French coffee: description, composition and preparation features

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Coffee has exceptional properties. Over the years, the popularity of this drink only grows stronger, a whole culture of connoisseurs and real fans develops. For such people, the morning begins with aroma and taste that sets the tone for the rest of the day. Each coffee lover has in his arsenal more than one recipe for roasting and making coffee. The French version of this drink is distinguished by sophistication and special charm.

A bit of history

The French are a nation that has always been known for its special attitude to gastronomy and everything related to eating. It was from France that the term "haute cuisine" came from, where banal cooking was elevated to the rank of art. This drink is no exception: French coffee beans are valued around the world for their aroma and special taste.

The drink gained mass popularity among the nation of gourmets in the middle of the 17th century with the light hand of King Louis XIV. This representative of the French monarchy not only introduced the fashion for coffee, but was himself an avid coffee lover. He brewed a cup of aromatic morning drink with his own hands and did not trust anyone with this responsible event.

Later coffee becamefavorite delicacy among the general population, displacing no less noble drink - French wine. The popularity of coffee has become so great that it has a negative impact on the production of wine in France. This fact greatly upset the local winemakers and forced them to arrange dishonest provocations, the purpose of which was to discredit the drink and announce its harmfulness.

But neither the constant anti-coffee propaganda nor the subsequent condemnation of the clergy could affect the popularity of coffee. The French people appreciated this drink and continued to complement its natural taste at their discretion.

The popularity of the drink in France today

Today, coffee has only strengthened its position as the most popular drink for the French. Moreover, its prevalence is gaining momentum and soon there will not be a single inhabitant of the country who does not drink this drink. Today, this figure is approaching 90%, which means that 9 out of 10 French people cannot imagine the beginning of their day without a cup of flavored drink.

Statistics show that rarely is a Frenchman limited to one cup of an invigorating drink a day. It is a common practice to drink one cup for awakening and the next one for enjoyment. It is not uncommon for the French to buy even different varieties: the cheaper one is consumed first of all, in the morning; and better and more expensive - a little later, in a moment of solitude and enjoying the taste and aroma of coffee. The French example proves that one must live withtaste!

Why French?

Usually, when marking, the country of origin is indicated. In turn, the phrase "French coffee" says something completely different. The fact is that in France, coffee beans are not grown, but only very actively consumed.

And to make this use as pleasant as possible, the French start with the first stage of processing the beans - roasting them.

All self-respecting French coffee houses roast their own coffee beans for their customers. French roasting can even take place directly in front of the client, so that the drink is as fragrant as possible. There are several special roasting techniques for coffee beans, but most professional coffee makers prefer to keep them secret.

It is also customary to refer to the unofficial term "French coffee" as a recipe for making this drink. It also includes cognac, cane sugar and vanilla.

Classic cognac recipe

In order to taste real coffee according to the classic recipe, it is best to go to Paris and look into one of the magical coffee houses on its picturesque street. But if there is no such possibility yet, you should not despair - you can make real French coffee yourself. Its composition is not complicated at all, and the cooking process requires inspiration and creativity.

You don't need a lot of sophisticated equipment or utensils for cooking: the whole processhappens in a cup. Before proceeding with the preparation of a drink according to the French recipe, it is necessary to brew bean coffee from high-quality Arabica coffee in advance, but not too strong. For one serving of the drink, 40 ml of coffee is enough.

The glass or cup from which the finished drink will be consumed must be preheated. Cognac is carefully poured into the bottom of the hot dish, in an amount of 30 ml. Cognac is better to choose good quality and to complete the sensation of taste - also French.

Carefully place two lumps of sugar into cognac, which equals about one heaping teaspoon.

The hot brewed coffee is then gently poured in, in a thin stream to avoid mixing the ingredients.

Complete the cooking process with a small amount of whipped cream, which is carefully laid out on top of the coffee with a spoon.

Stir the resulting drink is not worth it: if everything is done correctly, it will consist of several separate layers. It is allowed to use it through a straw in order to better feel each of the constituent elements.

A little vanilla?

A variation of the French classic is the addition of vanilla to coffee. The French manufacturer even sells ready-made packages of ground beans that already contain powdered vanilla.

There is a lot of controversy and disagreement about vanilla powder - it is believed that vanilla powder does not decorate, but only interrupts naturalcoffee aroma.

But it's a matter of everyone's choice: for some, vanilla is absolutely superfluous, and only coffee aroma is enough, and for others, the warm notes of the sweet aroma of vanilla coffee will make you smile.

In any case, the traditional French vanilla drink is definitely worth a try.

Subtleties and secrets

The French, as true connoisseurs of fine taste, know a lot of intricacies of choosing and preparing a drink from coffee beans.

First of all, you need to choose the right drink, because a good quality product will never be the cheapest. It is better to give preference to proven brands that have been on the market for more than a year, and not even the first century.

To get the most aromatic drink, you should buy coffee beans and grind them yourself. Moreover, this should be done immediately before further use.

Another French secret is sugar. White beet sugar, which is familiar to us, is not respected and trusted by the nation of gourmets. Only cane brown sugar is added to the drink. It is believed that it is not only he althier than white, but is also able to better emphasize the versatility of the taste of coffee.

And what Frenchman would drink his favorite drink without traditional pastries? The best way to complement the pleasure of a small cup of fragrant drink is a hot croissant, bun or other fresh pastry, which France is so famous for.

There are many recipes for making a drink, almost every country has its own subtletiesuse.

Don't deprive yourself of the pleasure of joining the French as a coffee connoisseur. But you should also not forget about moderation, coffee is a product that significantly affects the vascular system and metabolism, so you should not abuse it.