Ask in any café in Portugal for a bica and what will follow is a taste of heaven. It may look like an espresso, but the truth is in the beans and no one does it like the Portuguese. It’s helpful to know that the Portuguese have a huge sweet tooth. They love pastry and each region has its own unique claim to special cakes and pastry. What does this have to do with Portuguese coffee?

Portuguese roasters select the best beans from Africa, Asia, and Brazil, and then roast them with a touch of sugar. The beans are not burned or oily. They are rich with a hint of caramel, even creamy. Then, the bicais always served with an extra size pouch of sugar. Ask for a meia de leiteand you will get half espresso, half steamed milk (without the foam, thank you). It is out of this world. Lastly, for breakfast try a galao, a hot coffee-milk drink served in a glass. Caution: These drinks have different names depending upon region. On Madeira, meia de leiteis called chinesa. In Porto, the bica is called cibalino. We’re sure coffee lovers love the challenge and the sweetness of coffee in Portugal.