What is the difference between a cafecito, cortadito and colada in Cuba?

How to order one

The sizes

• el cafecito a small coffee — The diminutive is friendly, not about size.
• el cortadito a small coffee with a drop of milk
• la colada a big shot with small plastic cups, for four or five people — The same word is also the laundry.

How you want it

• solo black, on its own
• cortado "cut" with a little milk
• con azúcar, pero poca with sugar, but not much

The foam

• la espumita the sugar beaten with the first drops of coffee into a foam — Without it, it is not Cuban coffee.

• The sugar goes in first, beaten with the first drops of coffee to make the espumita; without the foam it is not Cuban coffee.
• A colada is a large coffee with small cups, for four or five people; people take it to work to share.

Un cafecito, por favor.

A little coffee, please.

Aquí el azúcar va primero, con el primer café.

Here the sugar goes in first, with the first coffee.

Sí. Sin espumita, no es café cubano.

Yes. Without a bit of foam, it is not Cuban coffee.

Es una colada. Es para compartir.

That is a colada. It is for sharing.