It’s not Italy but the coffee in Spain is getting more and more delicious. New coffee shops are betting on quality coffee, and the trend is widespread in Europe and Barcelona. However, Spain, unlike the rest of the countries in the world, has become accustomed to roasted coffee, to the blend. That black blight with a lot of body and thickness that has little to do with the coffee that is drunk in Italy, for example, and less with the Specialty Coffee, but that has managed to maintain its business niche. Cafés La Estrella, with a patent for roasted coffee in Spain, explains that “roasted coffee is a singularity of the Spanish market that is not found in any other country and (…) that is demanded by a part of Spanish consumers” .
José Gómez-Tejedor, a Spanish inventor and industrialist, was the founder of the La Estrella roaster and distributor and was responsible for the introduction of torrefacto in Spain and the rest of Europe, with a patent included in 1901. At the end of the last century, the greatest difficulty of the coffee industry was to keep the aroma intact after roasting: “Originally, the reason for roasting was to prolong the conservation of the product after roasting. This allowed its organoleptic characteristics to be lengthened over time, thus also facilitating distribution over a greater distance from the place of roasting”, explains La Estrella.
This roasting process consists of adding sugar during the roasting of natural coffee. This added sugar in the final stage is distributed evenly, creating a homogeneous film that covers the coffee bean. A process that results in a coffee with a “very strong, dense and prolonged taste in the mouth, obtaining a bitter finish and twice as much caffeine as Arabica coffee”, describes the IECafé Foundation. In this sense, La Estrella coffees describes that the roast has its own cup profile and stands out for “its intense body, persistence in the mouth and certain caramelized notes”.
The standardization of the consumption of mixed coffee, that which in the same package contains naturally roasted coffee and roasted coffee in different proportions, has its origin in the post-war era. IECafé reports that the great development of this type of coffee “came in the post-war years when coffee was a scarce commodity, and due to its high price they used mixtures with sugar in order to use less coffee beans and obtain more cups, at the same time that the price got cheaper”. However, Isabel Moyano Serrano, from the Spanish Coffee Federation, explains that the custom of roasted coffee was already popular before, so much so that “even the Spanish Royal House offered it to foreign leaders and ambassadors when they were received by Alfonso XIII”, Explain.
Why is roasted coffee still produced?
The coffee roasting process was necessary at a time when roasting, preservation and distribution methods were more rudimentary. And currently, there are few countries that maintain the commercialization of mixed coffee: “It is only commercialized in a few countries in the world, within Europe Spain and Portugal stand out, in which it is not yet prohibited,” explains the IECafé Foundation.
One of the reasons put forward by this foundation regarding the current commercialization of torrefacto focuses on its cheaper production. The IECafé Foundation says that roasted coffees are usually made with the robusta variety, which is of poorer quality, poorly digestible and is generally cheaper than the Arabica variety: “For the big roasters, continuing to produce this type of coffee is cheaper to use higher quality raw materials,” he says. In addition, they point out that this variety is harmful to health.
Café La Estrella, for its part, says that it continues to market this type of variety because “roasted coffee gives the cup a characteristic flavor sought after by a certain part of consumers.” And he points out: “This type of coffee does not have great differences in relation to roasted ground coffee, since the quality of our coffees is the same in all varieties.” In this sense, Isabel Moyano Serrano, from the Spanish Coffee Federation, understands that “the Spanish palate has become accustomed to its flavour, color and body”.
What did Starbucks and Nespresso do with torrefacto?
Starbucks and Nespresso, two multinational companies that have put their coffee grain in the growing trend of consuming 100% Arabica coffee varieties, had to face the Spanish custom of blended coffee when they decided to settle in this country.
Álvaro Salafranca, general director of Starbucks Spain and Portugal, explains to Evasión that before the opening of the first Starbucks store in Spain in 2002, they were aware of the culture that existed regarding roasted coffee: “We knew that for reasons that had to To do with the historical situation in Spain, torrefacto coffee -or roasted with sugar- has enjoyed great popularity among Spanish consumers”, they explain
However, Starbucks at no time considered marketing any type of roasted coffee in Spain. The firm is proud that since its foundation in 1971, it has always opted for 100% Arabica coffee, naturally roasted and without any additives. Thus, although they are fully aware that there is a consumer accustomed to torrefacto roasting: “Starbucks has never put on sale any variety of roasted or blended roasted coffee.”
For his part, Alexis Rodriguez, Head of Coffee Development at Nespresso, understands that although roasted coffee has detractors, it is closely linked to the history of coffee since the 19th century and most roasters “know it and have tried it in one way or another way with this type of coffee. Thus, the famous capsule firm understands that roasted coffee has a very specific market niche, “which makes it an opportunity to satisfy a very specific consumer profile.” “Evidently, within the development alternatives for new products, roasting can play an important role,” he adds.
What does a non-roasted coffee have to taste like?
The IECafé Foundation assures that the world of coffee is changing and they are verifying a clear evolution of its consumption towards products of more value and quality. “When a good cup of coffee reaches the consumer’s hands, he awakens new sensations, noticing the differences with the drink he was used to drinking.”
According to this foundation, the flavor of a good coffee should stand out for its pleasant attributes and not for a bad and bitter taste. In addition, in each cup it is possible to find “sweet or floral to citrus flavors, depending on the taste of each one, since coffees hide a great variety of nuances both in aroma and on the palate,” he argues.
Where to have a good coffee in Spain?
– Madrid: Cafelito Madrid, Waycup, Toma Café, Monkee Coffee, Bianchi Café, Hanso Café, Fanático and Lots Coffee House.
– Barcelona: Nomad Coffee, Satans Coffee and Right Side Coffee.
-Murcia: CafeLab.
– Leon: Culture Coffee.
– Granada: La Finca Coffee,
– Valladolid: Puchero Coffee.
– Malaga: Bertani Café and Santa Canela Café.
– Valencia: Aftertaste.
– Bilbao: Sakona Coffee.
– Girona: The Girona Factory.
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