When you were having your cup of instant brew this morning, did you stop and think about how it might be prepared in a different country? One thing that has been helpful for satiating our wanderlust during this season is dreaming of travel! Take some time on this year’s National Coffee Day to dream of your next vacation during your next cup of joe!
How do people take their coffee around the world?
Do you take your coffee black, or do you like to add dairy? Ever thought about adding cheese or butter? Do you enjoy cinnamon in your coffee, or hot pepper? How about lemon juice?
People drink coffee around the globe, yet the beverage differs from place to place, especially when the area’s delicacies and traditional cuisine come into play. Today, we’ll be sharing some coffee variations that are considered daily brews and treats around the world, as well as learning a little about National Coffee Day.
Finland, Vietnam, and Ethiopia
In Finland, people enjoy their cup after pouring hot coffee over juustoleipä cheese curds (known in the US as Finnish squeaky cheese), creating kaffeost, a uniquely creamy and cheesy beverage.
One type of coffee in Veitnam is cà phê trứng, a slow, rich brew combined with a custard of whipped egg whites, condensed milk, and sugar.
Ethiopia has enjoyed their coffee on more of the savory side, adding salt and seasoned butter during coffee ceremonies, though nowadays a simple brew with sugar has become a favorite.
Malaysia and Hong Kong
Many places in the world have popularized the savory side of coffee by adding seasonings to compliment the coffee bean’s natural flavor. Malaysia and Hong Kong enjoy yuanyang or yuenyeung, a coffee and black tea – milk mixture. Different flavors of tea influence the coffee in different ways, allowing for endless combinations of flavor.
Senegal, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia
Senegal’s cafè touba is a blend of djar (guinea pepper) and cloves, producing a sweet coffee with a kick. Morocco and Saudi Arabia use similar methods for crafting their preferred brew, both using base mixtures of cardamom, cinnamon, and clove. People in Morocco enjoy an addition of black pepper and nutmeg, while people in Saudi Arabia enjoy additions of saffron and ginger, sometimes accompanied with a side of sweet, dried dates.
Italy and Portugal
So many of America’s favorite coffee drinks borrow Italian words, but we have yet to introduce citrus into our popular coffee palates, as in Italian espresso romano.
It is not uncommon in Italy to have a little cup of spiced espresso with a slice of fresh lemon on the side. In Portugal, a mix of espresso and lemon juice or sweet soda is known as mazagran.
Ireland and Germany
Germany and Ireland have perfected adding something else to their coffee as a special treat — rum and whiskey. Pharisäer, the German beverage of hot coffee and rum, is stirred together with sugar and topped with whipped cream and curly chocolate shavings. Last but not least, Irish coffee has a shot of whiskey, and is blended with thick cream and sugar.
A Taste of History
There are actually thirteen different coffee days around the world, but September 29 holds the global majority for a National Coffee Day. Coffee entered the human diet roughly six hundred years ago, in Yemen. Then, people chewed the raw beans for their stimulating effect.
The first coffee drink may have been devised all the way back in 1470. By word of mouth and sip of cup, the drink gained popularity. Coffee houses entered the stage approximately two hundred years later, when the coffee drink began to win the favor of the European public over ale. Coffee would become the drink of the Enlightenment, and after so many changes in the world, it became the industry that it is today. The leading producer of coffee beans is South America, with 81 485 of thousands of 6 kilogram bags.
Consider experimenting with a cup of the local favorite on your next vacation — you might like what you find!
