Each country has its own name for the traditional black coffee, also known as Americano; black coffee is called “tinto” in Colombia, while in Brazil it is called “cafezinho”.
Well, in Venezuela, this coffee is called “Guayoyo”, although it’s not exactly the same as the americano.
Table of Contents
What is Guayoyo?
The word Guayoyo denotes a light coffee, which typically has a higher water content than a traditional americano.
Because of this, little sugar or another sweetener is added. So, when you hear the word Guayoyo, don’t expect a very concentrated coffee.
In addition, Guayoyo is a coffee with a mild taste.
Guayoyo is a symbol of Venezuelan culture and is drunk by most Venezuelans every day, especially in the morning and afternoon, as it is cheap, convenient and easy to prepare.
The European influence on Venezuelan coffee culture
Like countries like Argentina, Brazil and Chile, Venezuela experienced a large wave of immigration from Europe between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries.
Thus, one of the communities most represented in this country was the Italian one, which in turn introduced the tradition of drinking espresso (or “espresso” in Italian).
And although espresso enjoyed great popularity for a few years, it never managed to displace Guayoyo as a traditional drink.
The Venezuelan Guayoyo tradition
In Venezuelan homes, coffee is a must and people are always looking for an excuse or an opportunity to prepare this traditional drink.
Guayoyo is something that many people associate with their childhood. It is customary in Venezuelan households to bring a Guayoyo to family gatherings and visits from friends.
However, it is important to know that there are other names for coffee in Venezuela and it is good to know them to avoid confusion.
Different names for coffee in Venezuela
Guarapo coffee
Guarapo is a type of Guayoyo, or clear coffee, made by straining coffee powder so that it becomes clear.
This preparation is also called café known as aguado and is usually not sweetened with sugar but with papelón, a sweetener made from unrefined sugar cane juice.
Cafe envenenado or carajillo
It is a black coffee to which a small amount of Venezuelan liquor, either brandy or rum, is added. This type of preparation is more common in meetings, but not so much in coffee shops.
Cerrero coffee
Cerrero coffee is a preparation in which the coffee is served very concentrated and no sweetener is added.
This coffee requires twice the amount of coffee, and it still needs to be steeped after the water has been poured before serving.
This way, the caffeine is more concentrated at the time of drinking, and it is therefore common to drink the coffee to avoid a hangover.
Tetero coffee
This preparation even contains more milk than coffee. Milk can make up 80-90% of the content of the mix, while coffee only makes up 10-20%.
Coffee Negro
It is a strong-tasting coffee, similar to Cerrero coffee, with the difference that sugar or other sweeteners are added to it.
This coffee is an option for those who like a drink with a stronger flavor than the traditional Guayoyo, but still want to sweeten it.
Cortado coffee
This is a variant of black coffee where only a small dash of milk is added, more to change the aesthetics of the coffee than to change its taste.
Coffee marron
In this preparation, coffee and milk are mixed in a ratio of 50:50. A little sweetener is usually added to this mixture.
How do you prepare a classic Venezuelan Guayoyo?
Guayoyoyo is a very easy to prepare coffee that you don’t need a machine for.
Classic Guayoyoyo
What do you need?
- 80 grams of ground coffee or 1 to 2 teaspoons of it
- 1 pot
- 1 cloth filter (in Venezuela called “manga para colar”)
- 1 to 2 cups of water (about 250 ml)
- Sugar to taste
Preparation
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.
- Put the ground coffee inside the cloth filter. There should be a jar under the cloth filter.
- When the water is boiling, pour it over the coffee in the filter and let it steep for about 5 minutes.
- Now serve the coffee hot and add sugar.
How should you serve the Guayoyo?
In Venezuela, coffee is usually served in small cups and drunk as hot as possible. Coffee is usually accompanied by biscuits or other small things.
Remember that this is not a concoction for coffee purists, but a symbol of conviviality, so don’t expect elaborate recipes.
Preparation of Guayoyo with guayoyera
In Venezuela, it is also common to use a special tool for making coffee called a guayoyera.
This utensil is nothing more than an hourglass-shaped base on which the coffee filter is placed so that it stands on the pot in which the coffee is served.
What do you need to prepare this Guayoyo?
- 3 to 4 teaspoons of ground coffee
- 300 to 400 ml of water
- 1 cloth filter
- 1 pot
Preparation
- Boil the water. Let stand 4 to 5 minutes.
- Place the filter on the guayoyera and pour some water over it to clean the filter.
- To do this, pour out the water in a circular motion so that the entire filter is soaked.
- Put coffee in the filter and pour some water to wet and prepare the coffee; this is done so that the coffee absorbs the water and releases more aroma.
- After about 15 to 20 seconds, pour water on the coffee again until the filter is full. Remember to use circular motions so all of the coffee gets steeped.
- Stir the coffee with a spoon and you’re ready to serve your Guayoyo.
