Layering a latte macchiato or a mocha

Latte macchiato is a popular drink in many parts of Europe. However, most traditional cafes in Croatia don't offer it, and might not even know how to make it. Instead, you could ask for a similar drink: bijela kava (white coffee).

Note the difference between latte macchiato (which is milk "stained" with coffee) and espresso macchiato (which is an espresso "stained" with milk). They are separate drinks, and you should never confuse them. If you order a macchiato, you'll get the latter.

However, unlike most drinks latte macchiato is usually presented as a layered drink, in a tall glass. Making one is easier than it seems. Latte macchiato is mostly about milk, so milk should be given a priority. Follow the instructions for cappuccino, but the milk goes in first and there should be more milk than foam.

Then you touch the top of the foam with spoon... and slowly, gently pour coffee over the back of the spoon. The coffee will get settled in the middle layer, between milk and foam.

If you're making a mocha, you can make it in four layers: put syrup in first, than milk (gently), and then coffee. If done right, you should get a four-layer drink.

Coffee is a sensory experience. A well-presented coffee can have a huge effect on someone's enjoyment of coffee.

Still, it usually tastes better when stirred. So I suggest you do that before drinking :)

Coffee places: Teneo Coffee Shop

Teneo is a tiny coffee shop in the Trešnjevka district of Zagreb, situated near the marketplace. It's in a small kiosk right next to the tram station and the local Konzum supermarket.

It's one of the few specialty coffee shops in Croatia, and one of the most unique ones. They brew their house blend - which at the moment of tasting consisted of 40% Guatemala SHB, 20% Costa Rica Tournon, 30% Ethiopia Sidamo and 10% India Parchment AB. They also sell beans, sometimes the same as they're brewing, sometimes single-origins. Whatever they got freshest. They're not roasting themselves, but they outsource the job.

Both their beans and drinks are priced way below other specialty coffee shops, and actually on par with cheaper cafes. Besides espresso drinks, they'll also make pourover or aeropress coffee. And, unlike most coffee shops in Zagreb, they will also make a huge range of customizable coffee-based drinks, much like a mini-Starbucks: with syrups, iced, blended, with extra espresso shots, with regular, soy or oat milk, etc., all of it also available in paper cups. However, I do recommend you inquire about availability of syrups if you wish to order a drink with them - they don't always have all flavors. They also serve Tiger Spice Chai, which is a Masala Chai-like drink. Tea, spices and milk make this stuff lovely.

Cappuccino

Their espressos are made with a Gaggia machine, and they're quite flavorful. That flavor can still be felt nicely in the cappuccino, despite the fact it comes in a bigger cup than normal. You will basically get the same drink whether you order a "coffee with milk" or a cappuccino - the only thing that will be different will be the art on top.

Light wood decor, informative photos and blackboards, lots of coffee gear in the back, large glass surfaces and the use of some recycled elements (such as pallets) give the interior a feeling which is rather airy for the amount of stuff that you'll find in. If there are downsides to the place, it would be late opening and early closing times and lack of bathrooms in the coffee shop.

Teneo also organizes classes in coffeemaking and more. I already wrote about my experiences there... Since I work nearby, sometimes I go there during lunch break. It's a small and friendly place, and certainly worth visiting.

Brewing coffee substitute (Franck Divka)

The term bijela kava (white coffee) can mean two different things in Croatia. In cafes, it is a term for coffee that has a lot of milk. In schools, kindergartens, hospitals etc. it's used to refer to a milky drink made with a coffee substitute. The latter is what we're gonna make today.

Franck Divka... smells like childhood.

Divka is a coffee substitute which is a blend of barley (70%) and chicory (30%), which are both available as standalone products. Yet for some reason, Divka is usually cheaper, costing 6,49 kn (about €0,85) for 250g. This makes it extremely cheap, about half the price of cheapest real coffee.

Opening it reveals a non-vacuum package which contains a Turkish grind of something that looks like coffee, but lacks its' smell. The back of the package contains preparation instructions, which are basically a variant on the Turkish coffee preparation. So I went to prepare it in the same way as the instructions for the Turkish coffee I posted...

I placed some Divka on top of the water in my Turkish coffee pot. If you don't have a Turkish coffee pot, you can do OK with a saucepan or any other pot...

However, Divka is not coffee and it does not sink/bloom in the same way. You need to stir it in. Here is a stirred pot, getting warmer...

...and the crema will form on top, just like with real coffee but without the scent filling your kitchen. When the crema forms on top and raises, it's done. Leave a minute for the grounds to settle.

I tried drinking the stuff black. Don't make the same mistake.

However, the taste blends great with sugar and milk. Even the recipe calls for that - the listed ratio of substitute coffee to milk is 1:1, but I'd go heavier on the milky side, about 1:2 or 1:3. Use warm milk for best results.

