Coffee beans are grown all around the world with thousands of plantations in several countries. It does not come as a surprise that its preparation and consumption traditions are just as unique as the countries that they are grown in. Here is a short list of some coffee traditions across the globe:
Ethiopia: Anchored by old traditions, this coffee (or Buna) must be prepared three times a day: in the morning, at noon and in the evening. The preparation of the coffee, which takes two hours, begins with grilling the beige beans in a closed bowl called jembena over a fire. After grinding the beans by hand and brewing them in a coffeemaker, the Buna is served with some salt and butter.
Italy: Italians are known for their ristretto espresso, a coffee served in a small cup that is strong and very concentrated. The traditionalists will drink it without sugar or milk.
Mexico: The Mexican coffee « Olla » suits all those who like a little taste of cinnamon and panela (cane sugar) infused in their drink.
Morocco: This Arabic spiced coffee is a traditional hot drink that is slowly enjoyed with oriental cakes. Its peculiarity is the mixture of sesame seeds, black pepper, and nutmeg that gives depth to its aromas.
Cuba: The Cuban coffee served in a small cup must be consumed hot, black and strong, obviously with no milk or sugar.
Greece: As we highlighted in a recent blog post, it is the Greek iced coffee, a cool drink made with milk, sugar, water and instant coffee that is to thank for starting this widely successful trend.
France: The “café au lait”, or coffee with milk is a French speciality consumed often at breakfast.
Ireland: Though this drink is not a pure coffee, but rather a mixture of coffee and whisky, the Irish coffee remains the most consumed coffee by the Irish.
Saudi Arabia: This country makes up some of the biggest coffee consumers in the world, and this Arabic, black, sweet and flavoured coffee is a well-known custom of their culture.
Kahvesi, a sweetened coffee from Turkey, is traditionally served at the end of meal in a white copper or iron pan. As stated in some proverbs, the coffee is “black, strong yet soft”.
We end with the rite of coffee tasting in Vietnam: the Vietnamese coffee is prepared using an old metal filter and is consumed from morning to night. The « cà phê sữa đá » coffee is prepared frozen with condensed milk, the « cà phê đen » is the black coffee and finally the « cà phê nóng », the hot coffee.
Café Liégeois offers a wide selection of Nespresso® compatible capsules, beans and ESE pods that are perfectly suited for preparing all of these international coffee recipes. For an even more authentic attempt, try our Chiapas coffee from Mexico for an Olla, or the YRGACHEFFE from Ethiopia for the Buna.