As I sit here about to write this blog I am drinking my latte, made with home-roasted, freshly ground beans. A great espresso is all about the preparation; the machine must be properly heated, the beans must be freshly roasted and the crema should be thick and plentiful. The beans I used today are from Mexico, though I now know that Mexico is not in the top 5 coffee producers, according to my handy infographic – Thanks MochaJoes!
The vast majority of coffee in the world is grown in a band around the equator called the “Bean Belt”. Bound by Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, this region is home to all the big coffee players including Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia, Guatemala and Vietnam. Yes – Vietnam! I had no idea that Vietnam is a coffee producer or, even more surprisingly, that it is the 2nd largest global producer behind Brazil, which is my favorite place to drink coffee.
Coffee, Koffie, Café - no matter how you say it coffee can be found almost anywhere you travel. It truly is the world’s most popular beverage, however the presentation, method of preparation and preferences of those drinking it vary greatly.
Despite the fact that I sit here drinking my latte, I am really a tea drinker at heart. So you won’t be surprised to read that when I do drink coffee, I prefer it to be weak - about 80% milk and 20% coffee. When I’m not preparing it myself, a large latte, with a single shot of espresso is my go-to beverage.
The coffee in Brazil was different from anywhere I’ve tried it before, and I liked it. When you order coffee in Brazil, a carafe of warm milk is delivered along with the freshly brewed coffee. For once, I had complete control over the milk to coffee ratio AND my drink was still wonderfully warm.
During my 10 day stay I’m sure I consumed more coffee than I had during my entire lifetime. There are many reasons I want to go back to Brazil, that I’m sure I’ll be sharing in upcoming posts, but I’d go back for the coffee alone.