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Coffee
Also called espresso, strong coffee, cà phê
Roasted seeds of Coffea, brewed as a drink and used as an ingredient. Espresso for tiramisu, strong drip or phin coffee for a Vietnamese glass, leftover brew for soaking biscuits.
Origin
Ethiopia and the Yemeni trade, then a global crop. The culinary ingredient is the roast plus the brew method: a dark robusta drip does a different job from a light filter coffee.
Flavour
Bitter, roast, with chocolate, fruit or smoke depending on the bean. Over-extracted coffee tastes harsh and ashy; stale brew tastes of wet cardboard.
How it is made
Cherries are pulped, the seeds dried, then roasted until the interior browns. Brewing dissolves soluble solids in water.
How to use it
Brew stronger than you would drink if the coffee is going into tiramisu, then cool it so it does not melt the cream. Cold leftover espresso is fine for dipping savoiardi. For cà phê trứng or iced phin, use a robust dark roast and condensed milk — a light filter roast gets lost. Instant, dissolved first, can add roast bitterness to a marinade. Do not boil brewed coffee again.
Storage
Beans airtight, away from the hob, ground as you need them. Brewed coffee keeps a day in the fridge for cooking.
Recipes using it
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