Travel blog of an Indian traveler living his dream of experiencing the world and inspiring others to live their travel dream. Focus areas are travel and visa tips, destination guides, experiential travel stories and traveling as a vegetarian.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Beans Around the World: 4 Countries to Visit if You're a Big Fan of Coffee
Coffee-drinkers are being pampered with thousands of options when it comes to drinking coffee, and more origins of coffee beans have been discovered. There are many roasters and baristas creating their own unique flavors. There are even coffee drinks that combine beans from multiple origins to create vibrant flavors that a lot of people enjoy.
If you are serious about coffee, visiting countries where coffee-drinking is a big culture can be very enlightening. You can choose to visit countries that produce the best coffee beans in the world or go to places where the coffee culture is incredibly strong. In this article, we are going to list countries from both spectrums and see the countries to visit if you are a big fan of coffee.
Indonesia
Indonesia is home to many great coffee beans. It is also the country with the highest variations of single-origin beans, each with unique flavors, different origin areas, and plenty of stories to uncover. In fact, Indonesian beans cover the entire spectrum of coffee flavors.
Sumatra Mandheling is a good example. Sumatra Mandheling beans are rich in flavor, but with complex layers waiting to be explored. It has a very earthy note without overpowering the true flavor. Sumatra Mandheling beans’ flavors are brought out when the beans are black roasted.
Blue Bali Moon, on the other hand, has a unique note of dark chocolate due to where the beans are planted. This too is a variant with rich flavor, but it is best when medium-roasted. Get it right, and you will also get hints of vanilla in its natural flavor.
Kopi Luwak is another must-try. It is coffee that has a peculiar flavor because it comes from the civet cat or Luwak. Coffee beans consumed by Luwak are then roasted to bring out the full flavor they offer. This is currently still the most expensive coffee bean in the world.
Japan
From Indonesia, we go to Japan. Japan is not high on the list of coffee bean producers, but the coffee culture in Japan is simply too good to miss. This is the place where you can find beans from around the world being transformed into magnificent cups of coffee.
Japanese roasters are famous for their attention to detail. Dark roasted beans are never overcooked, there is plenty of new technology being used alongside traditional means, and the entire coffee scene is filled with stories to explore.
If you are looking for a destination where you can have different coffee every time, Japan is the place to go. This is where you can meet the best roasters and baristas too, plus the locals really appreciate a good cup of coffee.
Japan is littered with independent coffee shops that serve the best cups in the world. Forget about the larger chains when you are visiting Japan. The local coffee shop that is within walking distance from your hotel will definitely have a tastier cup to serve.
Brazil
We cannot talk about destinations with a strong coffee culture without talking about Brazil. Brazil has the best of both worlds; it is a producer of coffee beans and a destination with a vibrant coffee scene. However, Brazil takes a completely different approach than Indonesia when it comes to variants.
Rather than promoting single-origin coffee beans, the coffee culture in Brazil focuses more on a uniformed set of flavors that are only separated by regions in which the beans are grown. Areas like Sao Paulo and Bahia are famous for their coffee plantations.
Brazilian beans have a sweet and gentle flavor with a hint of spice and earthy notes. This flavor can be found consistently, which is why Brazilian beans are very popular among roasters who produce in larger capacities. That sweetness is also very popular among coffee drinkers.
Drinking coffee in Brazil is a clean experience. No matter where you go, you can expect a good cup of coffee being served. More importantly, you can count on that flavor consistency too. There will be no surprises while visiting Brazil.
Portugal
The last country on our list, Portugal, is famous for its love for traditional coffee brewing. This is the country to visit if you want your coffee experience to be charming and memorable. Unlike other places that take coffee seriously – we’re looking at you, Italy – the people of Portugal have fun with coffee.
You will certainly enjoy sampling the local brew. As mentioned before, coffee shops in Portugal take pride in the traditional methods they use to brew a cup of espresso. This is also the country that champions slow-roasting to bring the best flavors out of coffee beans.
Don’t expect latte art or sophisticated coffee-based drinks either. What you want to try while visiting Portugal is the espresso. A trip to this country will transform the way you see coffee entirely, including the little things that you can appreciate in coffee beans and coffee as a drink.
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