Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as
love. We all love coffee. When you travel, you have this amazing opportunity to
experience different texture and flavors of coffee. We asked 25 different
travel bloggers to share their coffee experiences with us. From Israel,
Morocco, through South India to Laos and Paris – we are taking you for a coffee
journey around the World!
Coffee
from Laos
I usually consume at least one cup every day. I do have a
number of vices, and this is one of them! This particular cup of coffee was one
of the most unique I’ve ever experienced, coming from the southern region of
Laos. It was served simply, black with cream on the side and packet of sugar.
No flash, but none needed. The texture was heavy and silky, almost reminding me
of molasses. Surprisingly, it was quite sweet and far less bitter than most
coffee I’ve encountered, though it still remained earthy in flavor, by nature.
I didn’t know what to expect of the coffee in Laos, as most people seem to mix
up the instant stuff (read: gross), but I was very pleasantly surprised to
stumble upon this gem. I’ll be drinking plenty of Laos coffee for the next week
while I’m still here!
Coffee
from Australia
Australia loves coffee, and no city loves coffee more than
Melbourne. Australia’s southern metropolis is addicted to the stuff, and with
just a couple of satisfying sips on a cold winters morning it’s easy to see
why. Espresso machines were brought to Australia in the 1950s by waves of Italian
immigrants, and the booming cities of Sydney and Melbourne gradually adopted
and appropriated coffee culture. The boom arguably came in the 1990s, with
greater exposure to global ideas and concepts surrounding the culture of
coffee.
In Melbourne, this was coupled with the controversial state
premier Jeff Kennett, who himself once consumed 30 cups of coffee a day
according to a report on one website. Kennett’s government promoted Melbourne
as Australia’s ‘European city’, and Melbourne’s crown as the coffee capital of
the country was cemented.
Nowadays coffee is served in a variety of shops, from
street side cafes to shopping centre food courts, from established
Italian-origin cafes such as Brunettis to holes-in-in-the-walls of graffiti covered
lane ways. Melbourne, as well as other Australian cities, are also home to a
growing number of local producers such as St Ali, Seven Seeds, and Sydney’s
Campo’s Coffee, who have perfected the art of roasting.
Starbucks struggled to gain a serious foothold in Australia
in the early 2000s, although local chain Gloria Jeans is to be found almost
everywhere, drawing groans from many connoisseurs at the company’s mass-market
appeal. Such is Australia’s love of the caffeinated liquid that McDonalds inaugurated
its McCafe brand here – a slightly premium version of the American fast-food
brand which sells coffee and cakes instead of burgers and fries.
Coffee is almost always served as espresso; a certain
amount of drip-coffee-snobbery exists in Australia. Peculiarities in Australian
coffee culture include the ubiquitous chocolate dusting on a cappuccino. The
name ‘flat white’ is also believed to have emerged in Australia, to describe a
caffe latte without any foam. Until the popularity of frappes about decade ago,
an ‘iced coffee’ in Australia always referred to strong milk coffee in a tall
glass, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and topped with whipped cream –
deliciously unhealthy!
Coffee
from Ethiopia
Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and it’s one of the
best places in the world to experience the incredible beverage. Walking down
the streets of Addis Ababa your nose will get blasted by a sensational aroma of
roasting beans, and that’s when you know it’s time have another cup.
Traditional Ethiopian coffee is served black, with an optional amount of sugar
(many locals like it very sweet). It’s strong and sharp, but smooth with little
trace of acidity. Coffee in Ethiopia is often paired with crispy popcorn, which
I think, makes the perfect coffee snack. I couldn’t resist having a cup of
coffee every few hours while traveling in Ethiopia!
From: etramping com
