Coffee is one of the most loved drinks in the world. Millions of people can’t start their morning without a steamy cup of joe, and many like to drink coffee during the day as well. There are as many ways to drink coffee as there are countries. Ethiopia might be the birthplace of coffee beans, but humanity has been enjoying coffee for hundreds of years now, coming up with new, unusual ways to consume it. From coffee with cheese to aromatic coffee beans ground with spices, here is what a cup of coffee looks like around the world.
Yuenyeung (Hong Kong)
We are pretty used to drinking coffee with milk, but how about mixing it with milk tea? This is exactly how people like to drink their cup of joe in Hong Kong. Also named Kopi Cham in Malaysia, this type of drink is a mixture of coffee and traditional milk tea, which can be served either hot or cold. Mr. Lam from Hong Kong claims he has invented the drink in 1952 and has been serving it in his restaurant ever since.
Egg coffee (Vietnam)
Vietnam is famous among travellers as a mecca for coffee-lovers who are exploring Asia. There you can find all the usual classic varieties of the drink, but the most unusual one is prepared in Hanoi, the birthplace of egg coffee or cap he trung. Legend has it that during the war times there was a shortage of milk, so instead people whisked egg yolks with sugar and some condensed milk when available. Then freshly brewed Robusta coffee was added. It’s the creamiest coffee ever!
Kaffeost (Finland)
If you think coffee and cheese aren’t a good match, think twice. Countries like Finland, Sweden, and Norway have a very peculiar way of preparing coffee named kaffeost. To prepare a cup of kaffeost you will need a few pieces of juustoleipä, a special type of dried cheese that is made in north Scandinavian countries. You’ll need to put a few pieces of this cheese into a wooden mug, pour some hot coffee over it, and enjoy the drink. Dry cheese quickly absorbs the liquid and becomes soft and spongy. It’s best to eat it quickly before it completely melts.
Flat white (Australia)
Now you can find flat white in every respectful coffee shop across the globe. But this wasn’t always the case! Flat white is relatively young – it was invented in Sydney, Australia, somewhere in mid-80s. This drink might resemble a latte, but don’t get confused – it has the same amount of espresso, but a different amount of milk. Flat white is prepared with one or two shots of espresso followed by microfoam milk. It’s smaller than latte and stronger due to less milk.
Espresso Romano (Italy)
Espresso is the most favourite coffee drink in Rome, so you will find lots of ways to prepare it there. One peculiar way to consume coffee in Rome is with a slice of lemon. It can be served on the side or put right into your cup of coffee. It is said that the sourness of lemon brings out the sweetness of coffee, so you actually don’t need to add any sugar!
Türk Kahvesi (Turkey)
Turkish people are crazy about coffee and they have given the world one of the yummiest ways to make it – in a brass, copper, or clay pot called cezve. Finely ground coffee is used along with sugar and spices according to taste. Coffee is brewed in cezve, but you shouldn’t actually bring it to a boil – just wait till froth starts rising. Then you put the coffee away, stir it, and heat it one more time. It can be prepared using fire, but it can also be brewed using special sand.
Kopi Susu Panas (Malaysia)
Malaysia is one of the many Asian countries that likes coffee to be sweet and milky. One of the ways to achieve that is by mixing strongly brewed coffee with condensed milk! Coffee is a relatively young drink in Malaysia – it was introduced by the British in 19th century. Malaysians quickly found a way to turn it into their own type of drink. Strong coffee is brewed from freshly ground beans and then added on top of a thick layer of condensed milk.
Café de Olla (Mexico)
Café de Olla is incredibly flavourful as it is prepared with a cinnamon stick, which gives it a distinctive aroma and a sweeter taste. It is usually prepared in a beautifully made clay pot, which makes the coffee taste mild with earthy notes. That is also the source of the drink’s name, which can be translated as ‘pot coffee’. It is served with a sugarcane candy for sweetness.
Café Touba (Senegal)
Café Touba might be the most aromatic and spicy coffee you’ve ever tried. Spices are added when the coffee beans are being roasted, so together they form an incredible flavour. A special type of Guinea pepper is imported to Senegal to create this type of coffee. It’s roasted with coffee beans along some cloves and then ground into an aromatic mix. The process of preparing coffee is the same – but the taste is very different!