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Espresso: Questions and Answers
Espresso. With or without sugar ?

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Discussions > Espresso > Q and A > Espresso. With...

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MoussE
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Posted Sun May 13, 2012, 1:20am Subject: Espresso. With or without sugar ?

Hello coffee lovers, I never use any sugar regardless of coffee kind (mocha, espresso or regular (european) ). However recently I toured around the best coffee places in Rome (including legendary Sant'Eustachio) and I came to notice that most of baristas (but not all !) said that I "supposed" to add sugar to my espresso - it was obvious to them that I am just a tourist.. Most of the italian drinkers around me - they all drank with sugar. I wanted to know what is the real way of drinking espresso properly - with or without sugar? N.B. In google I only found marginal explanations - like "depends on the region"... Thank you.

aecletec
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Posted Sun May 13, 2012, 2:32am Subject: Re: Espresso. With or without sugar ?

The real way to drink espresso properly is the way you enjoy it. Personally, I think that drinking espresso means drinking espresso... drinking espresso with sugar is drinking espresso with sugar. To my taste, good quality espresso is not improved by adding sugar, but diminished.

bittersweet101
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Joined: 14 Apr 2012
Posts: 35
Location: Philippines
Expertise: I like coffee

Posted Sun May 13, 2012, 9:17am Subject: Re: Espresso. With or without sugar ?

Espresso is one way of knowing how a real coffee should tastes like. And by which, the quality of the bean and the craftsmanship the barista puts on to it when making this heavenly concoction. So, sugar in a cup of espresso reduces the intensity of the coffee that you are supposedly expecting.

CoffeeRoastersClub
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Posted Sun May 13, 2012, 10:22am Subject: Re: Espresso. With or without sugar ?

"I came to notice that most of baristas (but not all !) said that I "supposed" to add sugar to my espresso - it was obvious to them that I am just a tourist.. " So the camera around the neck, duffle back slung over the shoulder, and flower button down didn't give you away??? Len (Click for larger image)

"Coffee leads men to trifle away their time, scald their chops, and spend their money, all for a little base, black, thick, nasty, bitter, stinking nauseous puddle water." ~The Women's Petition Against Coffee, 1674 www.CoffeeRoastersClub.com www.FluidBedRoaster.com www.javaPRO-CRC.com

rabbit
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Joined: 3 Sep 2008
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Posted Sun May 13, 2012, 2:57pm Subject: Re: Espresso. With or without sugar ?

i too have found using sugar does not improve the flavor.....................huh????

carlsilver
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Posted Mon May 14, 2012, 2:39am Subject: Re: Espresso. With or without sugar ?

The reason why it is usual to add sugar is because in cafes the blends usually have robusta and also are usually staler than the coffee we drink at home. So people got used to add sugar. Also in Italy (and in Southern Europe) people in general don't see espresso as a gourmet product but as a quick and practical way to drink strong coffee.

NobbyR
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Posted Mon May 14, 2012, 5:08am Subject: Re: Espresso. With or without sugar ?

MoussE Said: ... Most of the italian drinkers around me - they all drank with sugar. I wanted to know what is the real way of drinking espresso properly - with or without sugar? ... Posted May 13, 2012 link Caldo come l'inferno, nero come la notte, piuttosto che dolce come l'amore. Hot as hell, black as night, and sweet as love. However, it all depends on your personal taste. There's no law against or in favour of using sugar.

*** "This drink of the Satan is so delicious that it would be a shame to leave it to the infidels." (Pope Clement VIII on coffee)

Stuart
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Posted Mon May 14, 2012, 6:46am Subject: Re: Espresso. With or without sugar ?

In other fora, you can find discussions about the differences between Italian espresso standards and practices, and American/Canadian espresso practices. There are similarities: Roasted beans from plants generically termed "coffee" are ground into a powder, extracted with water under pressure at elevated temperature, and presented in a cup to drink. I think the standard practice in Italy is as different from some Platonic ideal of espresso preparation as is the American practice of running stale beans through a super-automatic machine and diluting the result with 500g of frothed milk and caramel syrup.

mitch236
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Joined: 7 Nov 2003
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Posted Mon May 14, 2012, 9:34am Subject: Re: Espresso. With or without sugar ?

When I first started making espresso, if I didn't add sugar, it was undrinkable! As I've improved, I used less and less sugar to the point where now, I don't use any. Asking if it's ok to add sugar is like asking if you can drink a vodka tonic. If you drink the espresso with sugar, you will miss out on the subtle (and maybe not so subtle) flavors that we work so hard to produce. If your shots aren't that good to begin with, then adding sugar isn't reducing the quality of the shot since those flavors weren't there to begin with.

NobbyR
Senior Member

Posted Mon May 14, 2012, 10:49pm Subject: Re: Espresso. With or without sugar ?

When you use high quality coffee beans that have been freshly roasted and ground as well as properly brewed, then the coffee has a natural sweetness that doesn't really need adding sugar. However, some people add tons of milk, artificial flavorings in the form of syrup, chocolate or sugar. Chacun à son goût, as the French say.

*** "This drink of the Satan is so delicious that it would be a shame to leave it to the infidels." (Pope Clement VIII on coffee)

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