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Malaga is unique in many ways and so is the way Malagueños ask for coffee. The ideologist was Café Central‘s owner, José Prado Crespo, back in 1954. After being tired of seeing cups of coffee adjusted to everyone’s taste and sometimes even thrown away, whereas the seeds were expensive due to postwar times, he gave names to the different cafés depending on the quantity of Java and/or milk customers wanted in order to make everybody happy, instead of asking them to point with their fingers how much they desired.

Subsequently, he created a new way of requesting this drink, but he wanted a paradigm. Although, he already had 9 terms, he was looking for an even number for his chart. Finally, and after asking all his customers, one of his waiters, who was a witty fun Gipsy, came up with “no me lo ponga” (don’t serve it). This became so popular, that Café Santa Cristina, one of the most acclaimed coffee roaster companies in the area, inquired using it as a commercial campaign which undoubtedly was a success. So, here is the result:

• Solo: Espresso, you only get plain coffee.
• Largo: Espresso with a touch of milk.
• Semi Largo: Espresso with a little more milk than when you order a Largo.
• Solo Corto: Literally, short solo, which means a small espresso.
• Mitad: It means half, so it is half milk and half coffee, it would be a perfectly balanced latte or café au lait.
• Entre corto: It has more milk and less coffee than a mitad .
• Corto: Small espresso with more milk than an Entre Corto.
• Sombra: It means shadow, so it is a glass of milk with some espresso coffee.
• Nube: A trace of espresso covered with milk.
• No me lo ponga: You will get an empty glass as it means, as mentioned before, don’t serve it.

So keep your cribcheat close or memorize your favorite one and you will be ready for ordering coffee as one the locals.