An old Turkish proverb says that a coffee should be black as Hell, strong as death, and sweet as love. Nowadays there are various coffee drinks made out of coffee grown in different regions. But coffee still makes a magic with vivifying and charming effect. This beverage has plenty of lovers all over the world because of its rich aroma, taste and energizing upshot of caffeine. Coffee started its trip around the world in Africa, in a locality now called Ethiopia. Little by little it spread around the Earth and now is cultivated in various regions: Latin America, Indonesia and even Hawaii. Coffee taste depends on region a lot; it also varies depending on roasting, blending and of course on the way of beverage preparation. The coffee you find in a store can be characterized as “commercial” or “specialty”.
Commercial one is usually blended and ground already, packed in collapsed bricks or cans; while specialty coffee contains roasted wholebeans that you can grind your self and blend with other types of coffee. Some of specialty coffees even come un-roasted, so coffee lovers can roast them the way they like at home. Commercial coffee (including instant one) is ready-to-use product for those who save their time.However if you really adore coffee, you should try to prepare the beans yourself. Also keep in mind that coffee begins to stale right after it is roasted and ground, so when you buy ready-to-use coffee it already has big part of its taste and aroma lost. Amazingly, there are more kinds of “specialty” coffee than “commercial’ one.
When coffee is grown not in huge plantations but in small farms, more attention is dedicated to the quality than quantity. This type of coffee contains unique taste and it’s very rare, therefore it is appreciated among coffee lovers. They compare these extra quality coffees to special wine, cheese and other splendid food. These kinds are very expensive; also they are recognized and very popular in coffee market.
The most expensive coffee in the world is Kopi Luwak. It grows in three islands of Indonesia; the beans are selected by small mammal called Luwak. Coffee lovers claim it’s the best coffee you can find. Only 500 pounds of Kopi Luwak is produced every year, therefore it is evaluated $160 to $600 for one pound.
The runner-up in the most rare and expensive coffees is the one from Boquete, a region of Panama. Coffee named “Hacienda La Esmeralda's Geisha” grows in the shades of guava tree; this renders a special taste. Hacienda La Esmeralda costs $104 per pound. The third place goes to Island of St. Helena Coffee Company. This coffee became popular when Napoleon Bonaparte (who was exiled to this island) praised it for its great flavor. Island of St. Helena coffee costs $79 per pound and it’s still popular after couple of centuries.
The more unique coffee’s taste, smell or region is, the more it is expensive. Sometimes coffee is highly priced because of small amount available; some kinds of coffee are not even on sale, they can only be found in special auctions.
You can find two types of coffee drinkers. The first type claims that milk, syrup, liquor and other additions ruin natural rich and strong taste of coffee. And the other type says that some extras add special flavors to coffee. While nobody wins this war, there are a great number of diverse coffee drinks.
The most known drink is espresso, a shot of extremely strong coffee. It can be used to make cocktails. Additions to brewed coffee vary on a nation or region: Caribbeanone contains baked coconut and milk; American mocha is spiced with cocoa (or chocolate), vanilla and cinnamon; Italian caffe e latte is flavored with hot milk. Mexicans prepare coffee from coarsely ground beans and add some brown sugar with cinnamon stick. The famous Irish coffee contains sugar, whiskey, huge foam of whipped cream and is usually served in a special glass.
