A Double Espresso and a Pickled Gherkin, Please.
October 6, 2013 3:36 PM   Subscribe

What savoury snack-foods go well with strong, black coffee?

I like coffee, particularly the stronger, shorter coffees such as espresso.

There are lots of sweet snack-foods that go well with coffee: biscuits, chocolates, cakes and so on. I don't really like sweet food, so I'd like to be able to find savoury foods that go well with coffee, particularly the espresso-type coffees. I've tried having crisps (chips), nuts, unsweetened biscuits-with-cheese, savoury popcorn (wasabi flavour!) and so on, but they generally don't go well with coffee. There are a few suggestions in this question about cookies, but my question is a bit more general.

So, what would work? Bonus points for vegetarian/vegan suggestions.
posted by Jabberwocky to Food & Drink (25 answers total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
What about pastries with savory fillings? They have these at Starbucks now.
posted by bleep at 3:41 PM on October 6, 2013


How about some rolls with some cheese and jalapenos? The heat complements the bitterness of the coffee, while the cheese just goes.
posted by lineofsight at 3:42 PM on October 6, 2013


I was also going to say savory pastries. I work in a coffee shop that takes both the food and the coffee seriously, and I feel like an espresso and a quiche or one of our savory turnovers would be nice.

You could also look to espresso's parent culture. In Italy the classic breakfast is an espresso and a cornetto, which is sort of like a less buttery/flaky croissant.
posted by Sara C. at 3:44 PM on October 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Take a cue from the aged: tuna salad and coffee is amazing. (No bonus points, and maybe not exactly a snack food, but you should try it!)
posted by ArcAm at 3:45 PM on October 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


I dislike sweet pastries with my coffee. I enjoy croissants (standard and whole wheat), ham and cheese croissants, savory scones (I've had kale parmesan, various cheese and/or bacon scones), gougères, dutch babies (both sweet and savory exist, get/make yours with bacon instead of apples) though that's more of a meal than a snack. Savory bread puddings (mushroom parmesan, you can hold the sausage). I've had a cheddar beer muffin, that's been a favorite.

Oh duh. Bagel cream cheese and lox.
posted by danny the boy at 4:02 PM on October 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Pretzels and mustard.
posted by furnace.heart at 4:10 PM on October 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


I might be crazy, but one of my favorite things in the world is coffee and Fritos corn chips.
posted by the jam at 4:25 PM on October 6, 2013


I too prefer savoury food with my strong coffee, Jamaican patties or samosas work well!
posted by Snazzy67 at 4:34 PM on October 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Any indian snack. Samosas, pakoras, channa, etc. It all works!
posted by Go Banana at 4:37 PM on October 6, 2013


Blue cheese on Wonder Bread.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 4:54 PM on October 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


The Swedes love their open-faced sandwiches (cold cuts) and coffee.

A classic of many N. European cultures (and more) is coffee and some kind of a rusk (dried bun). Like Zwiebach.
posted by nanook at 5:01 PM on October 6, 2013


I'm actually quite fond of coffee and some nice salty peanuts. I know you said you tried nuts, but maybe it wasn't peanuts that you tried!

I also like a nice strong cheddar cheese or hard goat cheese and savoury biscuits like Vita Weats with my coffee. And of course there are those who swear by coffee + toast with Vegemite, or, worse, a cheesymite scroll (like an unsweet cinnamon bun with cheddar cheese and Vegemite swirled throughout instead of cinnamon and sugar). Personally I can't stand Vegemite, but you never know, you might like it!

(Just checked and you are in the UK, so you could also try Marmite, though of course there is a passionate Vegemite v Marmite debate and there are Vegemite supporters who would be horrified at that suggestion.)
posted by Athanassiel at 5:29 PM on October 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


Savory breakfast foods... ham, eggs, bagels
Smoked Almonds
Sun dried tomatoes
Tazo salted dark chocolate...this is a far, far cry from a Hershey bar.
I can't remember what they're called, but they're a large round olive oil flat bread topped with a little bit of sugar and anise or fennel - Spanish. I LOVE these.
posted by jrobin276 at 5:48 PM on October 6, 2013


Egg salad sandwiches, pub cheese spread on crackers, cherry tomatoes, and peanut butter on celery.
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:39 PM on October 6, 2013


Cold pizza and hot coffee for breakfast.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 6:43 PM on October 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Redeye Gravy Is Made With Coffee; It's TraditionalLy Served With country Ham.
posted by brujita at 6:53 PM on October 6, 2013


Breakfast tacos. Any time of day or night. Vegetarian ones are good too -- potato, egg, and cheese is a good standard.
posted by dr. boludo at 7:22 PM on October 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


Salami. Monterey Jack cheese with hot peppers.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:56 PM on October 6, 2013


I remembered: Tortas de Aciete.
Direct translation, I know... :-)
posted by jrobin276 at 11:10 PM on October 6, 2013


Basically all Turkish savory pastries (and those of many other cultures). Find a good Turkish restaurant, and look for anything with böreği (borek) in the title. Some others, like gözleme, might be nice too. But for me, short coffee is so flavourful across much of the spectrum that there's no point in having it with very subtle combinations of flavours like caramelised meat+herbs+spices. A simple white cheese borek is great with it, though.
posted by cromagnon at 1:36 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


I'm drinking strong black coffee and eating Keebler Club Crackers right now. Buttery good.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 5:54 AM on October 7, 2013


I love a strong coffee with a prosciutto sandwich on very good dark bread (German-style grainy bread if available). That in particular is my favorite, but any good Italian sub will do (not Subway, but from a real deli).
posted by waving at 12:59 PM on October 7, 2013


Brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts.
posted by Under the Sea at 11:43 PM on October 7, 2013


Dark bread and butter, cornbread (not the sweet kind)
posted by maggieb at 2:19 AM on October 8, 2013


Good tortilla chips and salsa go excellently with coffee. Mmm, Saturday morning brunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant…
posted by Lexica at 7:54 PM on October 8, 2013


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