The Mexican Breakfast Drink That Requires a Clay Pot

If you ever travel south of the Mexican border, you might come across large clay pots with a ladle that will make an appearance at your hotel breakfast. These clay pots contain coffee known as café de olla, which means “pot coffee.”

Café de olla is not your average cup of coffee. It contains a few key ingredients that give it a unique flavor. For one, it’s made from a special type of sugar called piloncillo (also known as panela, rapadura, or chanaca in other parts of Latin America). This sugar has a deeper, richer flavor with a molasses-like taste that infuses dark caramel notes into the coffee.

Beyond the sweetener, this coffee also gets a unique flavor from warming spices. Cinnamon and cloves are the two most common additions, adding a woody, sweet flavor to the drink. You may also come across brews that use anise to add a hint of licorice to the coffee, or add citrus peels to bring out the floral aromas. All of these ingredients give the coffee a rich flavor with hints of spice that make it the perfect drink for winter mornings or when you want to feel extra cozy.

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Why the clay pot is important for Café De Olla

It’s not just the sugar and spices that make café de olla unique. The clay pot used to brew the brew also plays a big role in the flavor of your coffee. Clay is a porous material, and when you brew your coffee in a clay pot, those pores absorb the beverage and help give it a rich, earthy flavor.

At the same time, clay retains heat particularly well and does not cool down as quickly. This means that you can brew your coffee in the “olla” and let it sit in the teapot for a while without it cooling down. Letting it sit also enhances the flavor of the spices and the earthy flavor of the teapot, allowing all of this to meld and infuse the coffee with a unique taste.

Of course, while brewing this coffee in a clay pot is the traditional method, it’s not always possible to improve your coffee this way. Today, most people don’t have a clay pot among their kitchen utensils. The good news is that you can still brew café de olla using a metal pot or even your French press. Just note that you won’t get the same earthy flavor as if you were to brew it in a traditional “olla de barra.”

The History of Potted Coffee

Café de olla is thought to have been invented over 100 years ago, during the Mexican Revolution. At the time, the drink was prepared over campfires and served to soldiers by women who supported the movement. The drink is thought to have been particularly popular with one of the leaders of the revolution, Emiliano Zapata.

Over time, this type of coffee has become much more than just a popular revolutionary drink and a staple in homes. It can vary greatly by region, as many recipes are passed down within families. This tradition means that you can find this drink in some Mexican restaurants in the United States, as immigrant families bring their preparation method with them and share it with customers.

If you want to try café de olla for yourself, you can see if your local Mexican restaurant carries a pot for you to enjoy. You can also create your own tradition and make it at home. You can even add your own twist, like making it spicy by adding tequila or another spirit or playing around with the spices. Whether you stick with tradition or try something new, this comforting brew is sure to warm you up and give your day a boost.

Read the original article on The Daily Meal.