The prestigious gastronomic guide Taste Atlas published a ranking of the best coffee preparations in the world, and Cuba surprisingly topped the list, ahead of 80 other globally recognized preparations.
Cuban espresso, rated 4.6 stars out of a total of five, tops a list that considered its roasting, fermentation, and the details that distinguish each product as a comprehensive sensory experience, Clarín states in the list review.
“A unique type of pre-sweetened espresso, originating in Cuba. It is often known as Cuban espresso, Cuban coffee, Cuban tirada, or Cuban shot,” explains Taste Atlas, which recognizes the popularity of this preparation beyond the island’s borders.
“While it enjoys a unique status in Cuba, where it has traditionally become an essential social and cultural beverage, Cuban espresso is also very popular and widely available in Latin America and Florida,” it explains.
This preparation consists of a sweetened shot of espresso, blending the darkest roasts with brown sugar, resulting in a light brown foam on top of the coffee.
“Cuban-style espresso is considered a mid-afternoon classic, often served with a glass of water,” adds the publication, which included three brews from Greece and an equal number from Italy in its Top 10.
However, the second position in the ranking goes to filter coffee from India, with a 4.4-star rating. “The filter consists of two chambers: the upper one, with a perforated bottom, for the ground coffee, and the lower one, where the brewed coffee is slowly poured. This technique results in a full-bodied, intensely flavored coffee, which is usually mixed with milk and sweetened with sugar,” it notes.
The rest of the top positions are occupied in this order by the freddo espresso from Greece, the cappuccino from Turin (Italy), the Italian ristretto, the Vietnamese iced coffee, the freddo cappuccino from Greece, the Italian espresso, the Turkish coffee (Türk Kahvesi) and the frappé coffee from Thessaloniki (Greece).