Coffee 101: Coffee Around the World

Kaffeost is a unique, popular drink in Finland that involves pouring hot coffee over cheese curds. Then, after the coffee is gone, you eat the cheese!

You may have heard of Vietnamese iced coffee. It's an iced coffee drink made using coarsely ground dark-roasted beans that are brewed through a French drip filter. The coffee is then poured into a cup of condensed milk and ice. It's very strong and very sweet. 

This Turkish coffee is made by simmering finely ground beans in a special copper or brass pot. This drink is unfiltered, so wait a few minutes before sipping to let the grounds settle at the bottom of the cup. But don't throw the grounds out right away, as many use the grounds left at the bottom of the cup to tell fortunes.

Though perhaps not as interesting as some other coffee drinks on this list, the flat white coffee is nevertheless a staple on many menus. Similar to a latte, albeit smaller in size, this drink is made by pouring micro-foam over a few ounces of espresso. 

Espresso is perhaps the most famous way to drink to coffee. Served in tiny cups, this drink is a shot of concentrated caffeine known as espresso. However, don't make the mistake of trying to drink this on the go while in Italy--Italians believe espresso is something that should be savored and drunk slowly.

Brazilians have somehow found a way to add more sugar to espresso, which is already highly caffeinated. Cafézinho is similar to espresso, except that water is mixed with sugar before the coffee is added to the cup. Brazil, like Ireland, also like to occasionally add something extra to their coffee cups. Hot coffee, cream, and rum or brandy with some cinnamon sprinkled on top is another popular coffee combination. 

In Malaysia, it's not uncommon to see drinks that blend coffee and tea together so it makes sense that their drink of choice would also combine the two. Served either hot or cold, Yuangyang is made with three parts black coffee and seven parts a black tea and milk mixture, known as Hong Kong style milk tea. 

It isn't hard to see where this popular drink got its name as it is made by adding Irish whiskey to hot coffee and topping it off with a dollop of cream. This post dinner drink was initially created for tourists who couldn't handle the rainy and cold Irish weather. 

Despite the many complex drinks American have come up with, the American is simple. It's a combination of espresso and hot water, perfect for those who don't like sweet drinks or who don't want to take ten minutes ordering at the counter. 

Café au lait, or, coffee with milk as it translates, is an equally simple drink as the Americano, thus making it a good choice for France. It's made with equal parts brewed coffee and steamed milk. Depending on where it is ordered in France, the milk may come on the side to add in yourself. 

This Mexico coffee drink is traditionally served from a clay pot, hence its name. Using dark-roast coffee beans, the coffee is filtered through a fine strainer or a piece of cheesecloth before being served with unrefined brown sugar that has a smoky, caramel flavor. A cinnamon stick is also often added and has become a symbol of Mexican coffee. 

An iced coffee similar to those offered at Starbucks, this drink is great during hot Greek summers. Made with a few teaspoons of instant coffee, sugar, and water, the concoction is then mixed in a cocktail shaker until it has become a foam. Once this happens, cold water and evaporated milk are added and the whole thing is poured into a cup.

When you think of Morocco, bright colors and lots of spices probably come to mind. Something similar could be said of their coffee. Moroccans like their coffee dark and mixed with a combination of spices like cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon. 

While coffee is an important part of life in many countries and other cultures, it is doubly important in Ethiopia. The process of making coffee holds an important role in ceremonies here and the process can take around two hours, starting with roasting the beans. It's brewed three separate times and each round is poured from a traditional jug and poured about a foot or so above the tray while serving. Now, many Ethiopians add sugar to their coffee but originally, salt or a traditional butter full of spices was added. Because it is such as process to make, it is considered an honor for a host to prepare coffee for guests.