How to Make Transylvanian Coffee

Summary

The article describes the unique experience of enjoying Transylvanian coffee in the birthplace of Dracula, detailing its distinctive flavor derived from a blend of Arabica beans, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.

Abstract

The author recounts visiting a Romanian town known for being the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, also known as Dracula, and discovering a local coffee shop within the historical setting. This shop serves Transylvanian coffee, which is characterized by its rich, Christmas-like flavor achieved through a blend of Arabica coffee beans, cinnamon, and a hint of cayenne pepper. The coffee is noted for its authentic taste, free from artificial flavors, and is sold in bags sealed with a wax seal featuring an image of Vlad Tepes. The author emphasizes the coffee's ability to evoke the atmosphere of an ancient European town, despite the unusual combination of spices used in its preparation.

Opinions

The author is a coffee purist, typically preferring traditional espresso over flavored coffees, which they find artificial and unappealing.
Transylvanian coffee, however, is praised for its natural and delightful taste, reminiscent of Christmas.
The author holds the Transylvanian coffee in high regard, making repeated visits to the town and the coffee shop to enjoy this unique beverage.
There is a hint of humor in the author's mention of Vlad Tepes' image on the coffee bag, as if he is displeased about not having had coffee for centuries.
The author suggests that recreating this coffee blend can transport one to the charming, artistic streets of the ancient town, despite the potentially off-putting inclusion of cayenne pepper in the recipe.

(Just Like They Do in Dracula’s Birthplace!)

photo by the author

There was this place in Romania I used to visit in the summertime. It was one of the many hometowns of the famous Dracula… although everyone agreed that Dracula’s real name was Vlad Tepes.

On the family tree, his father’s name is Vlad Dracul, which sounds much more like “Dracula” than “Tepes” does to me. Like the American I am, I asked about this detail a time or two. However, everyone I asked agreed that Vlad Tepes was the one romanticized in the Victorian fairy tale. This town happened to be the birthplace of the famous son of Dracul.

In the summer, the cobblestone streets are full of hand-carved woodwork, eggshell-painted jewelry, embroidered blouses, and oil paintings. Mixed in with these are a few token souvenirs.

You could go up into the clock tower and look over the rooftops. There was also a church there with a date tiled into the rooftop that represented a year predating the existence of the U.S.A. as we know it today.

A few dollars will get you inside the actual place where Dracula was born. I never made it there though, because on the other side of the birth room of the Count was a coffee shop in the 100s-year-old building.

So, while the group I went with took turns crowding up in the room where the blood-sucker had still been an innocent baby, I went and stocked up on Transylvanian coffee.

I am usually a bit of a purist when it comes to coffee. I mean I do enjoy the espresso dessert coffees that come filled with syrups and topped with whipped cream from time to time. But I am not big on flavored coffees because they always taste artificial and sometimes a bit icky.

The Transylvanian coffee you found in this little shop tasted like Christmas in a cup and there was nothing artificial or icky about it, either. The bag came sealed off with a real wax seal and it had a picture of Vlad looking at you like he hadn’t had coffee in a few 100 years and was pretty upset about that.

I made a pilgrimage to this city and coffee shop almost every year. And then finally read the bag to find out what made this coffee so lovely. Turns out the recipe is Arabica beans, cinnamon, and a little bit of cayenne pepper. This may sound like a strange combination, but trust me when I say that if you can recreate this brew, you will feel like you are in an ancient European town surrounded by art and coffee.

Just watch out for the ghost of Dracula.