Caffeine, wonderful and fragrant, has become the most popular addictive drink in the world. Why is it delicious?

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Coffee is the world's most popular addictive ingredient-caffeine-a wonderful, aromatic source that has spread unabated since it arrived in Ethiopia in the 15th century.

Coffee was an alternative to alcohol in the Arab world, leading to the rise of a café culture surrounded by enlightening dialogue and the exchange of new ideas. Then, in the eighteenth century, during the Age of Enlightenment, coffee houses became places for chess, politics, and social and business negotiations, writes Tom Stendag in A History of the World in Six Glasses.

Today, coffee is loved all over the world, with Finland (unexpectedly) the world's largest coffee drinker, with 608.2 litres per capita.

coffee beans

According to the World Bank, coffee is the second most valuable export commodity of developing countries after oilseeds. Coffee farmers receive only 10 percent of the $80 billion in annual revenues generated by the coffee industry. The average coffee farmer earns 15 cents for selling a pound of coffee, while coffee pickers earn 4 cents for every pound of coffee they pick.

To combat this injustice, a campaign was launched in the Netherlands in 1988 to institutionalize fair trade in coffee. Fairtrade certification seeks to guarantee fair labor conditions, fair prices, environmental sustainability, direct trade, transparency, and support community development. Although Fairtrade coffee accounts for only a small portion of the global coffee supply, it is growing in countries in Africa, Central and South America, Oceania and Asia, and is already readily available in cafes in large cities.

Coffee connoisseurs believe that well-prepared coffee embodies "terroir," meaning that the taste of coffee is inextricably linked to its origin. Some Kenyan coffees are dry and shiny with a berry tart, while those from the Andes in South Africa are smooth and sweet with a strong sugar flavor, experts said. Brazilian coffee is one of the top three coffees in the world, known for its low acidity and is the preferred blend, writes Kevin Sinnott in The Art and Craft of Coffee. Yemeni beans, he says, are balanced and complex enough to blend well with java and sumatra.

Turkey

Coffee has been at the heart of Turkish culture since the first café was founded in the 1500s. Breakfast in Turkish: kavalt? The c means "before coffee" and reflects the time locals enjoy their first cup of coffee of the day. Turkish coffee is a small cup, coffee powder precipitation in the bottom, dark color, mellow taste sweet. Coffee is heavily sweetened and sometimes flavored with cardamom and chicory to give it a rich, dessert feel.

Fortune telling with coffee is a tradition passed down from generation to generation in Turkey. After the guest drinks the coffee, the host turns the coffee cup upside down, allows the coffee powder to cool, and then tells the fortune according to the pattern formed by the coffee powder.

Italy

In Italy, un caffé is a small spoonful of espresso, which means an ounce of espresso. Italians drink coffee (espresso) throughout the day, while cappuccino and latte, two national drinks, are traditionally drunk only in the morning. Cappuccino is made with espresso, steamed milk and foam, latte is made with espresso and steamed foam. Travel writer Lee Marshall, describing Italian coffee culture in his Ten Commandments, writes that milk drinks are generally not drunk after meals because "Italians fear that hot milk will impact their food-filled stomachs."

Brazil

Like Italians, many Brazilians drink espresso all day. The Brazilian version of espresso is called "cafezinho" and is obtained by mixing hot water, fine coffee powder and sugar and filtering through a filter. Like Turkish coffee, cafezinho is dark in color, rich and sweet in taste, and drunk in small cups, but not as strong. In South America and Central America, coffee is sometimes brewed with a "sock" filter, a simple cloth bag that acts as a sieve.

Vietnam

In the 19th century, Vietnam was under French colonial rule, and fresh milk was difficult to preserve, so condensed milk was used instead. Vietnamese iced coffee is called "cà phês?" a ? ", brewed with strong coffee and concentrated milk, stirred and poured into ice cubes, is a pleasant delicacy." On hot, humid summer days, it is sweet and pleasant.

Thailand

Thailand's weather gives Thai coffee its cold, sweet, creamy character. Thai coffee is strong, flavored with chicory, condensed milk and ice. It's the perfect dessert after a spicy Thai meal.

Vienna

The United Nations has inscribed the "Vienna Cafe Culture" on the Austrian Intangible Cultural Heritage List. This dates back to the 1600s when the Ottoman Turks besieged Vienna. Later the Turks were defeated and driven out of Austria, reportedly leaving behind bags of coffee beans when they withdrew. Today, the kaffeehaüser is usually open from 6 a.m. until midnight, and guests tend to sit around a glass of wiener mélange and relax for hours. This coffee is made with steamed milk and topped with a layer of foam.

US

Coffee has always been popular in America, largely because the British tax tea heavily. But coffee culture did not dominate the business scene until after the establishment of chains such as Beats Coffee and Starbucks. They were founded in 1966 and 1971 respectively.

Although drip coffee is ubiquitous throughout the United States, the country is best known for its Americana coffee, which is a blend of espresso and hot water. American coffee is said to have originated during World War II, when American soldiers stationed in Italy discovered that "coffee" was just a small spoonful of Italian coffee. So, to make coffee more like regular coffee, they add hot water to it.

Kenya

Kenya is a major coffee-producing country, and there has always been a special way to drink coffee. Kahawa chungu, or bitter coffee, is a traditional coffee made in a copper pot over a charcoal stove and is usually drunk only by men, Reuters reported. The latest development is that cafes are also appearing in big cities like Nairobi. Unfortunately, most of Kenya's locally produced high-quality coffee continues to be exported worldwide.

Original article from BBC Travel