Have you ever heard of Raf coffee or Russian-style coffee? No?
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History of Raf coffee
Although neither the Soviet Union nor Russia are known to be big coffee lovers, there is actually a coffee-based drink that was invented in the Eurasian giant.
This alternative way of making coffee is believed to have been invented in Moscow in 1996-1997.
The Coffee Bean chain, which was also the first coffee shop in Moscow, is the company credited with inventing Raf coffee.
Coffee Bean was a business that excelled in not only selling coffee to be made, but also offering its customers the opportunity to taste the coffee they wanted to buy.
The story goes that one day a regular customer came into the coffee shop and asked the baristas to prepare something special for him.
So, they created an espresso drink to which they added cream and vanilla sugar.
Apparently, both the baristas and the other customers found the drink so delicious that it became part of the store’s menu.
The customer’s name was Rafael Timerbaev, so the owners of the cafe decided to name their invention after him.
Hence the name ” Raf “.
Characteristics of Raf coffee
The main feature of Raf coffee is that the cream is whipped along with the espresso (the base coffee) and the sugar, making the drink thick and tender.
Other ingredients include syrup, milk, brandy, caramel, chocolate, etc.
For example, Raf coffee is usually served in cappuccino cups or 6 oz. (180 ml) cups.
The Raf coffee is one of the drinks that is the subject of controversy among coffee lovers, as on the one hand it is not seen as a coffee presentation, but rather as a coffee-based dessert.
However, there are also voices that claim that it is a preparation in the truest sense of the word, since its peculiarities are very traditional in Russian culture.
The result is a creamy, thick drink with a texture akin to melted ice, and while sweet, never loses its espresso flavor.
At the same time, RAF coffee is a drink that should not be missed in the severe Russian winter.
And what is the secret of the Raf coffee taste?
The RAF coffee is characterized by its unique and original combination.
In this way, this preparation differs from other coffees with milk and cream, as all the ingredients are whipped together and not separately.
This gives the surface of the coffee a very silky and creamy texture, which always preserves the taste of the coffee.
How do you prepare a Raf coffee?
Preparing the coffee is quite easy, so it shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes for the whole process.
What do you need?
- espresso machine
- 1 carafe or mug
ingredients
- 1 shot of espresso (approx. 25 ml)
- 100 ml whipping cream
- 5 grams of white sugar
- A pinch of vanilla
Instructions
Prepare an espresso in the machine and pour it into the pot or container once it is ready.
Put all the ingredients in the same container and mix well with the steam wand on your espresso machine.
However, if you don’t have an espresso machine, you can also make a very concentrated coffee and add all the ingredients and then mix them together.
In either case, the ingredients must be mixed well until the mixture has a thick, frothy consistency.
That’s it, you’ve got your Raf coffee, although you can add more sugar or cream if you’d like.
Don’t know what vanilla sugar is or where to find it?
Vanilla sugar is a mix of regular white sugar to which some whole vanilla beans have been added.
Some kitchen stores sell it, but if you can’t find it, that’s no problem because we’ll tell you how to make it at home.
So, you put white sugar in a jar and add a whole, split open vanilla bean, being careful to remove the seeds before placing them on top of the sugar.
Now seal the jar and leave it for a week or two. This enriches the sugar with the essence of vanilla.
So, you have seen that this coffee preparation is very simple and also tastes delicious.
Serve it to your friends and family.
