Drinks

The World of Coffee

Coffee is prepared in fascinating ways across the world.

Coffee's reach expands across the entire world. There are few places where you do not find it consumed in one form or another. Given its wide reach, it's no surprise that there are a huge variety of possible ways to prepare coffee. We've traveled the world, from Austria to Australia and everywhere in between, to bring you eight of our favorite coffee concoctions.

Indonesia is one of the top coffee producers in the world. As such, it's no surprise that the country has its share of coffee drinks. Kopi jahe is a simple, rustic Indonesian coffee that gets a jolt from smashed ginger. Kopi telur is a more elegant preparation made by layering unfiltered coffee, foamed egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk. Both are absolutely delicious.

One global coffee drink that has gotten a lot of attention in the United States lately is the flat white. To make this drink, popular amongst Australians and New Zealanders, espresso is poured over foamed milk.

Have you ever had trouble deciding whether to drink coffee or tea? Hong Kong has an answer for your predicament: yuanyanga. To make this drink, sugary milk tea and drip coffee are simply mixed. The resulting drink is a quirky fifty-fifty blend that's soft yet tannic, with a mellow jolt of caffeine.

Find these recipes and more in our collection of 8 global coffee variations.

Café Maria Theresia
Café Maria Theresia

This Viennese kaffeehaus specialty, named in honor of a Hapsburg ruler, raises espresso to fragrant heights with the addition of orange in not one but two ways. The coffee gets a jigger of orange liqueur, while a fragrant finish of grated orange zest crowns the thick whipped cream topping.

Flat White
Flat White

Australians and New Zealanders are fond of pouring espresso over light, velvety milk foam, a drink they’ve prosaically dubbed the flat white. In its balanced perfection, it possesses the strength of a macchiato and the creaminess of a latte.

Indonesian Coffee with Ginger (Kopi Jahe)
Indonesian Coffee with Ginger (Kopi Jahe)

In Indonesia, coffee drinkers partake in a heady infusion of fresh ginger, cloves, and other spices brewed with sugar and ground coffee to produce kopi jahe. Get the recipe for Indonesian Coffee with Ginger (Kopi Jahe) »

Padang-Style Egg Coffee (Kopi Telur)
Padang-Style Egg Coffee (Kopi Telur)

Traditionally made by layering unfiltered coffee, foamed egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk, the custardy, caffeine-laced concoction known as kopi telur is a beloved treat in Padang.

Granita di Caffe
Granita di Caffe

In the hot, dry summers in Sicily, an icy slush of strong espresso and simple syrup is the perfect refresher. It’s often served as a parfait layered with rich, lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Hong Kong-style Coffee with Sweetened Tea (Yuanyanga)

Java lovers in tea-obsessed Hong Kong can find the perfect compromise in this palate-teasing beverage: It combines robust drip coffee with milk tea, a long-steeped brew of Ceylon tea, milk, and sugar. The quirky fifty-fifty blend is soft yet tannic, with a mellow jolt of caffeine. Get the recipe for Hong Kong-style Coffee with Sweetened Tea (Yuanyanga) »

Thai Iced Coffee

The now-essential ingredient of sweetened condensed milk was first incorporated into this potent summer cooler in the mid-twentieth century, when the commissaries of American military bases in Thailand were selling the thick, concentrated treat. Locals quickly embraced it, adding the stuff to both iced coffee and tea, making them luxuriously sweet.

Swedish Egg Coffee
Swedish Egg Coffee

Even lesser-quality coffee becomes something special when made with the unusual addition of a beaten egg.

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