Coffee time

[Kevin Peacocke]

I agree with the assessment of Tuscany. Any where in Italy is hard to beat. It is not just the coffee but the technique and skill of the Italian baristas. I also love Turkish and middle eastern coffee.

I have been in over 50 countries but nowhere near as many as Kevin. But my favorite was a little coffee house just outside of El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico.

Now Italy is one country I have never been to, but certainly intend to. We fantisize about a stay in a villa up the hill on the Amalfi Coast, hire a Fiat 500 and tour around a bit.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Travelled the world quite a bit myself. Was disappointed to learn how may places survive on instant coffee. Favorite coffee is Sumatran from Indonesia. Wasn't too impressed with the cat crap coffee, kopi luwak. Most of the time, I drink Columbian, just plain black.

In south Louisiana, coffee with chicory is common but I've never been a fan of that brew.

Yes I have never got it with that cat poo coffee. My daughter brought me a stack from Bali, it was like wood chips.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I have never had coffee from Zimbabwe. Now I have a new mission. I love a culinary adventure as much as a safari. Trying this coffee gives me an entirely different reason to go to Zim. Thank you for the education!

Great mission Pheroze, for that and a multitude or reasons you must come. The brand to search for is called Vumba. We make a decent beer too called Bohlingers, not London Pride, but its is satisfying stuff.

 

[IvW]

No problem IvW, it would be a pleasure. Send me your street address on the personal message spot and I'll post it to you. It will be really interesting to track that parcel and see how long it takes!

WOwW! That is cool thx

 

[Tra3]

I love coffee! I’ve had the variations of coffee in the 35 countries I’ve visited and will agree that Italy (and Spain) had the best coffee.
This is changing though. In the last decade I think the major metropolitan areas in most countries now are pretty consistent with making a good espresso. @Kevin Peacocke if you are still in london, the cafe Nero chain makes a pretty good espresso.
I was surprised how poor the coffee was in Chile. And not so good in Peru either.
I lived in southern Spain for two years. Coffee culture there is part of the daily life. That changed my coffee drinking to prefer espresso rather than American drip coffee. I ended up buying a restaurant level espresso machine for my office, then another for home!

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I love coffee! I’ve had the variations of coffee in the 35 countries I’ve visited and will agree that Italy (and Spain) had the best coffee.
This is changing though. In the last decade I think the major metropolitan areas in most countries now are pretty consistent with making a good espresso. @Kevin Peacocke if you are still in london, the cafe Nero chain makes a pretty good espresso.
I was surprised how poor the coffee was in Chile. And not so good in Peru either.
I lived in southern Spain for two years. Coffee culture there is part of the daily life. That changed my coffee drinking to prefer espresso rather than American drip coffee. I ended up buying a restaurant level espresso machine for my office, then another for home!

We get lots of visitors coming into our Jhb office and factory, and we make a thing if offering them not just a coffee, but a choice. Always a plate of biscuits too. I really like the hospitality side of business and funny enough the Sudanese are great at this - there is always a bowl of dates in every meeting and everyone tucks in.

 

[mark-hunter]

A COFFEE TO START A DAY

Early in the morning, well before the dawn. The clock rings.
I wake up, I dress my boiler suit, and rain coat on top, and rubber boots.
I Walk down few steps from the house, through the garden, with few olive trees, down to the small pier.
I jump to the boat. And it is still dark.
Quite dark.

Outboard gets to life. Breaks the silence. Once off the coast, rain coat protects me from always present spray, and from the bow cutting the fresh waves

Then, in short time, I will collect my gill nets from seabed, secure them on the boat, and take course back to home.
At the pier, with boat tied up, I will take them out, just as the darkness give way to first signs of light.

That done, I walk back to the house, with rain coat, still wet and salty, while the fish is still alive and nets are still dripping sea water, on the small concrete pier, waiting for me.
I will then make the coffee, pour it to the mug.

And then walk back from the kitchen down to the pier, where the boat is berthed. I want to catch that moment, then, and there.

By that time, maybe first rays of light will show, or sometimes, not even that.

While my kids and wife are still asleep, in that early morning, with young dawn around, and with that fish still flipping in their last strugle, in the wet and draining gill nets, while boat is gently rolling on its berth, on the fresh north westerly breeze, Then and there - I will have that warm coffee, with few drops of milk.
And I will have that good comforting feeling of hot mug, warming up the hands.

My morning companion, my old labrador dog, is sitting by my side, patiently waiting for me to start taking fish out of the nets for the lunch today.

And then, only then, after that coffee, after that moment, I will plan the rest of my day.

 

[Alistair]

Hi Trogon, I spent a while in Havana, really enjoyed the old world feel and the cars. A highlight is sitting in the Hemmingway rooftop pub with a margarita looking across the bay to the old fort.

I did this too! It's lovely to get there just before sunset and enjoy the last of the sea breeze before it all gets too humid.