It resembles coffee... maybe... if you plug your nose. But with sugar and milk, it's not bad - it's actually quite tasty when done fresh, and has the sweet, earthy note.

Reputedly, substitute coffee (especially with chicory) is quite healthy, and some people drink it for that. It's also kid-safe (while being cheaper and probably healthier than cocoa drinks), and my son likes it. It could be used instead of the decaf (as decaf is not 100% caffeine-free), and as a nice pre-sleep warm drink.

Since the entire pack costs less than a single espresso in most cafes in Zagreb, I'd say getting some is worth it.

Coffee places: Eliscaffe

If you do any research about coffee places in Zagreb, Eliscaffe will probably be one of the first things you hear about. Sometimes you hear about their pioneering effort as importers and small roasters. At other times you hear about their obsession with perfection. A random comment shows up about people having the best coffee of their lives over there...

Being close to the center of Zagreb, next to the Britanski trg, or British Square it was a bit out of my way - considering I travel by car, and city center is very unfriendly to cars - but I knew I had to make my pilgrimage to the holy site sooner or later. And so I did.

It was dark when I arrived, and I wore a pea coat. Noticing all the details, taking photos of everything etc. I got a pretty cold reception, because with the way I acted (checking out everything) they thought I was financial inspection or something.

I ordered a cappuccino from their regular coffee (at the moment, an El Salvador roast), and the barista made me a cute latte art heart. A regular experience, or something to please the financial inspection :)

Before sipping the drink, I expected the best coffee in my life - and I've had good coffee before, and even excellent coffee in specialist coffee places. My expectations... were way surpassed.

They're not just better than any coffee I ever had. They're so far ahead of everyone else that there's this huge gap and nothing comes even close. Their featured coffee might change (so your experience might vary), but this was just... a perfect flavor. I was speechless. I would suggest not using the sugar, this coffee doesn't really need any.

Eliscaffe coffee is more expensive than you'll find elsewhere, but it's immediately apparent why. They also sell their coffee blends, in a bean or pre-ground - prices are quite expensive (34 kn / 125 grams, 64 kn / 250 grams), but they're still cheaper than some commercial manufacturers such as Illy.

After I paid, and the barista assured me that the receipt was legal and tax authorization numbers were there, I finally managed to convince her I'm not in fact a financial inspector. The atmosphere got much better then, and we had a friendly and open chat about coffee.

The cafe is rather small, but well decorated - with a clean industrial design, and the large blackboard which features the menu. A few Chemex brewers and Hario Buono gooseneck kettles are visible in the back, however the La Marzocco machine dominates the view. Seating is a bit limited - there's some room at the bar, and at the long shelf at the wall which runs parallel to the bar. There's no regular tables - which are a must-have item in most of Croatian cafes. The rear part contains a roasting machine and a tiny bathroom. It's a non-smoking place, and has been so since it was founded.

The menu features only a few basic coffee drinks (and a 2-person Chemex brew). The focus is on coffee. And if you like coffee, you should visit Eliscaffe. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet the owner (Nik), but there's time for that next time...

1. Zagreb Latte Art Throwdown

Zagreb's first latte art competition is in progress! The first round is complete. It was held last Saturday in 42 Coffee co., one of the (few) specialty coffee shops in Zagreb.

The number of competitors was 21 - more than expected, and despite the fact only Zagreb baristas were expected, one arrived from Osijek, two from the Zagorje region and one from Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The trio of judges selected Matija Hrkač as a winner of the first round. Second round will be held at Cafe u dvorištu on Valentine's day.

Entrance is free, but it could get crowded - there are some rewards offered for the best photos.

Expect those cafes (and more) to be visited and covered in the coffee places category in the future.

Source: 42 Coffee co. website

Franck, the Croatian coffee giant

You have seen Franck mentioned on this blog already, and with good reason - it is the coffee giant of Croatia. We have a large number of roasteries - not only in Croatia but in Zagreb itself, however Franck sells probably more coffee than all the rest of them combined. The majority of cafes in Croatia will sell Franck coffee.

Zagreb factory, 1892.

The brand has a long and interesting history. It started in the year of 1828, in a town near Stuttgart, Germany, called Vaihingen an der Enz where a young enterpreneur called Johann Heinrich Franck started his business, at first called "Landkaffee Manufaktur" to produce a chicory-based coffee substitute. The business grew immensely in the following decades, opening branches in multiple countries. By that time it was already reorganized as Heinrich Franck Söhne OHG, and in 1914. it became Heinrich Franck Söhne GmbH. The Croatian factory was opened in Zagreb, back in 1892., in the same location where it can be found today.

