The pursuit of Crema
The word for coffee foam is “crema”. It is mostly seen in espresso. It appears when you push water at pressure through a pressed ground coffee. Crema is not just aesthetically attractive, almond colored foam, it also changes the texture of the coffee beverage. In our pursuit for the perfect and easiest-to-prepare coffee, we found that maintaining crema in coffee is just necessary to get a drink. Crema also contributes to the smoothness you get when you´re sipping it for the first time: a creamy, gentle feeling that helps fill your mouth with the rich aromas all good coffee should have.
Coffee crema is composed of tiny bubbles that trap gas inside. Elusive, and short-lived it is stabilized by the natural components of coffee. Much has been researched on this matter, but as with all things in coffee, such a complex and intricate mechanism has not yet been resolved. Some suggest it’s based on the oils, proteins and sugar present in coffee.
What we found is treating coffee more gently during the process of making Crefé, yields more cream, than with other manufacturing processes, and that a stable coffee crema can be achieved, regardless of varietal, crop altitude and terroir.
Getting more crema out of your Crefé Origins
A word from Crefé Labs (soon to become 3CR – Crefé Center for Coffee Research)
If you want to get more crema out of your Crefé do the following:
- In a very dry cup add a teaspoon of Crefé Origins for every 4 fl oz (100mL) of water you will use.
- Add water between 60-70°C (140-158 °F), if you pour it from a greater height and at a higher rate, it will mix more swiftly and trap more air in the bubbles, making the bubbles in the crema. Also you´ll get a thicker crema layer.
- Remember that crema in Coffee is ephemeral, just like good things in life. So, enjoy the taste of that first sip. But don’t forget to make small and deep inhalations before. That way, you will have a complete coffee experience: smell the Crefé, taste the Crefé and touch the Crefé.