How to Make Cuban Coffee: Univision's Legendary 72-year-old Grandma Reveals Her Secrets

Sep. 18, 2012— -- She's the most popular coffee lady not only in Univision's Miami office but in Latino neighborhoods and households across the U.S. Known simply as Martica, she's been fixing Univision's daily dose of Cuban coffee for the last 23 years and in the process she's become an endearing fixture in Spanish television.On and off the screen, Martica (born Marta Martínez) wears her unmistakable blue uniform. She says she makes close to 12 pounds a week of the potion known as Cuban coffee: a punchy shot, high on sugar and caffeine. Her secret? La "espumita," or the foam, the velvety top layer crafted with the utmost care.Martica's coffee station is one of three across the Univision headquarters in Miami, where American and Cuban coffee is brewed non-stop from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. Here, the coffee area is the equivalent of the water cooler at other offices. And it is indisputable Martica territory: adorning the walls of the kitchenette are photos of her hugging celebrities such as William Levy as well as "Happy Birthday Martica!" posters from years past.

Martica, who is 72 years old, came to the U.S. from Cuba with her husband, a political prisoner, in 1984. They first landed in New York but a few years later they moved to Miami seeking familiar tropical weather. Soon enough, she got a job making coffee at Univision and a few years later, thanks to her charisma, she got a spot on the very first episode of El Gordo y La Flaca in 1998 and has been on ever since. Here's a clip of one of her most memorable moments ice skating, and here's a photo slideshow of her TV appearances through the years.Martica shows us her tricks and gives us a demonstration of how to make the perfect cafecito that keeps everyone in the office happy.