Friday, January 15, 2010
Nescafe´
Here I am sipping my gross cup of instant coffee and it dawned on me how I should have long ago dedicated a post to it. I normally brew coffee in the mornings but my husband had to work nights last night and when he does he brings the pot with him to work. For this reason and for guest who come over we keep a jar of Nescafe´ around. I use to be a major coffee snob, I only drank Starbucks coffee and only certain types. I knew what I liked and its what I would drink. This is at home of course if I was a visitor I would drink what ever they had. I was lucky in the fact that at the time my pastors wife worked for Starbucks so we got to drink it at church to. Considering home and church were the only places I was it suited me quite well. Never in a million years did I think that Coffee would be so different here. Not only is there no starbucks in my town but honestly there is only one brand of coffee that is even slightly good. The funny thing is that Nescafe´is such a big deal down here that the brewed coffees attempt to emulate its taste. We have a couple coffee shops around here that sale whole bean and actually this whole bean would be worth a lot in the states because its pure and strait from the farm. Sure they have to do the roasting process and stuff but after that its literally put on a truck and shipped into town in huge brown bags. Funny that the one that they all suggest is the one that tastes just like instant coffee. When I first got here I knew it was custom to offer coffee and a snack when visitors come over. I quickly found that people often refused my offers after the first or second time they came around. Finally I asked some of them about it and it was because either A) my coffee was to strong or B)it was brewed. They wanted water heated on the stove pored into a cup, Nescafe´and a little jar of sugar so they could make their own. This is when I realized this is how everyone does it when I visit them. From then on out we keep a bottle handy even though my husband and I neither one like it much. There are times now when it does seem "right" to have a cup of Nescafe´. For example at Abuelas house if its late and she is the one handing it to you, it has become become sort of a comfort food. We have recently found a coffee shop in Guadalajara not a far walking distance from where we park while at the immigration office. So we stock up when there and get the other stuff in between visits. Nescafe´isn't as hard to get use to as I had originally though.
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I'm with you on this - as someone who likes a good strong cup of joe, Nescafe just doesn't hold up. I always thought it a shame that in a country where coffee is grown, the people drink such weak brew. Of course, I know Nescafe is what's affordable. The same goes for chocolate. I like real, dark chocolate, none of this "sabor de chocolate" impostor stuff, but what can I do? Coffee beans and real chocolate don't exist in my town either. And by now I'm too poor to afford them anyway! SO Nescafe it is! The problem is that before we became impoverished ourselves, we had converted my mother-in-law to higher quality coffee. Now she's dissatisfied with Nescafe, too. Poor woman. :) Still, one does become accustomed.
ReplyDeleteOh, Amanda, it really makes me happy to see you discovering things just like I did. When I fist came to Mexico I was invited into a worker's home and they offered me coffee. It was a very poor home but clean and neat as a pin and the housewife obviously took great pride in it. She brought out a tray with some cups containing hot water and went back to the kitchen. I picked up my cup of hot water thinking that we were supposed to "pretend" that it was coffee. My host looked at me quizzically and asked me if I didn't want to wait for her to bring the coffee. I said "Oh yes, of course" and pretty soon she returned with the Nescafe and sugar and spoons. Boy, was my face red! Even now it amuses me to see my fellow workers making coffee. They always put the hot water in the cup first and then the instant coffee while I always put my coffee and sugar in first and then the hot water. Old habits die hard I guess. Thanks for the memory:)
ReplyDeleteThere is a Starbucks here in Mérida, but it's expensive and the coffee is the same crap that they serve NOB. I like my coffee with just some sugar in it, not the mocha latte cappucino almond flavored stuff that needs a burnt roast like Starbucks.
ReplyDeleteWhen we first came here you could buy Cubita, which is real Cuban Coffee, now we can't find it anymore. We get our coffee delivered by the roaster, expresso grinds it and Cuban roasts it and it's still only $60 something pesos a kilo! Yeah, we drink it strong and so most other coffee Americano tastes like brown water.
When my mom first got married she burned out several coffee pots before someone explained to her that American coffee is a different grind and a different roast and using twice as much coffee and half as much water only made bad coffee....
Now, I must admit that I like Nescáfe in cafe con leche. Heat up the milk and add the crystals to taste, no water.
regards,
Theresa
Mexico has changed hubby's tastebuds. He actually prefers the taste of instant coffee, which is fine with me since there's less to buy and less to clean up!
ReplyDeleteVadose how sad that now she must suffer also. lol There is an affordable brand here for brewing you should see if you can find it. Its called blason. Its not the best ever but its the best around here. Bob that is so funny because I actually did the same thing once.
ReplyDeleteTheresa honestly even if there were a Starbucks here we couldn't afford it either. And when I said that in the post I meant that I would get whole bean coffee from there before. I only like the milky mixed coffee drinks randomly and now I cant have milk unless its lactose free anyway.
Alice-your right it is less of a mess and less money but when we get the rare chance at good coffee we still take it. ;)
Amanda, I was on a rant, sorry. I have not been myself lately.I am much better now. I went to Mass, and the part about "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us",helped me.
ReplyDeleteWe're not doing much lactose either these days. Husband does better when he doesn't have milk.
Ades brand soy milk is pretty good,the flavored ones have sugar, but there is a plain too. We are lucky that there is Costco and we can buy Kirkland brand soymilk.
regards,
Theresa
ps Happy Birthday!!