Coffee Culture Around the World

As our team prepares to head home to our respective corners of the globe for the holidays, we started to discuss coffee culture around the world.

Aside from fermentation, it seems people enjoy their coffee - and preparing it - many different ways. Check out these facts for example:

Coffee Strength

The colder it gets, the more coffee people like to consume. Or at least, that's how it seems when you investigate the per capita coffee consumption in different countries. Here are the five countries that consume the most coffee globally each year.

 
The United States ranks ninth in the list at 115.2 liters per person, per year. While many Americans enjoy a cup or two a day, 16% of consumers report drinking four to five cups of coffee a day. 

Coffee in the United States is also enjoyed by people regardless of age or gender. 68% of those aged over 60, for example, drink coffee on a regular basis.

Coffee Flavor

One bean, many flavors. Just like brewing preferences, local coffee tastes vary greatly across the world too.

In the United States, many drinkers enjoy adding flavored sweeteners or creamers to their coffee. In Europe however, this practice is far less common 

In Southern Europe and the Middle East, coffee is typically brewed very strong and without milk, sugar or creamer. Some Scandinavians, however, add a raw egg to their ground coffee before adding boiling water.

In Thailand, locals enjoy "Oliang," or a special iced coffee made by letting hot coffee steep before adding ice and extra flavors. Sweetened condensed milk and fragrant spices like cardamom can all be added to make this signature coffee that's often orange or caramel in appearance and served over ice. 

In Vietnam, locals prefer their coffee similar to Thai coffee but with a dash of egg yolk for richness, a recipe invented in the 1940s during a time of dairy scarcity. 

Coffee Rituals

In Italy, a country known for its long-standing coffee culture, people typically like their coffee served as a short and intense espresso, after lunch, dinner or late in the evening. Cappuccino, frothy milk and coffee, while a favorite in other countries any time of day, is typically only consumed with meals in Italy and sometimes given to children as a treat too.

In France, a traditional "café au lait" is served in a bowl filled halfway with strong filter coffee and half frothed milk, to be sipped.

Americans and the English typically favor milky coffee served in cups while the Dutch (and Swedes) like to serve their lattes in tall glasses.

In parts of Ethiopia and Eritrea coffee ceremonies are a staple part of being a good host. Here coffee starts by roasting fresh green beans for guests followed by grinding and sieving the coffee several times before serving. Coffee is typically served in a ceramic pot.

While acidity in coffee can cause digestive discomfort for many, some enterprising Americans have turned to eggshells to remove some of the acidity from their coffee. Personally we prefer to use more digestible coffee!

How do you prefer yours? Let us know!

Whatever your coffee preference, we wish you happy holidays and a happy 2018 ahead!

Learn more about eatCultured's first healthy fermented product: Cultured Coffee