Today we are talking about Brazil and its traditional coffee-making tool!
If you’re interested in learning about all methods of coffee brewing, from espresso to American, click on the button below!
But back to us.
The traditional Brazilian instrument includes an iron stand that serves as a filter holder, as visible in the photo. The filter in this case is made of fabric. Underneath are placed the cups you most prefer, from coffee cups to tea cups!
The particularity of this instrument, which in some ways may remind one of a V60, is precisely the choice to use a fabric filter, which makes the final drink intense and balanced, pushed toward greater sweetness.
In the past, they used to wear stockings in Brazil!
The cons of the fabric filter are:
- It always has to be washed perfectly, otherwise some very fine coffee grains might get stuck in the links and over a long period of time bring bitter and burnt sensations into the cup.
- It must also be dried thoroughly, to avoid the risk of mould or bacterial proliferation, as well as the onset of unpleasant odours, a bit like when clothes are not dried properly.
However, if we are careful about these two things, we will be surprised!
The recipe
There are more or less professional recipes and techniques.
I have decided to write here the recipe that I have seen made more than once in Brazil in local cafeterias or homes.
Last note before we start: if you want an intensely aromatic cup with fine, well-defined aromas, buy a medium or light roast coffee bean and grind it only when extracting.
If you opt for a dark roast coffee on the contrary, you will get a more bitter and less aromatic cup.
Extraction steps:
- Preheat water in a kettle to between 92 and 95°C. The water must be bottled or otherwise filtered;
- Once it has reached temperature, pour it over the filter, again placing a cup underneath to catch it. This heats the instrument and saturates the fabric so that it does not absorb too much water during extraction;
- Throw away the water collected in the cup;
- Pour about 10 g of medium-large ground coffee into the filter, trying not to hit the edges too hard;
- Level the coffee in the filter;
- Make the preinfusion, pouring only 20 g of water over the coffee, very slowly and hitting each bean;
- Leave for 30 seconds;
- Proceed to pour in the rest of the water. In this case I do not indicate the exact grams of water to pour, because it depends on your mug! So add it little by little until you have reached the desired amount of drink!
N.B. If you have chosen the classic cappuccino cup, i.e. with a capacity of about 180 ml, 10 g of coffee is sufficient!
If, on the other hand, you have taken a larger cup, the final drink with this recipe might seem a little ‘washed-out’, with little taste.
Correcting this mistake is simple: put more ground coffee in the filter until you have found the right amount of coffee for your mug!
Recommended coffees
Like almost all brewing methods, I always recommend using only single-origin Arabica with a medium roast and no defects.
If you want a fuller-bodied, sweeter coffee, go for natural; if, on the other hand, you like acidity and fresher notes, go for an offshore washed.
Paolo, one of Ernani’s two roasters, chose the Indian Kalledevarapura:
India Kalledevarapura – Specialty coffee – 250g
Un caffè elegante, che presenta un ventaglio aromatico ampio, complesso e intrigante Specialty Coffee
Andrea, Ernani’s other roaster, chose Guatemala Huehuetenango:
Guatemala Huehuetenango – Specialty coffee – 250g
Un monorigine dolce, fresco e cremoso, con note di frutta matura e cioccolato Specialty Coffee
While I, Martina, decided to play at home, with the Brazilian Caffè delle Donne:
Caffè delle Donne Brasile – Specialty Coffee – 250g
Un caffè socio-sostenibile, dal profilo aromatico sensuale e femminile, coltivato, raccolto e lavorato da donne Proveniente dal circuito IWCA Italia
Do you want to practice this method and also discover all the other Brewing techniques and tools? We are waiting for you at the Ernani Academy Brewing course!
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