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In Senegal it is drunk with pepper, in the United States it is a longer drink, in Italy the espresso must be intense, in Greece they like it cold.
Yes, we’re talking about coffee and how much it is loved and consumed in every corner of the globe, but with different recipes and habits.
With this article we want to help you to order typical coffee-based specialties on every continent, so you never need to be without your favorite beverage even when you’re on holiday.
Fasten your seat belts, we’re heading off on a journey to discover coffee around the world, interesting facts, habits and customs.
Coffee around the world: different ways of consuming the world’s best-loved drink
Talking of coffee around the world will always bring to mind the classic American coffee, made famous by many tv series and films, but increasingly popular and appreciated also in Italy. Just as well known is the Turkish coffee, which is even recognized as official heritage by UNESCO due to its specific preparation technique and for its role in society.
Not everyone, however, is familiar with the recipe for Touba coffee the typical coffee from Senegal which has an aroma of pepper, or how coffee is prepared in Vietnam, a country which is among the main producers of this black gold.
It’s not long now until we reach the much longed-for summer holidays: if your destinations take you to Europe, Latin America, Asia or Africa, we have a list of special coffees that you simply must taste. When you find them on the menus, you can’t fail!
Not just espresso: Europe loves coffee
Typically Italian and appreciated all over the world, the aroma of espresso is the trademark of Italian coffee, but it is not the only tradition linked to coffee in Europe. In Finland (which is the leading consumer of coffee in the world!), for example, the Kaffeost is served with pieces of cheese, flame grilled and placed on the bottom of the cup.
The Danish, too, are great coffee drinkers, and their version is often prepared with a Stempekande, a Danish version of the French Press and very much loved in this Scandinavian country.
In Germany, on the other hand, the Pharisaer is very popular.
This is an espresso with rum added and whipped cream on top.
While for the summer, the Germans love their Eiskaffee: a simple espresso with vanilla flavor ice-cream, whipped cream and cocoa powder.
Not so far away, in Austria, we find some slightly different habits: the Kaffee Bauner is a shot of espresso, a dose of coffee cream and a glass of water, while the Einspanner is coffee with cream.
Both in Spain and in France they love to mix coffee with milk: indeed, the Bombom, has, among other ingredients, condensed milk, while foamed milk allows you to make the café au lait.
Traveling further west along the Iberian peninsula, we come to Portugal, where we can order a Cimbalino, which is a long espresso, or even a Galao where just a dash of coffee is added to a lot of latte macchiato.
Finally, everyone knows the famous Irish Coffee which, as the name suggests, was first created in Ireland: invented in the 1940s, today it is the most famous alcoholic coffee in the whole world and it is prepared using espresso, brown sugar, Irish whiskey and cream.
The coffee culture in the land where it is produced: Latin America
There is also huge passion for coffee throughout Latin America, in other words, in its main production area.
In Argentina, for example, we can find the Caffè Lagrima, which is a cup of milk, steamed and then macchiata with a drop, like a teardrop “lacrima” of coffee, or the Caffè Cortado, an Italian style espresso “cut” with a little bit of milk.
The Cuban Coffee is well known for its sweetness, while the Mexican Cafe de Olla is prepared in special terracotta pots with a stick of cinnamon which gives it a particular aroma.
Meanwhile, in Colombia, the espresso is called Tinto, whereas the most original type of coffee is the Chaqueta made up of one shot of espresso and one of liquid brown sugar, called Aguapanela.
Asia’s passion for coffee
Even the entire continent of Asia is home to coffee, where enthusiasts of this drink can find and taste decidedly original versions.
This is the case with Ca Phe Trung, a Vietnamese recipe prepared with coffee, condensed milk and an egg yolk, but it’s not the only specialty in the country: the Ca Phe Sua Da is made using coffee, ice, boiling water and condensed milk for a ritual which requires time and patience.
A typically Thai coffee is the Thai Eiscaffee made with coffee, fresh milk, ice and condensed milk to be drunk – and why not – even with a straw in the hottest months of the year.
Japan is the land of Matcha tea and the famous tea ceremony, but its inhabitants are relative newcomers in their passion for coffee: especially for Kan Kohi, a simple coffee in a can, available directly from drinks vending machines, in both the hot and cold versions.
In Hong Kong, coffee is actually mixed with black tea in a Yuanyang which has become so popular that it has earned itself a place on the menu of the popular coffee house chain Starbucks! The Kopi Susu Panas would appear to be the coffee that inspired the Spanish Bombom: this is prepared with coffee and sweet condensed milk and is served in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
India also has its own “typical coffee”: the Kaapi.
It is commonly found mostly in the Southern regions of the country and consists of a filtered coffee added to a cup of hot milk.
The fascinating tradition of coffee in Africa
After having discovered coffee Senegalese coffee, it should come as no surprise to learn that also in Africa we can also find interesting coffee-based ideas and drinks.
One example of this is the Moroccan Cafè des epices (spiced coffee) which, as the French name suggests, is characterized by the use of spices which make it aromatic and unique.
The specific spices used are sesame, black pepper and nutmeg.
There is also the unmistakable aroma of Buna, the typical Ethiopian coffee flavored with black cardamom. In order to get an intense flavor, the beans are roasted directly in the frying pan and ground using a pestle and mortar before being put into an infusion in their traditional coffee-maker called a jebena.
We are ready to go back home now after this voyage of discovery to find coffees around the world.
In the comments, tell us which of these coffees you would love to taste!