Explore the Best Coffee-Inspired Locations
It's time to experience coffee through the eyes of some of the coffee capitals of the world. Join our trip around the world, one cup at a time.
Whether they are known for drinking the most coffee per capita or the most amount of coffee variations, these coffee destinations are the best coffee-inspired locations on the planet.
Ethiopia
What better way to start off our world tour than with the birthplace of coffee! It all started when a herdsman, and his goat, discovered the coffee plant accidentally on one of their walks.
From there on, coffee was introduced to the rest of the world as a delicious drink. Who knows, maybe when you visit Ethiopia you'll stumble upon the exact location where the herdsman Kaldi, and his goat, found coffee.
Ethiopians also perform unique coffee ceremonies. These ceremonies are hosted by the woman of the household, contrary to other cultural ceremonies that are performed by the man.
The ritual is performed when neighbors, family members, or visitors get together. During the ceremony, it is common to burn incense when sugar, salt, or even butter are added to the brew. On most occasions snacks are served with the coffee as well.
Another interesting fact is that the woman who is performing the ceremony is considered to have a great deal of honor among her relatives and tribe.
Turkey
From Ethiopia, the coffee was eventually imported to Arab nations, including Turkey. Turkish coffee is traditionally served in a small porcelain cup, known as a fincan. Turkish coffee is a very strong brew that is served with the ground coffee beans muddled towards the base of the cup.
The beans are grinded to be very fine and are usually served unfiltered. When preparing Turkish coffee it is best to use Arabica beans instead of Robusta, although Robusta beans can be used as well.
The most well known method of making Turkish coffee is by using sand. In that method, the ground coffee is poured into a small pot with a long handle, called a cezve, which is then brought to a boil using hot sand.
The cezve is moved around in the hot sand multiple times to increase the froth levels. As soon as the mixture begins to boil it is taken off the heat.
When you get to finish your coffee, there is also a common custom in Turkey to read your fortune using the coffee grounds that remain in the cup. The way your grounds are placed in the bottom of the cup (when it's empty) gives fortune tellers a glance into your life.
The ground coffee left in the cup are symbols for the past and future of whoever drank the coffee. A fortune teller, or a Falci, will know your future based on the shapes that the coffee has made.
Melbourne, Australia
Cafés fill the streets of Melbourne, Australia, waiting for tourists to stop in and grab a cup of their favorite brew. The culture of coffee in Melbourne is embedded deep in the cement of the streets.
In Melbourne, baristas take great affection in lattes and the art that one can make with them. They are able to make latte art with just about every image possible. If it fits in that little cup, they can do it! Aside from lattes, their drinks of choice often include classic cappuccinos, ‘flat whites,’ and ‘long blacks.’
Italy
Italians love their espressos and tend to drink it at almost every meal. Although they do have some rules when it comes to their espressos: frothy espressos are drunk in the morning and never following a meal. They believe that the heavy milk in the froth will cause an upset stomach when mixed with a heavy meal.
You still can have espressos at every meal of the day, but the ones that are consumed after the morning must be a straight espresso shot, no milk. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” and then come back home and drink an espresso whenever you want, rather than when a clock allows you to do so.
Italy is such a popular country in terms of coffee that two different cities are known for their distinct coffee cultures.
Rome
Coffee in Rome is the equivalent of water everywhere else, as they drink coffee pretty much as often as the rest of the world drinks water. Rome is known for being the birthplace of lattes and cappuccinos. Thanks to Rome, we are able to have these wonderful variations of coffee worldwide.
Milan
Milan is the birthplace to more unique coffee beverages, such as macchiato and marocchino. Milan is also home to many coffee bars, or al Bancos, that serve variations of coffee and alcohol combined.
France
Like the Italians, who think that all hours of the day are appropriate times to drink coffee, the french also have no shame in admitting that coffee is good with every meal. Whether it may be one of the three main meals, or a snack in between, there is always a reason to serve coffee in France.
With cute coffee parlors popping up all over the country, the coffee culture is seen almost everywhere. There is no street that goes untouched by a couple of coffee shops. France’s most popular drink of choice is the infamous Café au Lait.
Café au Laits is coffee is served with steamed milk in a typical 8 oz. cup. The French have no shame in their coffee habits, so it is acceptable to drink a café au lait at any point in the day!
Oslo, Norway
Per capita, Scandinavians drink the most amount of coffee worldwide. Finland and Norway are the two most coffee consumption countries of the world.
The most common way for Norwegians to drink their coffee is black, no milk, just pure coffee. Unlike the rest of the world, they tend to roast their coffee beans to a very light medium roast.
Because the roast is so light, a fruity aroma is usually emitted from the brew, altering the taste to be sweet. Often served with cakes and cookies, Norwegians feel that it is best to drink coffee before and after every meal, essentially meaning at least 6 cups per day.
Brazil
For the past 150 years, Brazil has maintained the number one spot in being the world's largest producer of coffee.
Brazil is known for using both Arabica and Robusta beans, whereas most places choose one over another. Coffee from Brazil is known for being dark, but not too bitter, as other roasts typically are. The combination of Arabica and robusta beans offer a sweet nutty taste to those who drink it, kind of like a candy bar.
Colombia
Colombia is often ranked on top of the best quality coffee beans growers lists in the world. Colombian's beans are known for having low levels of both acid and caffeine.
It is the third largest coffee-producing country in the world, and before the arrival of Vietnam in the coffee scene, it was considered second only to Brazil.
Unlike in the U.S. Colombia's mind-set toward coffee is less functional and more cultural. Coffee is considered as something to be shared, a ritual to gather around, and less of a functional caffeine source in the morning.
