The Ultimate Guide to Ordering Coffee in Brazil

For 150 years Brazil has been the largest coffee producer and exporter of coffee in the world!The country is also the second biggest consumer of the beverage, and there are many ways to get your cup of joe in Brazil. Check it out this guide and enjoy your “cafezinho! ”

Flickr Fernando Mafra

Cafezinho com leite or Café com Espuminha This is how a macchiato is called in Brazil. You can ask the barista to make your café with just some milk foam (darker - mais escuro) or with a bit more milk (mais claro)

Espresso –  This is a regular espresso, and in the best coffee shops in Brazil they will serve it along with sparkling water to cleanse the palate, so that you can better appreciate the taste of the espresso. 

Cappuccino - The Brazilian version of this classic drink has chocolate powder and or cinnamon sprinkled on top of it. In some places they make it using a sugary cappuccino mixture, which I don’t recommend. The original Italian cappuccino can also be found in the country.

Café Coado –  The Pour Over is an old method that has been getting popularity all over again. Hip coffee houses in Brazil now offer café coado, which goes very well with a slice of bolo de fubá (corn bread) or a warm pão de queijo (cheese bread)

Café com leite or Média – To order a latte in Brazil you can either say: “Um café com leite, por favor“ or “uma média , por favor“.

Cafezinho – This is an institution in Brazil for as long as I can remember. Brewed coffee served in this tiny plastic cups are offered for free at restaurants, medical offices, banks, offices, and (almost) anywhere else you can imagine!

 Pingado – This hot beverage is reminiscent of  the mom-and-pop neighborhood Brazilian bakeries, where people would sit at the counter and ask for a pingado with a toast.  The pingado is basically a café com leite made with drip brewed coffee instead of  espresso. Even Hugh Jackman fell in love with the classic pingado! 

By Putriat CC