Kneipp barley coffee substitute 1918 ad
Still available today

Company profile in 1890's. Zagreb listed as Agram.
Click to enlarge

Its' growth was slowed after WW1, and it merged with some other coffee substitute companies: in 1930. with Swiss-based Helvetia, and in 1943. with Kathreiners Malzkaffee Fabriken GmbH. After WW2, the Croatian factory was nationalized and no longer connected to others...

The German Franck introduced a new popular substitute, called Caro back in 1954. In 1964., they reorganized themselves under the name Unifranck. Nestlé bought them in 1971., and several years later all factories except the formerly central one in Ludwigsburg were closed. It still operates to this day, employing 114 workers and with a yearly output of 8000 tones of coffee substitutes sold under Nestlé name.

The Croatian factory kept being called Franck despite being nationalized. Since 1950., it switched to workers' management system. However, the Croatian - and Yugoslavian - market needed something less specialized than a coffee substitute producer.

So Franck had to branch out to other products. Soups, house items such as coffee grinders, baking powders, flavors, snacks, puddings, teas, instant foods etc. Not all of these products are still made today.

1960. was crucial, as that was the year when Franck started roasting and selling coffee.

To better understand coffee back then, it should be said that (real) coffee was somewhat of a luxury item back then - much more than it is now. It was expensive, and usually purchased and brewed in smaller quantities.

Today the coffee lovers can afford to be snobbish about coffee - about origins, blends, roast profiles, gear, extraction methods etc. But back then, having coffee was luxury - and Franck was one of the companies that enabled that. They roasted coffee and distributed it to stores. For the first time, it was widely available at peoples' homes.

As the decades passed, Franck brought new coffee products on the market: pre-ground coffee, vacuum-packed coffee and various new coffee blends were introduced.

As the period of communism ended, Franck was the leading producer of not only coffee and coffee substitutes, but also snacks, teas and many other items.

During transition to the free economy, the company was privatized using the model where the shares were sold to workers. However, the model was set up where no single party could control over 25% of shares. The management model was not significantly changed, and there were no huge shocks and downsizing which accompanied plenty of other privatized companies.

However, the free market environment brought in a lot of competition from foreign businesses. The company, however, reacted very flexibly, improving their existing products, increasing product range and expanding flexibly.

To the right is an image of pre-ground, vacuum-packed Jubilarna coffee. The coffee (as a whole bean) was launched in 1972 (with Minas and Prima coffees), but the popular "brick" form was introduced in 1993. It became and remained the best-selling household coffee since that time.

The first post-war decade saw the international expansion of Franck - new facilities were opened in Slovenia and Bosnia, and the range of products grew.

Nowadays they also offer instant coffee, capsule espresso machines, new espresso blends, and much more. In 2008 they bought Gloria, one of their biggest competitors on the home market - and shut them down after they transfered the production (and a few employees) to Zagreb.

Superiore and Stretto are their new premium espresso blends, and a lot of cafes now carry them. This has a lot to do with the coffee distribution strategies in Croatia: distributors entice the cafe owners to sell their coffee, by offering them free machines, cups, etc. if they sign up the multi-year contract. These blends are better than their regular one, and resemble popular Italian blends. It's interesting to see that each blend is marketed separately, and has its' own merchandise.

Franck is often considered to offer "average" coffee - a measuring stick to which everything else is compared. While their history is filled with both success and criticism, they are truly omnipresent in Croatia and they had a lasting impact on the local coffee culture. In any place that serves coffee, it's likely that they're offering Franck. They even have their own app with a reward program for cafes that offer Franck coffee. A brick of Jubilarna, the most commonly brewed Turkish coffee at home, is a typical gift when you visit someone at home.

My recommendations: Jubilarna is one of the best pre-ground Turkish coffee blends available here, and one of the few pre-ground filter blends (I'd still recommend you grind your own beans, but if you don't these are better than most). Superiore and Stretto can make decent espressos, comparable to the popular Italian blends. I'd avoid their regular instant coffee, but their instant cappuccinos compare favorably to many others.

And let's not forget to mention: they still sell various coffee substitutes that their once-parent company started with almost two centuries ago...

Coffee places: Not all of them are alike

In Croatia, coffee is sold everywhere you go. Every cafe or a restaurant usually has an espresso machine, and most of the same espresso drinks will be available everywhere. However, both our coffee places and even names that we use for drinks are somewhat specific to the region, and don't always match internationally recognizable names.

So here's a little guide to Croatian cafes and drinks available there. Hopefully, it will be of use both to tourists to this country and Croats traveling elsewhere, to recognize some differences.

