I really don’t think I’m a coffee snob, but I definitely know what I like and I have an opinion about what “real” coffee tastes like. It was difficult to find something suitable in Mazatlán. I did not find good supermarket ground coffee until my very last trip to Mega, when I was able to do a taste test, so I did trips to the Golden Zones to buy fresh beans that I had to grind myself. Coffee was a bit of a production in Mexico!

When I was in Yablanitsa on Tuesday, I had to come home with coffee since I only had a cup or two left of my Canadian grounds. I found the coffee section in the tiny supermarket and noticed that it was dominated by a German brand, Tchibo. I did a quick search and learned that it’s a chain of German coffee shops, like Starbucks or Tim Hortons, and is popular the world over. That seemed like a safe bet and a package wasn’t expensive, only about 4CAD so it wouldn’t be an expensive experiment. I bought their dark roast and tried it out yesterday.

The flavour of first cup took a bit of adjusting to, but I knew that with a bit of tweaking, it would be just fine. It’s a very finely ground coffee and I use a French press, so I have to use less than I would use of coarser grounds and also reduce my steeping time. I’m on my third cup of this coffee and I think I’ve figured it out since I’m really enjoying it!

BTW, the house comes with an espresso maker. When I told Max last Thursday, my first morning here, that I’d had coffee, he was surprised that I’d found and figured out the coffeemaker, and even more so that I’d brought my own coffeemaker with me! I love my French press. It makes good coffee, is uncomplicated to use, and is easy to clean. I can’t be bothered to learn an espresso maker.