Black Coffee for Working Nights
A cold-brewed coffee, almost without water, of formidable concentration: Balzac claimed that on an empty stomach it struck the stomach like a whip and set the mind in motion.
A cold-brewed coffee, almost without water, of formidable concentration: Balzac claimed that on an empty stomach it struck the stomach like a whip and set the mind in motion.
Come closer, and fear not! This coffee I compose like a chemist his elixir: three coffees, Bourbon, Martinique, Moka, married by my own hand. I want it black, thick, almost without water, and I take it fasting, standing in my monk's robe. Then ideas march like the battalions of the Grande Armée, and I can blacken twenty folios before Paris awakens. Beware, however: this brew wears down the man who abuses it — and I abuse it, sir, I abuse it!
- •Coffee beans (blend of Bourbon, Martinique, Moka) — a generous handful (soul of the brew)
- •Spring water — the bare minimum (slow extraction)
Black Coffee for Working Nights
A cold-brewed coffee, almost without water, of formidable concentration: Balzac claimed that on an empty stomach it struck the stomach like a whip and set the mind in motion.
Why this dish? Balzac wrote *La Comédie humaine* at night, draped in his monk's robe, fueled by a coffee he blended himself from three origins. His pewter coffeepot is among his emblematic objects, and he described his method in the *Traité des excitants modernes*.
Come closer, and fear not! This coffee I compose like a chemist his elixir: three coffees, Bourbon, Martinique, Moka, married by my own hand. I want it black, thick, almost without water, and I take it fasting, standing in my monk's robe. Then ideas march like the battalions of the Grande Armée, and I can blacken twenty folios before Paris awakens. Beware, however: this brew wears down the man who abuses it — and I abuse it, sir, I abuse it!
Ingredients (period version)
- Coffee beans (blend of Bourbon, Martinique, Moka) — a generous handful (soul of the brew)
- Spring water — the bare minimum (slow extraction)
Ingredients
- Specialty coffee beans (bold blend, dark roast) — 100 g (soul of the brew)
- Cold filtered water — 50 cl (cold extraction)
Method
- Coarsely grind the coffee.
- Steep it in cold water and let infuse for 12 hours in the fridge.
- Filter slowly through a cloth or paper filter to obtain a very dark concentrate.
- Serve a small cup of this concentrate, diluted or not depending on courage — Balzac hardly diluted it.
How it was made : In the 19th century, coffee was often roasted and ground at home, and amateurs like Balzac blended the origins themselves. Cold infusion concentrated the strength without the burnt bitterness of boiling water.
The contemporary twist : Serve this "cold brew before its time" in a small pewter cup, labelled "ration for a night of chapter writing".
Sources : Honoré de Balzac, Traité des excitants modernes (1839)
Honoré de Balzac · Charactorium