Coffee, being so adored and versatile, has found its way into different cultures all over the world.
All of us have our own special ways we like to make our coffee. How we sip on our morning brew may also vary vastly. Let’s take a look at some of the amazing ways that coffee is consumed throughout our world:
1. Saudi Arabia: Qahwa
The Arab countries love to make their coffee with a little bit of spice. The range of spices infused in it is cinnamon, saffron, cloves, and ginger. This coffee is high on the bitterness scale and to counter this it is often served with dried dates.
2. Germany: Pharisäer
This is an extremely decadent and indulgent drink hailing from Germany. It is prepared with a mixture of coffee, rum, and sugar. It is popularly served with shaved chocolate and some whipped cream on top.
3. Turkey: Türk Kahvesi
Turkish coffee differs greatly from the regular cup of coffee we are used to. Firstly, sugar is mixed with the coffee in an ibrik (a traditional utensil used to make coffee) instead of adding it later as a sweetener. Secondly, it is served with the coffee grounds in the cup. This traditional brewing method along with spices like cardamom gives Turkish coffee its unique flavour.
4. Cuba: Café Cubano
This drink is quite similar to the everyday shot of espresso that all of us are familiar with. The difference between this and regular espresso is that this drink from Cuba is much much sweeter. In Cuba, espresso is brewed with very concentrated sugar and thick condensed milk.
5. Portugal: Mazagran
This popular and refreshing coffee drink from Portugal may seem slightly weird to the rest of the world. It’s an iced coffee drink made out of an espresso shot mixed with some lemon juice or some lemon soda which gives it a refreshing kick. Perfect for summers.
6. Hong Kong: Yuenyeung
This is a popular coffee beverage from Hong Kong that is a mixture of coffee and milk tea. Yes, you read that right - milk teas are a big tradition in Asia. Various kinds of milk teas can be mixed with coffee to serve a Yuenyeung, ranging from plain milk tea to bubble tea.
7. Morocco: Spiced Coffee
Much like Qahwa, the Saudi Arabian coffee, Moroccans love to drink coffee infused with different spices. The Moroccan counterpart of Qahwa also has similar spices in it such as cardamom and cinnamon but also contains spices like black pepper and nutmeg.
8. Austria: Weiner Mélange
This drink from Austria is very similar to that of an everyday cappuccino that all of us are familiar with. It is made out of one shot of espresso, adding some milk, and topping with milk foam. Popularly this drink is served with a topping of some cocoa powder dusted on whipped cream.
9. Ireland: Irish Coffee
If anyone was going to put whiskey in their coffee, we could have been sure that would have been the Irish. Their coffee cocktail concoction consists of brewing a hot shot of coffee and then mixing in some Irish whiskey and adding sugar. It is served in a glass-topped with thick cream. The perfect way to start your day!
10. Spain: Café Bombon
If you prefer your coffee on the sweeter scale, then you’d enjoy the Spanish coffee. This drink is deliciously thick and sugary. Equal parts of black coffee and condensed milk stirred together make for a delicious cup of Café Bombon.
Did any of these coffee drinks surprise you? It is interesting to see how different cultures have over time embraced this common ingredient that the world shares in each their own unique and special ways.
We may speak different languages, eat different food, but our love for coffee is the same!
