A couple weeks ago, I was invited to Bistro Cassis for brunch.
The occasion? A coffee tasting hosted by Cafés do Brasil in honor of Brazilian Coffee Week.
We sampled three coffees: Mogiana, from Sao Paolo State; Cerrado, from Minas Gerais State, and Planalto, from Bahia State.
I don’t normally take sugar in my coffee, but we learned that just a few grains can really help bring out the taste of the beans. The first that we tasted, Mogiano, is from a volcanic region of Brazil and has a mild cocoa flavor.
The second, Cerrado, was paired with Bistro Cassis’ brunch specialty, scratch-made French toast with maple syrup and fresh berries. This was some of the best French toast I can remember having… the bread was perfectly caramelized. The coffee also had a deep chocolate and caramel flavor, and was my favorite of the three we tried.
As is true when tasting wine, we were instructed to drink-bite-drink and see how the flavor of the coffee tasted with food. It was fun!
The third coffee, Planalto, was the strongest* we tried. It pairs nicely with meat, but the restaurant kindly removed the [Brazilian] sausage from my plate and gave me an herbed goat cheese omelette with potatoes.
*When coffee is described as “strong,” it means flavor, not caffeine content. All of the coffees we tasted had the same amount of caffeine. Also, the rumor I’d heard was confirmed: drip and brew coffees have a higher caffeine content than espresso, which is made so quickly that it doesn’t have enough time to release all of it.
While we ate, we chatted with importers of Brazilian goods, Cafeés do Brasil representatives, and members of the Brazilian consulate. Very cool!
We were also interviewed for Brazilian TV!
It’s strange to talk into a microphone and you have to remember to talk to the interviewer and not the camera.
You can catch my mini-interview here…
It was so much fun to learn how to savor and appreciate coffee. Usually I just pour my brew into a thermos and chug it on my commute to school, barely tasting it as it goes down. Thanks again to Cafés do Brasil for the experience!
You can find Cafés do Brasil coffees at these locations, including The Roasting Plant which I just visited today! I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow 
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How do you like your coffee? What do you look for in a good cup? Where are your favorite places to get it (at home, in a coffee shop, etc.)?
I’m just like you–I gulp down whatever the deli gives me while I read the paper. How much more civilized to really taste it, and think about how it relates to food, or, if it’s “flying solo”, to savor the different tastes as it passes through the mouth/tongue/throat combo. I’m jealous
I’ll definitely try some. The French toast looks pretty wonderful also.
Haha, I really thought you were going to start speaking in Spanish.
Great interview and what a fun event.
so cool! you’re famous now
Mmm! I have been craving coffee lately, but caffeine doesn’t sit well with me. This post isn’t helping!!
Looks like you had a blast!
oh fun! love going to coffee shops
i would love that tasting! coffee is seriously my favorite thing ever, which people never understand….
Yay Cafes do Brasil! So cool to read a Sunday brunch recap because yours had different food. That french toast looks crazy good and I am a sucker for goat cheese! That’s also cool that you guys were interviewed, I’m sure I would have been so bad at that haha. I mentioned this post on my blog today to spread the Brazilian coffee love
And I like my coffee black with a little steamed skim milk. I look for a coffee that is flavorful without needing much enhancements!
I may not be a coffee expert, but I can definitely tell you that the awful instant coffee I’ve been drinking in Denmark is not going to be something that I drink once I return to the states! sad fact: buying a plain cup of coffee here costs $5, and buying beans to brew at home is still pretty darn pricey.
I like the idea of this event. like a wine and food tasting, but with coffee and brunch foods!
You’re famous! Very cool that you got interviewed. I watched the video, though sans audio (since I’m at work and shouldn’t watching!)
How does a “reporter” get away with such glaringly poor grammar? Ouch.Tera gold