3 cups of coffee by Nate Dumlao
How are people around the world waking up in the morning? As one of the most commonly consumed beverages on the planet, there’s a variety of ways we love our coffee.
Thanks to a report from Coffeeness, we can see just how our world splits up its java cravings. From widely popular drinks to regionally specific delicacies, here are the most popular coffee drinks from most of the countries in the world.
Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad, Tobago, Uruguay, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Switzerland, Croatia, Spain, France, Romania, Albania, Austria, Hungary, Nigeria, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, India, Kuwait, Oman, Indonesia, Singapore, Malta
Add equal parts steamed milk and foam to espresso and you’ve got a cappuccino. This drink has a stranglehold on coffee drinkers around the world, boasting the largest number of countries by far.
Canada, United States, Iceland, Croatia, Germany, Ukraine, Greece, Serbia, Cyprus, Egypt, Pakistan, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam
Sometimes a shot of straight espresso to the dome is all you need. We love it here in North America, and the same goes for much of the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia.
Venezuela, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Bulgaria, Portugal, Morocco, Lebanon, Israel, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Jordan,
In third place we’ll find black coffee, which feels surprising to see under espresso since it’s a bit less aggressive. Hopefully these 11 countries are also stocking up on breath mints, because black coffee breath is very real.
Argentina, Bolivia, Italy, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, Mexico, South Korea
Baristas differ in opinion when it comes to the perfect Americano ratio, but the drink is essentially a bit of hot water poured over espresso. This creates a milder flavor which is especially popular in parts of South America.
Vietnam, Bangladesh, Japan, New Zealand, Mauritius
You’d think more of the world would be interested in chocolate, but it’s only five countries with mocha in the top slot.
Japan feels like a huge surprise, but that country drank 97,000 tons of tea in 2022 so maybe coffee isn’t really the move over there.
Brazil, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam
A latte is similar to a cappuccino. Also made with steamed milk, foam, and espresso, a latte has a bit of a different texture — thanks to more steamed milk and a small layer of frothed milk — offering a creamier mouthfeel than a cappuccino. Looks like the milk froth in a cappuccino is a little too thick for Brazil, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.
Norway, Ireland, Sweden, Finland
I’m loving the cut of these countries’ jib on this one. Irish coffee, as we know, is just hot coffee, sugar, whipped cream, and oh yeah, a shot of whiskey. This is no surprise when it comes to Ireland, but breakfast in Norway must be wild.
Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Qatar
We’re getting into minute differences here, but a flat white is made with two shots of espresso (usually ristretto, which means a 1:1 ratio of beans to water for a more concentrated flavor) and around four to five ounces of a velvety microfoam, giving it a much stronger coffee taste than your typical cappuccino. Both Australia and New Zealand lay claim to inventing the flat white, so it's surprising that neither were included here.
Norway, Chile, Nicaragua, Philippines
Seriously? Nobody in the hottest areas of the world (like the MIddle East and parts of Africa) is interested in a nice, cold beverage on a hot day? And how did Norway slide back in here? I suppose it makes sense that they need a side-pony to help sober up after each Irish coffee.
Albania, United Kingdom, Australia
Top espresso with a little bit of steamed milk and you’ve got a macchiato. This is a product of the 80s, at a time Italian baristas were pushing for a sweeter espresso option.
Denmark, Bahrain
Equal parts steamed milk and espresso make a cortado, which is one of Denmark’s three favorite beverages. They must be wide-awake in the morning over there.
Jamaica, Peru
This is a drink popularized by Starbucks (though originally invented at the Coffee Connection in Cambridge, Massachusettes); it’s basically a coffee slushie. Most coffee chains do their own versions of this, and in Jamaica and Peru, it’s the No. 1 way to start your day.
Turkey
Unfiltered, finely ground beans are the centerpiece of Turkish coffee, which the rest of the world seems to have no interest in. Love that. Do you, Turkey? Do you?
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