Coffee drinks in Croatia:

• Espresso - a shot of espresso in a tiny cup.
• Macchiato - a shot of espresso in a tiny cup, with a touch of steamed milk and foam on it, similar to Italian version, not the one from Starbucks. You might need to specify "mali macchiato" (small macchiato). This is the most popular drink in many coastal areas. Sometimes it's not on menu, in that case you can still order it - it will be billed as "Kava s mlijekom".
• Kava s mlijekom - "Coffee with milk" is a shot of espresso with milk. Internationally known as flat white. In some places it's known as "veliki macchiato" (big macchiato), and some places would ask you if you want it with hot (steamed) or cold milk. This is the most popular order in Croatia.
• Cappuccino - a shot of espresso with milk and foam. A standard drink. It will usually be similar to kava s mlijekom, but contain more foam on top. Sometimes it will be decorated.
• Kava sa šlagom - espresso with whipped cream. In some places, a frozen whipped cream from Ledo is used instead.
• Bijela kava - white coffee, espresso with a lot of milk. This is usually internationally known as latte or latte macchiato. Ordered in Croatia, it will usually come in a large cup or a mug.
• Produžena kava - "lengthened coffee" is usually a long black or americano. Rarely ordered by locals. Sometimes people don't know how to make it, and simply leave the espresso machine running for a long time. These people are not your friends.

Personnel of any cafe, restaurant or whatever is usually called "konobar". It's used for waiters, baristas, bartenders and pretty much everything else unless they cook too. Remember that it's usually a minimum-wage job rather than a career decision, and the amount of their skills will vary.

Some facts common to almost all establishments:

• There's a table service and it doesn't cost anything extra.
• Menus are available at the table.
• You get free water with your coffee.
• Tips are not required or even expected, but they'll be welcome.

Establishment types:

• Cafe, bar, kavana, coffeehouse, kafić etc. - these are all standard Croatian cafes. They serve coffee, teas, soft drinks, beer, wine, liquor etc. Popular places to hang out. Almost all of them are smoking areas.
• Bistro, pivnica - like above, but they'll typically have something to eat too. Pivnica will focus on beer, but they'll also have coffee
• Slastičarna - apart from coffee, they will typically also offer pastries and ice creams to eat on spot, or to take out - these are in fact their main product, and coffee is just a bonus. Typically no-alcohol and no-smoking areas, though perhaps not if you sit outside. You can often get coffee with ice cream (usually listed as Eiscafe, Icecaffe or something similar).
• Restaurant, konoba, pizzeria etc. - almost all of them have coffee machines, as it's common for people to drink coffee after a meal (after a few minutes pass). If they're not crowded at the moment (e.g. in mornings), most of them will gladly serve you just coffee, but they won't be looking kindly at you if you sit down at their last available table and order just a coffee. Don't do that.

The price and popularity of the location are often linked. Here's what brings the price and popularity up:

• Location - more than anything, you're paying for location. The places where there are a lot of pedestrians - city centres, at the coast, shopping malls etc. often feature the highest prices.
• Decor and music selection (usually related).
• Real and perceived quality - usually by logotypes of coffee manufacturer being present everywhere.
• TV (people commonly watch sport matches in their cafe bars).

This should cover about 99% of Croatian cafes. However, there are always exceptions. Places which are different, or otherwise significant and certainly worth visiting. I will describe some of them in future articles. The link will be available at "Coffee places" link on the right side of this page.

...and a glass of water, please!

In Croatian cafes - and in many other countries as well - it's customary to serve a glass of water with coffee, often without anyone even having to ask for it.

There are many reasons for it. Well, first of all we've got the espresso culture in cafes and Turkish coffee culture at home. Both of these are similar in one way: traditionally, you get a small quantity of highly potent, concentrated and aromatic coffee.

In some other coffee cultures you get bigger coffees (though not usually that strong) which will hydrate you well. If you drink just a small espresso, you might end up thirstier than you left. So water provides hydration - which is always cool, as a lot of people are actually slightly dehydrated.

The other reason to drink water is to clean your palate. You may sip some water before you drink coffee (to feel the full taste of the coffee), or after you drink coffee (to wash it down, especially if it's vile). There's even a legend that Arabs - who used to sip water first - used that fact to identify European spies, who sipped water after drinking coffee.

Some people drink sparkling mineral water, but it can have a different effect: the CO2 bubbles can deaden the tastebuds. Which is probably not what you want to do if you're enjoying a good coffee. Also, to clarify one potential misunderstanding: in Croatia, if you order a mineral water a sparkling one will be assumed. In other countries, not necessarily so. Keep this info in mind if you're either traveling to Croatia or outside of it.

Some local cafes around here will sometimes have a combo offer - instead of water, you can get a Coca-cola or a Cedevita (instant, fruit-flavored drink). If your cafe has that offer, it's usually best to take it.