Coffee is ground coffee beans brewed into a caffeine drink that has become more like water for many parched souls looking for some instant energy. Many begin their day with the fresh, crisp and natural flavor of coffee and end their day's work with the same. For many drinking coffee is like an experience, to savor the aroma, the flavor and to feel the warm cuppa flowing down gently through their throat.
Coffee is basically a bean grown in more than 70 countries around the world and many countries have the major chunk of their economies based on coffee export. Coffee needs specific conditions to grow and produce the best coffee in the world.
Legends of the World's Best Coffee
The legendary Ethiopian goat-herd Kaldi, saw some of his goats dancing from one shrub to another. This shrub had cherry-red beans and were hungrily grazed down by his goats. Kaldi too felt like having some and after popping a few, he too began to dance merrily with his flock. His merriment and the cause of this energetic change was witnessed by a monk who too picked the berries and shared it with his brothers. To their amazement, they were able to stay alert for their nightly spiritual inspirations. This was the first ever discovery of the coffee beans in Circa, A.D. 800.
By 1000 A.D., Arabia started to brew roasted coffee beans and by the 13th century, the Muslims were drinking coffee regularly. This 'bean broth' became the best concoction to help the worshipers stay awake in the night and worship the Almighty. Thus, coffee began to spread around the world with the Muslim traders to North Africa, eastern Mediterranean and India. But the clever traders of Arabia, parched or boiled the beans to make them infertile. This way they could only be grown on the soils of Arabia and Africa.
Until one day, Baba Budan, an Indian pilgrim cum smuggler to Mecca, could smuggle the coffee beans, strapping them to his belly. His beans could be planted successfully and that was the end to the Arabian monopoly. Soon the Europeans got a wind of this black drink on 1615 and the Dutch could get coffee into the European countries for the first time in 1616. By 1696, the first coffee estate was founded in the colony of Java, a part of Indonesia today. The Dutch now has the monopoly of coffee production. Soon others had an eye on this black bean and coffee was produced in many other countries and colonies.
In 1727, the James Bond of Beans, Lt. Col. Francisco de Melo Palheta smuggled seeds from a coffee country to Brazil. The scanty shoots of coffee harvested in Brazil soon turned from an élite indulgence to a drink of the common people.
Where Does the World's Best Coffee Come from?
Coffee has since 800 AD come a long way and is produced by majority of the countries. If you are searching for some answers, then the following explanation may answer your query.
The king of coffee world, Brazil is the largest coffee bean producer. Although, you can't give the title 'best coffee', a small island called Reunion, once known as Bourbon can be called a coffee delight of South America. This cultivar island produces just perfect aromatic beans with the right balance of bitter acids and dark body.
The title of best coffee is won hands down by Colombia. The Juan Valdez is synonymous with the word sweet and light flavored Colombian coffee.
You tend to name Cuba and Cuban cigars in the same breath, but the country is not far behind in production of some of the strongest and best coffee. You can sip down a Cuban coffee cup and feel the kick you get from drinking whiskey.
India has a good reputation for coffee, especially in Europe. The Indian coffee is known for its less acidic and sweet character. This tastes is widely preferred by Europeans. However, Americans tend to prefer the African and South American coffee over Indian coffee as they are more acidic and brighter. At the 2004 Grand Cus De Café Competition held in Paris, the Indian brand coffee called the 'Tata Coffee' won three gold medals.
How can one forget Indonesia and Malaysia when it comes to coffee. The Javan coffee is one of the most renowned coffee around the world and the first Dutch colony to produce coffee. Americans call their daily cuppa as 'Java', and it is also an American slang for coffee. Although, many are put off by the harsh taste of Indonesian coffee, the Organic Sumatra Reserve produces a medium boiled brew that is sweeter than the average coffee. It has a thick aroma and fruity overtones that make Sumatran coffee one of the best coffee on the world.
The legend began from Ethiopia and it is not left far behind in brewing the best coffee in the world. The Yirgacheffe region is known for its dark coffee that has fruit overtones known as the Coffee Klatch. The Sidamo region produces the dry processed beans that will create an illusion of the sun drenched country in the throats of its samplers called the Counter Culture. A blend from five different regions creates an enticing and complex textured coffee and if you are in the mood for a delicate espresso, the Belle Espresso from Coffee Klatch is the answer.
Kona Peaberry and Kona Extra Fancy will offer your taste buds a full-flavored and smooth balance. A straight coffee makes it one of the world's best coffee, and gives you just another excuse to visit the holiday islands of Hawaii.
The pungent and full body cup of coffee will make your day. The coffee from Nicaragua, a country in Central America will entice your mind that will charm you to have another cup.
Yemen is known for its Mocha coffee. Mocha is actually a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen. This place is famous for its coffee beans. This gives rise to its English name
mocha. Today, mocha coffee is known for its European influence that contains chocolate and coffee flavors. So, have you had your cup of café mocha today?
One of the most under-rated and overlooked coffee, Panama coffee gives each cup a new character. The Panama coffee has brightly toned, aromatic, fruity flavors. The flavors are long-lasting, making Panama coffee, one of the best coffee in the world.
You may beg to differ, but you can't deny these are a few countries that do produce the best coffee. Your taste buds may take you far and wide in search of the best coffee in the world. Each individual taste may find one better than the other, but that does not make the other any less. You can always experience an international coffee cup and make you your own list of your favorite coffee. Coffee has come a long way since Kaldi and his goats kick of alertness. We all enjoy our daily cup of coffee and for some drinking their coffee, sorry savoring their coffee is like a religion. No wonder many relate to the tagline: '
Caffeine Binge: That which is necessary to function normally.'