 

[Alistair]

Slightly more on topic, I quite like the Turkish / Arabic coffee method using an Ibrik. A Saudi friend at Uni used to make it for me the morning after the night before, as it were, and I also had a possibly more authentic version in Abu Dhabi.

Very sweet, very strong, teeny tiny cups, unfiltered. Certainly wakes you up and a fun little ritual to go along with it too. I think they use finely ground Arabica blend.

 

[Nyati]

We take coffee seriously in Spain, and will go to a specific bar or cafeteria because they make a coffee that we prefer.

But I have to agree with @Alistair , for me there is nothing like arabic coffe, and the best I´ve had was in Beirut, Lebanon.

 

[Randy F]

​

I have to have my cup or two every morning. But, I don't know as I could be so desperate as to go the route of these "fine" coffees. Honestly, who thinks of this?

Geniuses apparently. Slap on the gourmet tag, jack up the price (extraction hazard pay), and convince the world to try it.

Have you tried any of these?

1. Black Ivory aka Elephant Dung coffee​

(Picking coffee beans out of elephant dung. (AP Photo))
Few things are possibly as unappetizing as the idea of rifling through mountains of elephant poop. But that's just what harvesters of this extremely rare-- and shockingly expensive-- coffee do. Beans are gathered by hand from Thai elephants that have feasted on coffee beans. The result is a "delicate but complex" taste without the bitterness of a traditional brew that is best enjoyed with the usual additives like cream and sugar. Beans are available for $66 for just 35 grams but most people try the stuff at luxury hotels.

Price: $13 to $50 a cup

2. Kopi Luwak civet dropping coffee​

(An Asian palm civet and logs of its feces with coffee beans ready for harvest. (iStock))
Known as the world's most expensive expensive coffee, Kopi Luwak beans are harvested after they have been eaten and passed through the digestive system of the Asian palm civet, a cat-like creature native to Southeast Asia. The brew is renowned for its smooth chocolate-caramel-like flavor. Recently, the practice of harvesting the coffee beans has come under scrutiny by animal rights activists who criticized the unsanitary, often cramped conditions of the animals. But the coffee is still widely available through online retailers like Amazon.com and specialty food stores Dean & Deluca.

Price: $25 to $120 for 1/2 pound

3. Kopi Joss or charcoal coffee​

(iStock)
Since when did a lump of burning coal become a delicacy? Indonesians have been enjoyed Kopi Joss for years. While dropping a lump of charcoal into coffee is relatively cheap, this uncommon practice makes this coffee a novelty. Charcoal is known to help neutralize acidity in the stomach but locals also drink it to imbibe "strength." It's reportedly very sweet.

Price: about $1 per cup

4. Brazilian Jacu bird dropping coffee​

(Jacu Bird Coffee)
Brazil's answer to the popular civet coffee uses of the jacu bird to perform a similar digestive feat on plain old coffee beans. Also very rare, the flavor profile for jacu bird coffee seems to vary wildly. One grower claims it has a "nutty flavor with nuances of sweet aniseed," while another site praises the brew for its "intoxicating aromatic complexity of truffle, rose, leather, red fruit, cedar and spice." We think we'd prefer wearing leather than drinking it.

Price: Up to $250 for 1 pound

5. Monkey spit coffee​

(iStock)
Where would coffee lovers be without the aid of spitting, pooping mammals? Taiwanese farmers are producing a type of coffee from the spit of Formosan macaques—a small grey monkey native to the country. The monkeys feast on ripe coffee berries then spit out the seeds, which they can not digest. So instead of pooping out prized beans, these mini apes apparently have sweet spittle that imparts a faint but floral vanilla-scent to the seeds they chew.

Price: $56 a pound

 

[mdwest]

For small batch, boutique type grinds.. these guys are the best in the business (IMO)...

West Coast Roasting Company - Exquisite Hand-Roasted Coffee

West Coast Roasting is a nano-sized coffee roaster. We roast the finest beans to order and ship same day!

www.westcoastroasting.com

If you dont try a bag of the Sumatra, you'll hate yourself for the rest of your life...

 

[Bule Jagter]

I've not traveled around as much as many of those on this forum, but the best I've had is from Vietnam, and Indonesia. (Indonesian kopi tends to be my favorite). Of course, you should keep in mind, if you were to live the rest of your life in Indonesia, you would not come close to tasting all the varieties with the various roasting available in that country alone. If I were to say Indonesian coffee is the best, it would be a ridiculous claim, simply because I don't like all the different coffees I've tried there, and it's all a matter of what any given individual likes.

The brother of one of my friends in Vietnam has his own coffee brand. I've only had one bag of his beans, but it was fantastic. His company is very small, and you would have a difficult time finding it in Vietnam. Certainly, it is impossible to find in the USA (unless you found me, shortly after I returned from a recent trip to southeast Asia).

