A bit of history — when you started drinking coffee and where the popular drink comes from

Every nation has its own legends that relate to the origin of coffee and the first acquaintance with this drink. One of the most popular, which is also generally accepted and most reliable, is the story of a shepherd from the province of Kaffa who began preparing a fragrant drink after seeing that his goats became more vigorous and lively by eating the leaves of a strange plant. The shepherd gathered the leaves and made a decoction out of it. After drinking it, he didn't want to sleep all night.

Most scientists agree with the opinion that coffee comes from the province of Kaffa. Initially, the drink here was prepared from raw grains, which for a long time insisted in water. To taste, it most likely resembled wine. In the end, the grains began to roast, using water during this process. But the hot drink became popular only after a while.

How to brew coffee from different nations of the world

How are different nations of the world making coffee? / Photo: Pexels

Every morning, people around the world perform a similar ritual: they wake up and then go to cook and finally taste a cup of aromatic coffee. The only thing that distinguishes the peoples of different countries is the traditions of brewing a popular drink. Let's talk about the strangest ones:

  • Turkey — aromatic Turkish coffee (Türk kahvesi) is prepared in special Turks called "cerve". Use only finely ground grains, which are boiled over low heat. Often a pinch of salt is added to Turkish coffee, and to cool the drink faster while it is hot, an ice cube is thrown. Serve coffee with coffee grounds, which slowly settles to the bottom of the cup.
  • Finland - Finns serve their coffee (Kaffeost) with cheese cubes, which are called "juustoleipä". Although such a tradition may sound somewhat strange, but such a taste combination is quite interesting. The average Finn drinks 9 cups of coffee a day, so it is not a very strong drink that has gained the greatest popularity in this country.
  • Kenya - in addition to the main ingredients (water, coffee, sugar), Kenyans add to the drink local - various spices and hot peppers. Coffee is prepared here in the Turks.
  • Australia - Australians prepare a drink that strongly resembles latte and call it Flat White. To prepare it, you need to take a shot of strong espresso and well-whipped hot milk. The combination has a delicate taste.
  • Malaysia - the most popular coffee drink (Yuanyang) can be drunk both cold and hot. In three parts it consists of strong black coffee and 7 parts of national milk tea (a mixture of black tea and milk).
  • Egypt - in this country, coffee is made from only two components (coffee beans and water). Water is brought to a boil, ground coffee is added and foam that appears on the surface during cooking is poured into cups. Repeat the procedure three times. Next, pour coffee into cups along with sediment.
  • Greece - In 1957, a representative of Nescafe came up with a wonderful drink that became a real symbol of the Greeks - Frappe. It is prepared in the summer by mixing instant coffee, whipped milk and ice cubes.
  • Mexico - traditionally, Mexicans brew fragrant coffee with a cinnamon stick and serve in a clay cup with a piece of sugar. According to local residents, it is thanks to clay that the whole taste of coffee beans is revealed.
  • Italy - if we talk about real Italian espresso, then a slice of lemon is definitely added to it. Italians are confident that citrus fruit helps to reveal the sweet notes of coffee.
  • Saudi Arabia - as in other Arab countries, a whole range of different spices (from cardamom to ginger and saffron) is added to coffee. And to make the tart taste of the drink softened a little, serve it with dried dates.
  • Interesting facts about coffee that you might not know about

    Interesting facts about coffee / Photo: Pexels

    • Most coffee is drunk by the Scandinavian peoples - it is in the Scandinavian countries, according to the International Coffee Organization, most often drink this energy drink (Finland is in the lead - on average, they drink about 12 kg of coffee annually).
    • The most expensive coffee in the world extracted from feces - half a kilogram of coffee beans kopi luwak, which pass through the digestive system of a small animal (Asian palm civet) and ferment there, can cost about $ 700. Another expensive coffee "Black Ivory" costs $ 85 per 35 grams in the United States. Grains for the drink are harvested by hand from the feces of Thai elephants.
    • Coffee is actually a cherry — the beans from which coffee is made are roasted coffee cherry seeds.
    • People often eat coffee without even realizing it - many manufacturers use leftover coffee berries to make flour. Then cakes, chocolate, sauces, bread are prepared from it and added to energy bars.
    • There are only two types of coffee - Arabica (the original coffee beans that were discovered in Ethiopia) and Robusta (has a higher caffeine content and a more bitter taste).
    • Initially, coffee was wine - its first name (qahwahu) comes from the name of the wine in Yemen, where in the XV century began to grow this plant.

    How to make coffee at home: an interesting recipe for Bedouin coffee

    How to make Bedouin coffee at home? / Photo: Pexels

    You will need the following ingredients:

    • 20 g of ground coffee of light roasting (you can use any high-quality natural coffee);
    • 200 ml of purified water;
    • 3-4 g of ground cardamom.

    Mix coffee and cardamom thoroughly, finely chop, but to make it not dusty (it is better to use a hand mill). Pour the mixture into the Turk, add water. Take a pan and pour it on the bottom of the sand, so that the Turk can be immersed in it by 2-2.5 cm, put on low heat. Over time, the sand will heat up, so after a couple of hours the Turk needs to be pulled out of it and put on top.So you can slow down the boiling of water.

    The drink is prepared for about 8-10 hours. If you see that after 8 hours the liquid is still not oily, you need to continue cooking.

    Bedouin coffee is very strong, so it is not recommended for elderly people, children, pregnant women and those who suffer from disorders of the cardiovascular system.

    In real life, the Bedouins "languish" the Turks with coffee in the sun-hot sand for up to 10 hours. And the first drink is always tasted by the owner. With this, he shows guests that there are no toxic substances in coffee.

    Read also:

    • How to make coffee in a Turk: detailed instructions
    • If you are tired of ordinary coffee: spices and products that taste great with a fragrant drink
    • Delicious instant coffee - the benefits and harm: six steps that will save your favorite drink