Cafe de Olla - A story of resiliance

Many of us know that amazing flavor of cinnamon, cloves, coffee, and piloncillo ( A raw form of cane sugar used in Mexican cuisine. Its typically formed into cone shapes. aka panela o panocha) we love and refer to as Cafe de Olla. It is such a hit that it is marketed into many american brands. McDonalds has even released it as a keurig cup flavor. Nestle, a Switzerland brand, sells an instant coffee with the flavor. It can also be found in various local coffee shops and grocery stores with various brands promoting their Mexican line of Cafe de Olla. Although this coffee is delicious and can be enjoyed by everyone, it does have its own story to tell rooted in blood, tears, strength, and victory.

Mexico itself has a tumultuous history of being invaded by conquistadores, tyrants, and civil wars. The Spanish brought milk to Mexico during their bloody conquest which ended around 1821. Then Napoleon III came around in 1862, bringing along coffee with him, in attempts to expand the French Empire. After Napoleon's withdrawal, the country was ravaged with civil wars. It was during the Revolution of 1910 that brought on this tradition of boiling coffee with spices and cane sugar.

Las Adelitas

Adelita - Indigenous Mexican Woman soldier

The Adelitas, or soldaderas (female soldiers), that fought in the Mexican Revolution drawn by their strong desire for social justice and equality are directly responsible for the creation of the Cafe de Olla. Despite their battle against enemy forces they also faced challenges by men and societal norms of the time that wanted women to play more domestic roles. These strong inspiring women fought battles and were still able to come up with better ways to drink stale coffee. By reheating coffee with cloves, cinnamon, and piloncillo they were able to drink more coffee and keep their fighting spirits up.

Group of Adelitas' Firing

I like to think that this spirit of making the best of the situation is the quintessential Mexican spirit. I don't know if its because of its tumultuous past that keeps its people resilient or if its a strong belief in one's own traditions and heritage that makes a person resilient. Whichever one may be the case, it is out of this hardship that something so amazing emerged. It is said that it was the favorite drink of Emiliano Zapata, leader of the Revolution and founder of the Zapatista movement. This movement still plays a role in daily life in the state of Chiapas, Mexico.

Emiliano Zapata, Mexican Revolutionary

Cafe de Olla

Although the ingredients are simple, I promise you that everyone I have talked to about Cafe de Olla has a different way of doing it. The way I was raised we boiled the cinnamon in water. Once the water became tinted with a carmel color we added in a tiny bit of whole cloves and some piloncillo. I remember my grandma watching the pot carefully and tasting the water to make sure it didnt come out too sweet. Before the wonderful world of google, we passed on recipes by word of mouth or by cooking together. I remember my grandma would watch the pot, stir slowly, and taste as she went along, giving me little samples, curing my curiosity. Once the infused water was to her liking she would then turn up the heat to boiling, turn it off, add in grounded coffee beans, and let sit for about a minute or two. Then pour into another pot straining it with cheesecloth. My grandpa would then come in, sit down at the table with his newspaper, tell my grandma she was beautiful and wait for his cup of freshly made cafe de olla.

Adding Piloncillo to water for use in coffee

Although I don't make it often the smell will always take me back to spending my summers in California with my abuelitos. Today, I make it a tiny bit different. I still boil the water with the cinnamon and clove but now I buy the tiny size cones of piloncillo and don't have to wait to make sure I don't make it too sweet. I now use my french press to get the coffee strained and this makes things so much easier. Eating this with a bollio will forever be my favorite breakfast. Although there are much healthier breakfasts out there, this one is definitely a must when I have a long list of errands and chores to do. And even though I am not fighting a civil war with a Huipil (dress) and guaraches on I have to teens to keep me busy!

French Pressed Coffee

I hope you do try this recipe, and not the McDonalds K-cup or the instant Nestle coffee kind. Although those aren't terrible, the flavor of piloncillo is so good when it melts with the cinnamon and clove. It is nothing like the instant stuff, I promise!

Cafe de Olla

Cafe de Olla

• 2 1/2 Cups of Water

• 6 Tablespoons of Coarse Ground Coffee

• 1 Small piloncillo or 1/4 a regular piloncillo

• 1 Cinnamon stick or 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2-3 cloves or 1 tsp of ground clove

• Optional: Milk to your liking

1. In a cold pot add water, cinnamon, and clove. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes. The water should be a light caramel brown color.

2. Add in your piloncillo and sweeten to your liking. If you have left over piloncillo you can take it out, store it in an air tight container, and refrigerate until you're ready to make this recipe again.

3. Add the coarse coffee into the french press. Rule of thumb for coffee grounds is 1:15 ratio or 3 tablespoons coffee per 8 ounces. The best coffee grounds for french presses is to have a more coarse ground. A pre-grounded espresso grind will be too fine for the press.

4. Once the water comes to a boil, remove from heat and let sit for about 45 seconds. Pour half of the hot seasoned water into the coffee and let steep for 1 minute without stiring. Stir, then add the rest of the water. Let sit for an additional 3-4 minutes and then press SLOWLY. If you rush this, you will get grounds in your coffee and it will taste grainy.

5. Pour your coffe out slowly and add milk to your liking.

6. Enjoy