
Anonimo

gbatrucks


Aug 10, 2005, 9:55 AM

Post #11 of 18 (1727 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] coffee flavoring

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Does Costco or any other store sell Tasters Choice? On the rare occasions when I want just one cup of coffee, I much prefer it over any other brand, if I have to resort to instant coffee.

Thanks - Christa
"The trouble with life is there's no background music."

esperanza

Aug 10, 2005, 11:07 AM

Post #12 of 18 (1721 views)

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Re: [gbatrucks] coffee flavoring

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Yes, the Costco in Guadalajara sells Tasters Choice. I used to buy it for a neighbor--it's the only coffee he would drink!




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lakechapaladreamer

Aug 17, 2005, 8:53 AM

Post #13 of 18 (1681 views)

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Re: [gbatrucks] coffee flavoring

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I love my STRONG morning coffee! When I make it for myself, I use a cone and gold filter that sits on top of my cup and pour boiling water through the ground beans and then add milk I heat in the microwave. When it's the two of us, we use either a french press or a small expresso machine. When either of us travels, we bring along a baggie of ground coffee and the cone/filter combo and sugar. That way if the hotel we stay at has a coffee maker or the restarant has undrinkable coffee, we can make our own. It makes the morning start out so nicely!

gbatrucks


Aug 17, 2005, 4:06 PM

Post #14 of 18 (1664 views)

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Re: [lakechapaladreamer] coffee flavoring

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Normally I grind the beans just before I brew it, although a single cup won't do it, I am more into two pots a morning. We will be travelling to Lake Chapalla next week, and an adequate supply of ground coffee will be part of the baggage. Instant coffee only gets fixed in an emergency.

Christa
"The trouble with life is there's no background music."

esperanza

Aug 17, 2005, 4:33 PM

Post #15 of 18 (1660 views)

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Re: [gbatrucks] coffee flavoring

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Christa, you can leave the coffee at home. There are any number of places at Lake Chapala where you can buy delicious roasted-on-the-premises coffee from Oaxaca, Chiapas, or Veracruz--as beans or already ground. The best place, IMHO, is across the street from San Andrés parish church in Ajijic, just behind the plaza.

Try their cold moka capuchino for dessert sometime. Or what the hell, you're on vacation--have it for breakfast.




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(This post was edited by esperanza on Aug 17, 2005, 4:34 PM)

bournemouth

Aug 17, 2005, 5:28 PM

Post #16 of 18 (1651 views)

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Re: [esperanza] coffee flavoring

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We bought Chiapas beans from them today and will be trying the coffee tomorrow morning. The nicest people run this store and told us that they roast fresh each day. I'm positively looking forward to getting up tomrrow morning!

Bubba

Aug 18, 2005, 7:12 AM

Post #17 of 18 (1637 views)

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Re: [gbatrucks] coffee flavoring

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Esperanza and Bournemouth are right on:

Good coffee is the last thing you need to bring. I buy all my coffee from Cafe del Sureste across from the parroquia in Central Ajijic. These people are not only very nice but the coffee could not be fresher as they roast so often and so well. They will advise you on the best mix for your beans. I use an espresso machine solely and take a mix of 80% french roast and 20% regular roast (for body). Bring your grinder so you can grind the beans at the last minute or they will grind them for you. The beans they sell from Oaxaca, Veracruz and Chiapas all have different characteristics and these folks love to talk about this so just ask. While waiting for my beans, my favorite drink there is what they call an Americano here. That's espresso (preferably a double espresso) mixed with steaming hot water and served black, not the swill they call American coffee (known around here as agua de calcetin [sock water]) which they sell in some of the more traditional cafes around here catering to a NOB trade.

There are also a number of other very good coffee houses in the Ajijic and Chapala areas and Guadalajara is full of great coffee places including the overpriced and overrated Starbucks. My favorite in that city is Cafe Martinique next to Centro Magno which also roasts its own coffee on premise which is excellent.

If you must bring something bring down some boiled green peanuts for Bubba. (Just kidding, Trucks).

MG Rabon


Aug 24, 2005, 3:56 PM

Post #18 of 18 (1555 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] coffee flavoring

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Nescafe = No es cafe'

I'll agree with that!

Even Drambuie won't help that stuff.

Compórtate bien, y si no puedes, invítame!
MG Rabon
 
 
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