Café Glaseado
Posted on March 3, 2007
Filed Under Food and Drink, Expat Tips |
4 Comments
One the few big disappointments I had in Uruguay had to do with Coffee. No, I am not a coffee aficionado that always shops for the best boutique coffees of the world. As a matter of fact, I am not even a huge coffee drinker. But when I do drink it, I expect to be able to, well, drink it.
As part of my research into the daily life in Uruguay, my wife and I tried coffee at several establishments throughout Montevideo and Uruguay. Sadly, in most cases, we were unable to finish the coffee and in the few times we did, it was in order not to make a scene.
Not being one to give up easily, we decided, or more precisely, I decided to go to the supermarkets and buy a few different coffee brands. I found that most of the brands being sold were café glaseado and a very few café 100% puro y natural. I also noticed that the price difference between them was about double.
Suspecting that I might be on to something, I bought the Café Melitta do Brasil and a randomly chosen Café Glaseado in order to conduct a taste test back in the apart hotel. We brewed the Café Melitta and were delighted by it. We were then sure this was NOT the coffee served to us before. When we next tried the glaseado, our suspicions crystallized. It was not even remotely drinkable.
Further ammunition was to be found inside the package of Melitta coffee. A little consumer educational pamphlet described that café glaseado is made by adding sugar to the coffee during the roasting process in order to impart a darker color and a more complex taste to inexpensive coffee. It also said that in most countries it is considered an adulteration and is either shunned or outright banned.
Adding insult to injury, I noticed that a fake Melita, one T only, is sold brazenly in Uruguay. The more likely explanation is that the German parent company did not register the brand in Uruguay and somebody took advantage of it. And yes, the imitation Melita is glaseado (see here). Also, the package says that it is 100% natural and you will only find that it is glaseado by reading the small print on the back. So buyer beware! Always look for the words: 100% Café Puro or Natural sin Azucar. Just in case, also compare the price. The good ones will cost about double that of the glaseado.
With this information in hand, we went out for an afternoon merienda at Facal, on 18 de Julio. This time, before ordering coffee we asked the waiter whether the coffee was natural or glaseado. He said that they serve glaseado unless the customer asks for the more expensive Café Natural. Good to know.
After we had our coffee antennas up, we found a few places where Illy coffee was served by default, like the Puro Verso bookstore downtown Montevideo. In Punta del Este, perhaps due to the overwhelming number of well-heeled foreigners, good coffee was easily found.
Other posts in Expat Tips- Pros and Cons of Shipping Furniture Abroad
- Should I Bring My Electrical Aplliances to Uruguay?
- Usufruct and Inheritance Issues
- Tipping Custom in Uruguay
- American Income Tax While Living Abroad
- Visa Requirements to Travel to Brazil
- Inheritance Laws in Uruguay
- Uruguayan Spanish Conjugation
- Obtaining the Uruguayan National ID
- Steps To Obtain Permanent Residency in Uruguay
- Tipping Custom in Uruguay
- Uruguayan Mate Custom
- Types of Cheeses Made in Uruguay
- Overview of Uruguayan Dulce de Leche
- An Overview of the Uruguayan Beer Market
- Overview of the Jams and Jellies Available in Uruguay
- Review of Milk Types Available in Uruguay
- An Overview of Inexpensive Table Wines of Uruguay
- Where to Buy the Best Uruguayan Empanadas
- Fresh Fruits Available in Uruguay
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4 Responses to “Café Glaseado”
If Illy is as expensive as it is here (well more than Starbucks, Peets, Caribou, and just about any other brand), then you can expect to pay a LOT for your coffee. What is the price of a cup of Illy expresso in a place like Puro Verso? Where do you even buy Illy in Uruguay and how much does it cost (I noticed a cousin of mine had Illy coffee in his machine, but his office is in the Hospedale Italiano which might bring their own)?
I paid 20 pesos for an espresso at Puro Verso. I am not sure where the consumer can buy Illy in Montevideo. I know their distributor is located in Pocitos, because I passed in front of it several times. However I did not see it in the supermarkets.
I agree with you that Illy is too expensive. And to be honest, when I get to Uruguay, I will not be seeking Illy or Lavazza. I will be buying whatever reasonably good, non-glaseado coffee that is regularly available.
I am a 47-year old Uruguayan living in Seattle, the capital of coffee in the US.
I believe the reason why most of the coffee in Montevideo is glaseado is because we like it that way. We love cortados, capuchinos and all sorts of coffee with milk and glasedo makes those better to our taste buds. I believe that the glaseado system was brought by the Spaniards whom in turn learned it from the moros.
Anyway, the best place to purchase coffee in Montevideo is El Palacio del Café on Avda Uruguay 1180 (between Rondeau and Cuareim) They sell their own roasts (around 10 varieties) or roast it at your request. And I am not sure if they carry Illy but that is where I would look first.
Another place where I saw serving Illy (and may sell the can) is El Oro del Rhin
But don´t quote on the Illy tips, I am one of those “weird” glaseado lovers and I get 1 kg of glaseado beans from El Palacio del Café on my yearly pilgrimage.
Thanks fama for the great comment and for the coffee tips.