What Does Cafezinho Taste Like? – A Deep Dive Into Brazil’s Favorite Coffee

If you want to know what does cafezinho taste like, this article gives you a deep dive into what to expect when you order it from a street coffee cart, regular coffee shop, a higher end coffee shop, the Nespresso Café Do Brazil Cafezinho K Cup.

I’ll also give you easy-to-follow instructions for making a traditional cafezinho at home.

Keep reading for the details!

What Does Cafezinho Taste Like?

The flavor profile of a cafezinho, like any coffee drink, is heavily influenced by the coffee bean that is used. Generally speaking, this famous Brazilian coffee drink is strong, and very hot.

Lower end run-of-the-mill coffee carts on the streets of Brazil use lower quality cheaper coffee beans that are particularly bitter with the bitterness masked by the use of rapadura, unrefined Brazilian can sugar.

A regular coffee shop usually uses Latino’s favorite coffee, café Bustelo. It’s a dark roast café bustelo that is used which has a flavor that produces notes of earthiness, toasted nuts and dark chocolate and is notably a low acid coffee.

Café Caboclo ‘Torrado e Moido’ is a popular coffee used in many coffee shops in Brazil and homes across the nation and much loved by Brazilians. It produces a cafezinho with raspberry and chocolate notes and a rich aroma and full body.

High-end coffee shops use better quality coffee beans with premium Brazilian coffee beans being their beans of choice. Cooper’s Cask is a well-known brand in Brazil, with their dark and smooth espresso roast being a popular choice. The cafezinho produced by this coffee will have notes of burnt sugar and tasty, delicious notes of melted dark chocolate and honey-like sweetness. It’s a single origin coffee that is notably bright and with a greater acidity than you would expect from Brazilian coffee.

It’s perfect for cafezinho.

The Nespresso Cafezinho Do Brazil K Cup coffee pod produces a cafezinho coffee with peculiar sandalwood and walnut flavor and herbal notes of rosemary and thyme. It is an omni roast of 4 quality coffees from different parts of Brazil.

Unfortunately it’s a limited edition and generally only available around the Carnival for a few weeks.

Read: Cafezinho recipe

What Does Cafezinho Mean?

Cafezinho translates to little coffee in English from Brazilian Portuguese. The suffix zinho means small.

Cafezinho Recipe

Cafezinho is easy to make and for an authentic experience, use Brazilian coffee beans and use rapadura and a flannel coffee sock.

Measure 4 ounces (120 ml) of water for each cup of cafezinho that you want to make. Add one teaspoon of rapadura per cup of coffee that you want to make.

Heat your water and add your rapadura and stir well until it is completely dissolved. Bring your water off the boil and let it cool for a minute.

Boiling water will over extract your coffee and result in an overtly bitter cafezinho.

Use 15 grams of ground coffee per cup of cafezinho that you are brewing. An espresso grind size is the perfect grind size. Stir well to mix your coffee grounds and sugar water.

Cover your saucepan and let your cafezinho brew for 5 minutes.

When it is brewed, slowly pour the coffee through your flannel coffee sock filter and let it drip into your carafe or jug.

Then pour your cafezinho into a 4 oz (120 ml) coffee cup and enjoy.

A cafezinho in Brazil is served black unless requested. Many people do add a splash of milk or cream.

Cafezinho Brew Time

The brew time for a cafezinho is 5 minutes using the full immersion technique that this coffee requires.

Frequently Asked Questions About What Does Cafezinho Taste Like?

What Is The Most Popular Coffee Drinks In Brazil?

By far, Cafezinho is the most popular coffee drink in Brazil. You will not be long in Brazil when you are offered a one by your host or wherever you are.

Brazilians often have coffee for coffee’s sake, it’s a very customary thing, and it is Cafezinho that will be offered to you. Another popular coffee beverage is café com leite, coffee with milk.

Which Is Better Colombian Or Brazilian Coffee?

Colombian coffee has a fuller flavor and one that is fruitier than Brazilian coffee beans. Colombian coffee beans also produce a more acidic coffee.

That is only a general statement as there are many different growing regions in both countries and not all Colombian coffee is better than all Brazilian coffees. Coffee is not something that can be compared on a country by country basis as the taste, flavor, body and acidity can vary wide within a country. It’s best to compare coffee on a per-region basis and not a per country basis.

Read: How to make a cafezinho

Which Is The Best Coffee in Brazil?

Which is the best coffee in Brazil is very subjective and based on opinion and personal tastes. Here are 5 great coffees from Brazil:

• Brazilian Espresso Cremoso by Cooper’s Cask.
• Brazilian Peaberry by Volcanica.
• Brazil Minas Naturais by Peet’s Coffee.
• Pilao Coffee Traditional Roast.
• Café Caboclo “Torrado e Moido” Roast.

What Makes Brazilian Coffee Different?

Brazilian coffee is different due to being bright and low acid and is known for their floral notes and unique sweet flavor.

How Often Do Brazilians Drink Coffee?

Brazilians drink coffee regularly and frequently throughout the day. Coffee for breakfast, mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and an evening coffee is not uncommon.

Read: Cafezinho

Does Starbucks Have Brazilian Coffee?

Yes, Starbucks has Brazilian coffee that is from the Isidro Pereira estate. It’s wash-processed, which is unusual for a country where sun-dried natural processing is much, much more common.

How Would You Describe Brazilian Coffee?

Brazilian coffee is sweet, smooth, bright and low in acidity with caramel and chocolate notes and hints of nuts that shine. Brazilian coffee has a smooth body.

What Do Brazilians Eat With Their Coffee?

Brazilians often enjoy a pingado as their morning coffee. It’s a strong coffee with a splash of milk pão na chapa, a skillet toasted French bread is often enjoyed with it.

Final Thoughts – What Does Cafezinho Taste Like?

After reading this article you will know what does a cafezinho taste like and what it should taste like when you make it at home. The key influencing factor in what affects this coffee tastes like is the coffee beans, rapadura and the flannel coffee sock.

Join our cool coffee community and tell us about the cafezinho you made, how it tasted and what beans you used. Find us on Facebook/Meta.

Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location