Coffee is a popular beverage as most people know. But did you know that coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world, second only to oil? Worldwide, over 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed every year. While coffee is popular around the world there are some variations in the way we like to enjoy our daily cup of java.
Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia. Today the Ethiopians socialize and build relationships around a pot of coffee. Coffee is never drunk by just one person or even one household. If someone prepares a pot of coffee, all the neighbors are invited to come, sit down, and chat while drinking the fresh coffee. Usually they will drink three rounds of coffee while spending time chatting and socializing with friends.
In the United States, 30% of coffee drinkers use sugar or other sweetener in their coffee. In the United Kingdom this number is close to 60%. In India nearly all of the coffee comes with milk and sugar added. In Germany and Switzerland it is popular to add hot chocolate to the brew. In Egypt a strong cup of coffee with no milk or sweetener is preferred. In Mexico, cinnamon is commonly added, while the Moroccans add peppercorns to their drink.
Italy is known for coffee. While coffee wasn’t invented in Italy it is where popular coffee drinks have originated and taken the rest of the world by storm. Italians are known for being coffee aficionados who will not tolerate bad coffee: Italy is known for espresso. There are more than 200,000 espresso bars in Italy. As much as coffee and Italy go together hand in hand, it is a country, that surprisingly, only ranks 16th in per capita coffee consumption around the globe.
In Italy, a straight up shot of espresso is consumed at any time of day. However, a cappuccino or coffee late drink after midday is not encouraged. To the Italians, milky drinks are considered hard on the stomach and digestion if taken after meals.
Costa Rica is known for producing one of the highest quality coffee available. They take pride in their coffee and enjoy it themselves. They keep large flasks of coffee with them throughout the day like many of us keep a bottle of water.
Coffee is the universal drink. Its popularity continues to grow through the world. The variety of coffee tastes vary throughout the world, but no matter what country you may visit, their longstanding coffee traditions are rich in history and taste.