Discovering Coffee Culture Around the World

As passionate coffee lovers, we understand there is an eclectic selection from all over the world. From age-old espresso to bulletproof coffee, exploring what different countries have to offer to the coffee world can be exciting. While we may not all be able to visit these places in our lifetime, we can take a virtual trip to get to know the coffee culture around the world.

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First Stop – Italy!

How can we not start with Italy, the birthplace of espresso? Italians are very fervent coffee drinks. It’s no surprise that the main focus is the dark shot of energy the rest of the world has come to love.

Do as the Romans do when you head over to Italy and drink cappuccinos in the morning. The Italians don’t usually consume milk-based drinks later on in the day. This tradition stems from their belief that milk causes indigestion and is too heavy after midday.

We have to say, being able to consume an authentic cup of Espresso in this gorgeous European country is very picturesque to say the least. If coffee lovers are deciding on your next vacation spot, we’d suggest stopping in Italy for that enriching dark roast.

Let’s Head Over to Turkey

Coffee lovers worldwide have definitely heard of Turkish coffee, so let’s head over to where this specific style of coffee has made its mark since the 16^th century. Turkish coffee is made in a very specific way and served in traditional coffee cups called demitasse, or demi-tasse. These intricately decorated receptacles resemble espresso cups.

Drinking coffee in Turkey is more than just a relaxing activity as socialization often accompanies the process. The creation of each cup is also quite unique. Turkish people start by boiling the ground coffee together with sugar and water in the cezve, or coffee pot. Coffee aficionados then enjoy their chosen amount slowly and return the rest to boil.

Retrace Our Steps to France

Now let’s make our way back to Europe and into France before we leave the continent altogether. Nothing says Paris more than a street side coffee house, a café au lait, with shoppers milling around you and the faint outline of the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Just in case you don’t get a menu in the café of your choice, here is a quick guide on some French coffees. Visit Provender Coffee for more.

Café – Pretty much espresso
Allonge – Similar to an Americano
Café Crème – Can be likened to a cappuccino
Café au Lait – Kind of like a latte
Noisette – Akin to a macchiato

Coffee Culture in Brazil

For our next stop, we’re heading over to South America where the weather is tropical. Not surprisingly, Brazil is also a country that enjoys its fair share of coffee. In fact, it’s quite a regular drink over there since 1727.

The export of coffee is a major part of Brazil’s economy, which is also why a steaming cup of joe may be one of the first images that pops into your mind when someone mentions the country – that and of course, soccer!

Brazilians often consume cafezinho, which means small coffee served in a little cup at very high temperatures. The hot temperature and the small amount allows you to consume more coffee throughout the day.

Let’s Go Down to Ethiopia

It’s said that coffee originated in Ethiopia in the 9^th century. For this reason, coffee culture has become entrenched in Ethiopian customs. They even have a very special Ethiopian coffee ceremony where the lady of the household conducts a 2-3 hour coffee ceremony a few times a day.

The ceremony holds even more significance when there are guests to entertain or something to celebrate. The process includes cultivating the beans, roasting them, grinding, boiling and lastly, serving.

Guests are served in a particular order, sometimes with the youngest child serving the oldest guest. The brewer, sometimes referred to as the performer, conducts most of the serving. Once the guests receive their cup of coffee, they can add sugar, but milk is not often supplied.

It’s also customary for those involved to comment on the flavour of the coffee and give praise to the performer.

There may be different variations throughout different regions and households in Ethiopia, but the meaning of the ceremony is consistent throughout.

Make a Quick Stop in Asia

Lastly, we take a dive into coffee culture in the east, more specifically, Japan. Japan was first introduced to this drink in the 1700s thanks to Dutch traders. Since then, baristas in the country has tweaked and modified recipes to appeal to the Japanese.

You can experience a similar coffee culture to the west, namely North America, where it’s very easy to pick up a coffee to go. Cafes are plentiful and even their vending machines supply your daily dose of energy.

Japan is known for their traditional beverage – green tea. You will see that coffee has intertwined itself into the culture to create coffee and tea hybrids like the matcha latte.