Drinking coffee in Malaga is an essential part of local life. And a quirky one too, as you will discover below!
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What makes coffee in Malaga so special?
The idea for this article came from a tweet from a Spanish actress who was ordering a café con leche (Milkcoffee) in the town of Fuengirola. According to her, the waiter’s question left her totally confused. ‘Do you want a cloud (nube) or a shadow (sombra)?
She went on joking that she feels she needs a double degree in physics + meteorology to be able to order a coffee in Malaga.
As you will discover, you don’t need that much preparation, let alone after reading this article!
The Art of Coffee in Malaga
We have had the pleasure of interviewing the grandson of the founder of the legendary Cáfe Central in Malaga, who shares his grandfather’s love of coffee culture and know-how.
Join us on this journey of flavours and aromas, so intimately linked to Malaga, its history and its people.
The Café Central in Malaga, a historic institution
It was in 2022 when the mythical Café Central in Malaga closed its doors forever. Many of us, locals and visitors, have enjoyed coffee there during the more than one hundred years of existence of this “historic institution” of Malaga and its people.
The closure of emblematic shops in the historic centre is a sad reality. Increasingly exorbitant rents and the replacement of local shops by franchises have turned the emblematic Calle Larios into a shopping mile for large franchises without personality.
Located in the central Plaza de la Constituión in Malaga, the Café Central opened its doors in 1920. It was not until the post-war years that José Prado came up with the idea of ordering a coffee depending on the coffee-milk ratio that the client wanted.
..but, how many cafés are there in Malaga?
Many locals and visitors wonder why there are so many types of coffee in Malaga, and not so many know that this denomination was established only a relatively few years ago.
The reason behind it was that, in those hard times, many Malagueños had to make do with chicory coffee, as there was no money for coffee. So José Prado came up with the idea of making a poster. There he specified the exact amount of coffee and the proportion of milk in each cup. According to his experience he put the nine varieties most requested by his customers.
A ceramic sign was made which is still the ‘flagship’ of the popular café today. The anecdote goes that there was a gap in the sign and it was a waiter who suggested ‘don’t bother’. The Augustinian Father Laureano Manrique even translated it into Latin.
There are different versions of the mosaic that has turned it into a symbol of Malaga and for decades it was the most photographed part of the place and an obligatory tourist stop for those who wanted to see the birthplace of the way coffee was served in Malaga.
Or, as José Prado used to say ‘Learn to order your coffee to your taste and you will be almost Malagueño’. Well, let’s help you become familiar with the ‘raw material of Malaga´!
How to order your coffee in Malaga
Ready to take note? For the apprentice coffee drinkers visiting Malaga, the nine versions of coffee in Malaga according to their coffee-milk ratio are summarised as follows.
Which coffee are you going to order? Which is your favourite?
- Sólo (100% coffee – 0% milk)
- Largo (90% coffee – 10% milk)
- Semi Largo (80% coffee – 20% milk)
- Sólo Corto (70% coffee – 0% milk)
- Mitad (50% coffee – 50% milk)
- Entre Corto (40% coffee – 60% milk)
- Corto (30% coffee – 70% milk)
- Sombra (Shadow) (20% coffee – 80% milk)
- Nube (Cloud) (10% coffee – 90% milk)
- Don´t bother (0% coffee – 0% milk).
The confusion starts at the latest when terms related to meteorology appear, but don’t worry, you’ll learn it quickly!
The love for coffee throughout generations
Nowadays, you can order coffee in Malaga this way in any bar or café. The classification that emerged 60 years ago is now firmly rooted in the Malaga vocabulary.
Although Café Central has sadly disappeared, the love for coffee lives on in the founder’s family.
In the central neighbourhood of La Malagueta you can continue to enjoy coffee in the family business, the eponymous café opened by the businessman’s sons.
- How to get to Café central La Malagueta
The art of enjoying coffee in Malaga
Ignacio Prado, José Prado’s grandson, has materialized his love for the subject in a new project: Artisan Coffee Málaga, the roaster he runs in San Francisco Square.
Are you a coffee lover and are you in the historic centre? Then don’t miss a visit to this shop. On site, inside the shop, they roast coffees not only for their own establishment but also for more and more coffee shops in Malaga.
The best Arabica coffees are used. As mentioned, the special thing is that the roaster is located inside the shop. In addition, there is a “coffee laboratory” where you can try the seasonal coffees that change every two weeks. Of course, there is also a grinder so you can take your ground coffee with you if you wish.
And last but not least, at Artisan Coffee Málaga you can book coffee tastings that take place monthly and even barista and latte art courses. On their website you can find all the information and also gift vouchers, which can be a great idea for a coffee-loving friend.
The Coffee Moment
As Ignacio Prado explains, the “coffee moment” is something deeply rooted in Malaga. It has always been a meeting point, “Let’s go for a coffee” (even if we later have something else).
Make it a ritual to drink a good coffee instead of drinking it in a hurry, as a point of connection with yourself. Enjoy tasting a product of good gastronomic quality. The coffee moment. A moment of pause.
Malaga is not just a beautiful city. Malaga is its people. Their savoir-faire and enjoyment.
Let’s have a coffee!
;)
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