As a resident of the greater Tampa Bay area, I’ve developed a fondness for Cuban food, culture, and of course, coffee. Cafecito, or Cuban coffee, is one of the most intensely delightful coffee drinks I’ve come across. Here’s how to make your own.

Equipment

• Moka Pot (this is not an affiliate link). My Moka Pot makes about one mug of coffee, but bigger ones are available.
• Whisk

Ingredients

• Espresso — I prefer to use Cafe Bustelo. It’s quite good and, as an added bonus, quite inexpensive!
• Water
• Sugar — you can use granulated or turbinado sugar. I like to use turbinado for this application.

Process

1. Load your Moka Pot with espresso and water. Place it on the stove over high heat.
2. Put 2-3 tablespoons of turbinado sugar per serving of coffee you’re making into a mixing bowl. I use 3 tablespoons for my single-serve Moka Pot. It’s a lot of sugar but it’s worth the calories.
3. Once your Moka Pot starts to bubble, remove it from the heat and pour the first tablespoon or so of espresso into the sugar. Return the Moka Pot to the heat and let it finish brewing.
4. Using your whisk, aggressively beat the sugar and the coffee together. You can’t be too aggressive. Really get in there and whisk the crap out of it. After two to three minutes of whisking, the mixture will thicken into a light-brown paste called the espuma. Try a little on a spoon, it’s incredible.
   
   
   
5. Put the espuma in the bottom of a mug. Pour the remaining espresso over the top of the espuma and let it sit for a moment. The crema of the coffee will rise to the top. It will look brown and foamy.
   
   
6. Enjoy!

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