Abatanado
Café abatanadoah-ba-ta-NAH-doo
A single or double espresso lengthened with hot water in a big cup, for a long black coffee that still tastes of espresso. It is the Portuguese americano, and it is what you order in Lisbon if a bica is gone in two sips.
At a glance
- Espresso : water
- 1:4
- Active time
- 1 min
- Total time
- 2 min
- Makes
- 1 large cup
- Serve
- Hot
- Kit
- Espresso machine
Ingredients
Note: Order it cheio for a fuller cup, curto for less water.
Method
-
Warm a large cup
Fill a 200 to 250 ml cup with hot water to warm it, then empty it.
-
Pull the espresso
Pull the shot straight into the cup.
25 to 30 seconds -
Top with hot water
Add the hot water gently down the side of the cup so you do not break up all of the crema. In Portuguese cafés it usually comes from the machine's hot water tap.
Why this works
An abatanado is an espresso diluted after it is made, not an espresso pulled long, and that difference shows in the cup. A lungo pushes more water through the coffee, which keeps extracting past the point where the sweet and acidic compounds have been taken and into the bitter, woody ones. Adding hot water to a normal shot dilutes without over-extracting, so the coffee keeps the shape of a good espresso, just longer and gentler.
The water temperature matters more than people think. Boiling water poured onto a shot scalds it, drives off aroma and destroys most of the crema in seconds. Around 90°C is hot enough to keep the cup hot and gentle enough to leave a ring of crema at the edge.
The order depends on what you want to keep. Water first and coffee on top, the Australian long black, preserves the crema completely. Coffee first and water on top, the abatanado and the americano, breaks some of it up and gives a rounder, more blended cup. Portuguese cafés mostly do it coffee first.
The name is usually explained as coming from the large cup it is served in, compared with the small bica. Like most Portuguese coffee words it is Lisbon usage. In Porto people say cimbalino for an espresso, after the Cimbali machines, and their names for the rest of the menu shift accordingly.
Variations
- Abatanado cheio: a full cup, with more water.
- Abatanado curto: less water, closer to a strong long black.
- Com leite: a splash of cold or hot milk.
- Iced: espresso and cold water over ice, the Portuguese iced americano.
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Questions
What is an abatanado?
A Portuguese long coffee: an espresso topped up with hot water in a large cup, much like an americano.
Is an abatanado the same as an americano?
Essentially yes. Both are espresso lengthened with hot water. The Portuguese version is often a little shorter and stronger, but there is no strict rule.
What is the difference between an abatanado and a lungo?
A lungo pushes more water through the coffee during brewing, which tastes more bitter. An abatanado adds water to a normal shot afterwards, which keeps the espresso's balance.
How do you order a black coffee in Portugal?
A bica, or a café, is an espresso. For a longer black coffee, ask for an abatanado. For a double espresso, a café duplo.