Cafe Bombon
Café bombónka-FEH bom-BON
Half sweetened condensed milk, half espresso, in a small glass, the white and the black clearly separate until you stir. It tastes like coffee caramel, and Spain drinks it after lunch.
At a glance
- Espresso : condensed
- 1:1
- Active time
- 2 min
- Total time
- 3 min
- Makes
- 1 small glass
- Serve
- Hot, in a glass
- Kit
- Espresso machine
Ingredients
Note: Spanish bars often use a dark torrefacto blend, roasted with a little sugar. It is harsher than most specialty espresso, and it stands up to the milk well.
Method
-
Condensed milk in the glass
Pour the condensed milk into a small, warmed glass. Try to keep it off the sides so the line between the layers stays clean.
-
Pull the espresso slowly onto it
Put the glass under the group and pull the espresso straight in, or pour it over the back of a spoon. The coffee settles on top.
Condensed milk is so dense that the coffee stays above it as long as nothing stirs it.
25 to 30 seconds -
Serve it layered
Bring it to the table as two layers with a spoon. The drinker stirs, and should stir thoroughly, right to the bottom.
Why this works
The layers are pure density. Sweetened condensed milk is milk with most of its water removed and a large amount of sugar added, and it is far heavier than coffee. Pour espresso gently onto it and the coffee floats, the boundary sharp enough to see clearly through the glass. That is the whole visual appeal, and it is why the drink is always served in glass.
The flavour works on the same principle as Vietnamese cà phê sữa đá. Condensed milk is sweet enough and thick enough to take on very bitter coffee, and the slow heating that made it has already given it a faint caramel note, from Maillard reactions between the milk proteins and sugar. Stirred into a dark Spanish roast, the result tastes of coffee toffee.
That is also why the espresso should be dark. Spanish bars often use torrefacto, coffee roasted with added sugar that caramelises onto the beans. It produces a harsh, very bitter cup that would be a fault in most contexts and is exactly what condensed milk needs. A light, fruity espresso tastes oddly sour in a bombón.
The drink is claimed by Valencia, and it is drunk all over Spain, usually after lunch, when a cortado feels too little and dessert feels too much. It is the parent of the Canary Islands barraquito, which takes the same base and adds Licor 43, milk foam, lemon and cinnamon.
Variations
- Barraquito: the Canary Islands build, with Licor 43, milk foam, lemon peel and cinnamon. See barraquito.
- Café bombón con hielo: stir the bombón and pour it over a glass of ice.
- Café biberón: condensed milk, espresso and a layer of milk foam on top.
- Less sweet: 20 ml of condensed milk to a full shot.
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Questions
What is in a café bombón?
Equal parts sweetened condensed milk and espresso, layered in a small glass and stirred before drinking.
Why does café bombón separate into layers?
Condensed milk is much denser than coffee, so espresso poured gently onto it floats on top. It stays that way until it is stirred.
Can I use evaporated milk?
No. Evaporated milk is unsweetened and much thinner, so it will not layer and the drink will not taste the same. Sweetened condensed milk is the point.
What is the difference between café bombón and barraquito?
A barraquito starts as a café bombón and adds Licor 43, steamed milk, lemon peel and cinnamon. It is a taller, more elaborate drink from the Canary Islands.