I've found the best flavor usually comes from a light roast coffee. The darker the roast, the less fruity and floral the flavor is, and it eventually has a burnt taste. Dark roast is easier to perfect in the roasting process, so that may be why marketing pushes people in that direction. It's a matter of personal preference, so if anyone reading this prefers a dark roast over a light or medium roast, I understand.

The best I've tasted was a light roasted coffee from Papua Indonesia. A close second came from Sulawesi. Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact bean type or who roasted the beans. There are so many small roasters in Indonesia.

A few people mentioned kopi luwak previously in the post. Kopi is Indonesian for coffee. Luwak is in reference to the civet. Therefore, kopi luwak simply means civet coffee. There are as many possibilities of kopi luwak, as there are types of coffee. The fame of the "rare kopi" has lead to some rather poor quality coffee. Many are farmed by forcing caged civets to eat only coffee beans. It's a sad practice which has been made public, and hopefully, it's well on it's way to being terminated (but I don't know if it is or not). The roasting is just as important after the civet has digested the beans as it is with any other kopi. I've had some which I loved, and some which I thought was as bad as a cup of stale Maxwell House (okay, not that bad, but certainly disappointing considering the price). It's much less expensive in Indonesia than in the USA, but it's still expensive compared to the other coffee available there. I've also had some excellent luwak coffee during my visits to Indonesia.

In conclusion to my drawn out opinion, I love ca phe (Viet), kopi (Indonesian), or coffee!

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I've not traveled around as much as many of those on this forum, but the best I've had is from Vietnam, and Indonesia. (Indonesian kopi tends to be my favorite). Of course, you should keep in mind, if you were to live the rest of your life in Indonesia, you would not come close to tasting all the varieties with the various roasting available in that country alone. If I were to say Indonesian coffee is the best, it would be a ridiculous claim, simply because I don't like all the different coffees I've tried there, and it's all a matter of what any given individual likes.

The brother of one of my friends in Vietnam has his own coffee brand. I've only had one bag of his beans, but it was fantastic. His company is very small, and you would have a difficult time finding it in Vietnam. Certainly, it is impossible to find in the USA (unless you found me, shortly after I returned from a recent trip to southeast Asia).

I've found the best flavor usually comes from a light roast coffee. The darker the roast, the less fruity and floral the flavor is, and it eventually has a burnt taste. Dark roast is easier to perfect in the roasting process, so that may be why marketing pushes people in that direction. It's a matter of personal preference, so if anyone reading this prefers a dark roast over a light or medium roast, I understand.

The best I've tasted was a light roasted coffee from Papua Indonesia. A close second came from Sulawesi. Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact bean type or who roasted the beans. There are so many small roasters in Indonesia.

A few people mentioned kopi luwak previously in the post. Kopi is Indonesian for coffee. Luwak is in reference to the civet. Therefore, kopi luwak simply means civet coffee. There are as many possibilities of kopi luwak, as there are types of coffee. The fame of the "rare kopi" has lead to some rather poor quality coffee. Many are farmed by forcing caged civets to eat only coffee beans. It's a sad practice which has been made public, and hopefully, it's well on it's way to being terminated (but I don't know if it is or not). The roasting is just as important after the civet has digested the beans as it is with any other kopi. I've had some which I loved, and some which I thought was as bad as a cup of stale Maxwell House (okay, not that bad, but certainly disappointing considering the price). It's much less expensive in Indonesia than in the USA, but it's still expensive compared to the other coffee available there. I've also had some excellent luwak coffee during my visits to Indonesia.

In conclusion to my drawn out opinion, I love ca phe (Viet), kopi (Indonesian), or coffee!

You know your coffee, thanks for sharing this information.

 

[Nkawu]

Coffee from Munali in southern Zambia has become one of my favorites. I believe they also grow coffee in the Copperbelt somewhere.

 

[Chukar]

I prefer Sumatran/Indonesian with a dark roast. Every once in while I go to Ethiopian peaberry.

 

[flatwater bill]

Kevin........beautifully written piece on your coffee experiences. Wow, 65 countries. That in an of itself is inspiring. Remembering flavors gets intertwined with the ambience for us all. Much of South America runs on Nescafe instant...and even great ambience cannot overcome the flavor. I think the mountain coffee of Panama gets my nod. Thanks for your post......FWB

 

[R.M.C.]

I am not a coffee drinker but I really enjoyed this thread!! I might have one cup a year if I'm somewhere and it happens to smell good at that moment. Most of the time I drink about half lol.
Definitely a cool thread and I love reading about the way they serve and prepare it in different parts of the world.

 

[Brent in Az]

A lady next to me in line called me a hardcore man for ordering a black coffee.

Really?

I don't drink coffee that tastes/looks, like a chemistry experiment, that ends ups with a quarter inch of sludge in the bottom.

 

[Pheroze]

A lady next to me in line called me a hardcore man for ordering a black coffee.

Really?

I don't drink coffee that tastes/looks, like a chemistry experiment, that ends ups with a quarter inch of sludge in the bottom.

Dude, she was flirting with you