Russia
Russia's coffee culture has seen a dramatic transformation over the past few decades. While tea has historically been the dominant hot beverage, coffee consumption is on the rise, especially in major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg. You'll find a mix of traditional and modern options, with a unique Russian innovation becoming particularly popular.
Here are the different ways to order a coffee in Russia and what's in them:
Traditional/Historical Russian Coffee:
Кофе по-турецки (Kofe po-turetski) / Кофе в турке (Kofe v turke): "Turkish coffee" or "coffee in a turka (cezve)." This strong, unfiltered coffee has roots in Ottoman traditions.
Ingredients: Very finely ground coffee, water, and often sugar.
Preparation: Prepared in a turka (турка) or džezva (джезва), a small, long-handled pot. The coffee, water, and sugar (if desired) are brought to a gentle boil, forming a thick foam. It's served directly into small cups, with the grounds settling at the bottom.
Taste: Very strong, thick, and intense. It's sipped slowly, and the grounds are left at the bottom.
Instant Coffee (Растворимый кофе - Rastvorimyy kofe): Historically and still common, instant coffee is widely consumed, especially at home. Brands like Jacobs Monarch are popular.
Ingredients: Soluble coffee granules, hot water. Often consumed with milk and sugar.
Taste: Varies greatly by brand, generally less complex than brewed coffee.
The Unique Russian Innovation: Raf Coffee:
Раф кофе (Raf kofe) / Раф (Raf): This is a distinctly Russian coffee drink that emerged in Moscow in the late 1990s and has gained immense popularity across Russia and some post-Soviet countries.
Ingredients: Typically a single or double shot of espresso, cream (often 10-18% fat), and vanilla sugar (or vanilla syrup). Unlike a latte where milk is steamed separately and added, all ingredients are combined and steamed together in a pitcher.
Preparation: Espresso, cream, and vanilla sugar (or syrup) are poured into a steaming pitcher and then frothed together using an espresso machine's steam wand until the mixture is smooth, velvety, and frothy.
Taste: Rich, creamy, very smooth, and sweet, with a distinct vanilla aroma. It's often described as having a texture similar to melting ice cream. Some variations include lavender, violet, or other flavored sugars/syrups.
Standard Espresso-Based Drinks (Widely Available in Cafes):
These are the most common coffee orders in modern Russian cafes, consistent with international standards.
Эспрессо (Espresso): A small, concentrated shot of coffee.
Двойной Эспрессо (Dvoynoy Espresso): A double espresso.
Американо (Amerikano): Espresso diluted with hot water. A common choice for a larger black coffee.
Капучино (Kappuchino): Espresso with equal parts steamed milk and a generous layer of foamed milk. Often dusted with cocoa powder or cinnamon.
Латте (Latte): Espresso with a larger amount of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam. Often served in a tall glass.
Флэт Уайт (Flat White): Increasingly common in specialty coffee shops. It's a double shot of espresso with velvety microfoam (finely textured steamed milk with minimal visible foam), offering a stronger coffee taste than a latte.
Маккиато (Makkiato): An espresso "stained" or "marked" with a tiny dollop of foamed milk.
Мокко (Mokko): Espresso, chocolate (syrup or powder), steamed milk, and usually topped with whipped cream or foam.
Кортадо (Cortado): An espresso "cut" with a small amount of warm milk, typically a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio. Less foamy than a cappuccino or latte.
Filter and Brewed Coffees (Growing in Specialty Cafes):
The specialty coffee scene in Russia is thriving, with a focus on high-quality beans and diverse brewing methods.
Фильтр-кофе (Fil'tr-kofe) / Пуровер (Pourover): "Filter coffee" or "pour-over." This generally refers to drip coffee from a batch brewer or manual pour-over methods like V60 or Chemex. These methods highlight the nuanced flavors of single-origin beans, offering a cleaner, often lighter-bodied cup.
Френч-пресс (French Press): Coffee steeped in hot water and then pressed down with a plunger. Results in a rich, full-bodied coffee with some sediment.
Cold Coffee Options:
Айс Кофе (Ays Kofe) / Ледяной Кофе (Ledyanoy Kofe): "Iced coffee" or "ice coffee." General terms for cold coffee. This can be an iced Americano or a simple brewed coffee over ice, often with milk and/or syrup.
Айс Латте (Ays Latte): Espresso and cold milk served over ice.
Фраппучино (Frappuchino) / Фраппе (Frappe): Blended iced coffee drinks with milk, ice, and syrup, often topped with whipped cream. "Frappe" can also refer to the instant coffee-based foamy drink.
Колд Брю (Cold Brew): Coffee steeped in cold water for an extended period, resulting in a smooth, less acidic concentrate. Served chilled, often over ice.
Customizations and Other:
С молоком (S molokom): "With milk."
Без молока (Bez moloka): "Without milk."
С сахаром (S sakharom): "With sugar."
Без сахара (Bez sakhara): "Without sugar."
Декаф (Dekaf): Decaffeinated.
Растительное молоко (Rastitel'noe moloko): Plant-based milk. Oat (овсяное), almond (миндальное), and soy (соевое) milk are very common in cafes.
Сиропы (Siropy): Various flavoring syrups (vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, etc.) are widely available.
How to Order (Basic Russian Phrases):
While English is increasingly understood in major cities and modern cafes, knowing some Russian phrases will be appreciated.
"Кофе, пожалуйста." (Kofe, pozhaluysta.) - "Coffee, please." (General, might get you an espresso or filter depending on the place).
"Эспрессо, пожалуйста." (Espresso, pozhaluysta.) - "Espresso, please."
"Латте, пожалуйста." (Latte, pozhaluysta.) - "Latte, please."
"Капучино, пожалуйста." (Kappuchino, pozhaluysta.) - "Cappuccino, please."
"Раф, пожалуйста." (Raf, pozhaluysta.) - "Raf coffee, please."
"Фильтр-кофе, пожалуйста." (Fil'tr-kofe, pozhaluysta.) - "Filter coffee, please."
"С молоком / Без молока." (S molokom / Bez moloka.) - "With milk / Without milk."
"С сахаром / Без сахара." (S sakharom / Bez sakhara.) - "With sugar / Without sugar."
"Спасибо!" (Spasibo!) - "Thank you!"
*The content in this document was generated using artificial intelligence, drawing from various online sources, and subsequently refined for accuracy and conciseness in 2025. Users are advised to consult multiple sources to corroborate information and should not rely solely on this document for comprehensive research.