Venezuelan Coffee - History, Types and 12 and + Ways to Order It
Consumption coffee in Venezuela is part of the Venezuelan culture, its customs. We cannot imagine leaving the house without first having drunk a delicious cup of coffee, negrito (little black), guayoyo, with milk, brown. There are many unique and fun ways in which we usually call it depending on how strong is it or on what we add to it.
Producing coffee is not a simple or quick process. Coffee growers dedicate time, effort and great dedication. Germination is long, it can last from 8 to 10 months. Then the coffee plant is planted and it can take up to 2 years for its fruits to be harvested. The fruits are stored and threshed. Afterwards, the beans must be roasted, a delicate process because the final quality of the product depends largely on this. If the product is sold ground, it must go through the last step of grinding, which is also vital to achieve the proper size. In the end it is stored, packed and distributed.
Brief Venezuelan Coffee History
Some chronicles tell that Venezuelan coffee history begins at the end of 18th century at the hands of the Spanish Jesuit Missionary José Gumilla (Author of “The Orinoco Illustrated and Defended”). The chronicles indicate that the Missionary was the one who introduced and planted the first coffee seeds from Brazil, on Caroní River banks.
Coffee is native to Ethiopia but it is the Arabs who discovered it and cultivated it to prepare the delicious and aromatic infusion.
Until well into the 20th century, coffee in Venezuela accelerated the economy at an incredible rate. In fact, Venezuela was one of the 3 largest coffee producers in the world. Since 1900, top quality Venezuelan coffee has been harvested, roasted and marketed.
Thanks to coffee, in the last-century the Andean peoples improved their living conditions. In addition, it served for opening roads and river channels and trade grew thanks to the exchange with Europe and the US that occurred in Maracaibo port.
Subsequently, the oil-based economy displaced the coffee economy until it reduced the planting areas to the point that currently, they only cover national consumption and very few exports.
However, coffee in Venezuela is nowadays a very important item for the country’s primary economy.
Coffee Producing Areas in Venezuela
The seeds of the Arabian Coffee Tree, Coffea arabica or Arabica Coffee, are grown mostly in areas with heights above 800 meters.
The coffee plant is mainly produced in Venezuela states located in the following regions:
- Eastern Region, where coffee is planted in Monagas and Sucre states.
- The largest coffee production is concentrated in Western Region, in Lara, Portuguesa and Yaracuy states.
- Andean Region, specifically in Trujillo, Mérida and Táchira states.
Types or Varieties of Venezuelan Arabica Coffee Beans
In Venezuela, the varieties of Coffee Arabica Catuai, Arabica Bourbon and Typical Arabica are grown mainly. The varieties Arabica Caturra and Arabica Mundo Novo are also harvested.
There are also local names to designate the varieties of Venezuelan Coffee such as, for example, “Café Maracaibos” which refers to the varieties that are grown in Andean region and “Café Caracas” that is grown in eastern mountains.
How to prepare Coffee in Venezuela - Types of Venezuelan Coffee
If you are going to order a Coffee in Venezuela, better learn how to do it because there are many ways, and they are all different.
There are excellent Baristas in Venezuela, professionals who have studied and have national and / or international degrees that accredit them as specialists in coffee art.
Also, there are excellent Specialists who work in coffee shops and bakeries that, although they have not studied in an institute, have the impressive task of knowing how to make various types of coffee quickly and accurately. Generally, they measure “by eye”, the amount of coffee that a cup should have depending on the taste of the consumer. In addition, the pleasant chat with the client is part of the culture of the Venezuelan. They are excellent!
There are many ways to name them depending on the region, but the most popular types of coffee we drink in Venezuela are the ones mentioned below.
Black coffee, without milk
Cerrero: High concentration of coffee, strong, without sugar and in little quantity.
Black Short or Litlle Black: It is a strong coffee, in little quantity and generally it does have sugar.
Long Black: Same as Short Black but in greater quantity.
Cortado: Short Black Coffee with a touch of milk on the surface.
Carajillo or Poisoned: It is a Short Black Coffee to which some type of liquor is added such as rum, brandy or cocuy.
Guayoyo: It is less strong, low concentration of coffee and sweet.
Guarapo: It is a Guayoyo but instead of using sugar, it is used panela syrup, ground panela or similar.
Coffee with milk
- Baby bottle: In this case, milk and only a small amount of coffee that is not more than 10% are added to the cup.
- Coffee with Milk: The Barista fills 70% of the cup with milk and completes with coffee. You have to be an expert so you don’t go confuse with Light Brown Coffee.
- Brown: Add 50% coffee and 50% milk to the cup.
- Light Brown: It has less coffee than Brown but it is not as light as Coffee with Milk. 60% milk and 40% coffee are added to the cup.
- Dark Brown: Fill the cup with 70% coffee and 30% milk.
Other ways to drink coffee in Venezuela
Thanks to the cultural wealth of the Venezuelan, there are multiple ways in which you can taste coffee in bakeries, restaurants and food places in general.
In addition to the varieties or types of coffee that we Venezuelans enjoy before described, we also enjoy other more international ones such as:
- Cappuccino: Coffee with milk with milk-foam on the surface.
- Mocachino: Brown Coffee with cocoa. It may or may not have whipped cream.
- Frapuchino: Iced coffee to which ice cream, ice and whipped cream are added.
The best thing about Venezuelan Coffee is without any doubt, drink it as you prefer but always in good company.
