Looking for the Best Coffee in the World? Here’s Our Recommended and Favourite Best Coffee!

Is not the very name Coffee, suggestive of aromatic fragrance? When we talk about coffee, words like friendship, love, discussions, meetings and above all the caffeine boost is given coffee itself stimulates our mind. Coffee is the liquid extracted from the coffee bean and is then prepared in different variants by mixing with various ingredients. Coffee has deep roots in Indian history and it made its way in the Indian subcontinent in the early 17th century before it gained popularity in India in late 1970s. Let’s have a look at a few important facts about your favourite drink.

Coffee Beans are the source which gives the aromatic and divine flavour to your cuppa; hence, it’s imperative to choose the right beans for the desired flavor in coffee. There are two different types of coffee beans; Arabica beans and Robusta beans. Arabica beans encompass about 75 to 80% of the world’s production and Robusta is generally used for inferior quality coffee but is comparatively cheaper to Arabica beans.

Arabica beans are considered better in terms of flavour and quality, whereas Robusta beans have more caffeine and the plants are more resistant to diseases and pests, etc. Arabica beans have to be grown in certain conditions at higher elevations and hence are costlier as compared to Robusta coffee. If you consider choosing an Arabica coffee over Robusta, ensure that the pack has ‘100 percent Arabica beans’ logo embossed on it. Few brands even mix Arabica and Robusta beans and the flavour is somewhat balanced, as they carry the fine aroma of Arabica and strong caffeine of Robusta.

Few famous coffee beans are Kona Coffee Beans from Hawaii, Blue Mountain Coffee Beans from Jamaica, Peaberry Beans from Tanzania, Monsooned Malabar coffee beans from India and Death Wish Coffee Beans.

Adding a flavor in coffee is one more way to boost the taste and aroma of this caffeinated drink. Few flavors enhance the strong aroma of coffee, and then there are other flavors which add sweetness to the drink. Few famous flavors which can be added to coffee are:

1) French Vanilla – The delectable flavor of Vanilla adds sweetness to the bold flavor of coffee.
2) Chocolate Caramel – The deadly combo of chocolate and caramel added with Arabica beans gives the perfect and sweet aroma to the coffee.
3) Pumpkin Spice – Another popular flavor which is sometimes mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger as catalysts and the latte keeps you warm on a cold day.
4) Hazelnut – Hazelnut is a not so popular flavor by itself, but when mixed with coffee it blends perfectly with the aroma and taste of coffee.
5) White Russian – A blend of Vodka, Milk and caramel mixed with Kahlua (a coffee-flavored liquor from Mexico), which removes the alcohol from the drink and enhances the strong coffee flavor.

Coffee is *widely popular in western countries, whereas Tea is considered as a drink of easterners. However, now coffee is making its own place in Indian market dominated by South Indian states. Karnataka alone produces 71% of the coffee followed by Kerala (21%) and Tamilnadu (5%)**. Popular coffee chains like Costa coffee and Dunkin Donuts opening their outlets in India represent that there is a huge untapped market of coffee lovers in India.

The most and best selling brands across continents are Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Dunkin Donuts, Mc Café, Tim Horton’s and Nescafe to name a few. Bru is another famous brand which originated from India and today is sold in many countries; it’s the biggest competitor to Nescafe in India.

Few most popular versions of coffee which are adored worldwide are mentioned below. You may experience a difference in flavour and taste for a particular style in different parts of the world, mainly because of the added flavors or methods of preparation.

Latte: Coffee drink prepared by steamed milk, foamed milk and coffee. The word latte is a shortened form of the Italian word caffe latte, which means ‘milk coffee’. The prepared latte has a thick layer of froth and amount of coffee is lesser in this drink, and hence this is considered a mild flavour of the coffee.

Mocha: Also called mochaccino is a chocolate-flavoured version of caffe latte. This is considered as a strong coffee with chocolate flavour and an absolute delight for chocolate lovers.

Cappuccino: Pronounced as ka•puh•chee•now, the ingredients are similar to Latte, but it has a strong coffee aroma and taste and a lesser amount of froth. Few variants use cream instead of milk and cinnamon or chocolate powder can be added optionally.

Espresso: Espresso coffee is prepared by pressurizing boiling water through finely-ground coffee beans and you get a fresh cup of coffee well in under 30 seconds which has a layer of naturally created ‘crema’ and the quickly prepared coffee cup is called ‘shots’.

Africa is considered to be the birthplace of coffee, so no wonder that almost every central African nation cultivates it. Africa has eight of the world’s top 25 coffee exporters. Ethiopia Uganda, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Madagascar, and Gabon are the countries producing huge amount of coffee in the African continent. Among these Kenyan varieties are quite popular among coffee lovers and a pound is easily available in under 30$.

One of the most expensive coffees are found in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. In India, Indian Mysore and Monsoon Malabar are the best known variants and India ranks 7th in the world in terms of coffee production. Vietnam produces good amount of low grade Robusta coffee. Java and Sumatra Islands have large coffee estates and a well known variant is Sumatra Arabica. New Guinea also has a good share in coffee production in Asia, few of the well known variants are Java, Sumatra, Mandheling Celebes, Catimor, Djember and Tim Tim.

Out of the top 30 coffee-producing nations in the world, Dominican Republic and Haiti rank at no. 27 and 28 respectively. Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee, produced in Blue Mountains of Caribbean is one of the popular coffees; also noteworthy mentions are High Mountain Supreme and Typica. Santo Domingo is yet another well-known coffee of Dominican Republic and some popular variants of Puerto Rico are Café Rico, Yauco Selecto, Typica, Bourbon, Limon. Haiti produces some mellow and sweet coffee.

Most of the countries in Latin America export coffee. Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico and Guatemala are among the top 10 producers of coffee. Panama, though is not a large producer of coffee; yet in the recent years has emerged as the world’s well-renowned coffee markets. American coffees are considered well-balanced and there is a variety of flavours found in the American coffee beans. Green coffee is known for its classic taste and mild acidity. Colombia and Brazil with their vast mountain ranges and an ideal climate for coffee growing; are two of the top coffee producers in the world.

Although, no country in Europe is famous for the cultivation of coffee; however, Italy is known as the birthplace of cappuccino and espresso. Coffee is a quintessential part of the European culture and a good discussion tool for new philosophies, politics and social issues. Almost 725 million cups of coffee are consumed every day in Europe. Few famous variants are The Espresso, The Turk Kahvesi, The Caife Gaelach, The Café au Lait, The Cortado, Kaffee and Kahvi.

Coffee is grown only in the Kona Districts on the island of Hawaii, on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Kea; also known as 100% Kona Coffee, it is considered as one of the best quality coffees in the world. Apart from California, Hawaii is the only other state in the USA to grow coffee plants commercially. Kona coffee is priced at around $33 per pound as it’s handpicked and has limited availability. The popularity of coffee is such that in North America, coffee consumption is about a third of that of tap water. But, it was not as famous when it reached North America in the Colonial Period as alcoholic beverages were more popular. It was only after the war of 1812 when the British put a temporary ban on tea imports; Americans liking for coffee grew.

Few people may not like it, but just like the civet coffee of Indonesia; the Black ivory coffee made by the Black Ivory Coffee Company in Thailand is picked from Arabica beans picked from elephant poop. Elephants consume the Arabica coffee beans, the stomach acid breaks down the protein present in the beans during the digestion process in the elephant’s stomach. The beans are then picked from elephant poop and dried and processed. A cup of coffee from these beans cost around $50 as a very small quantity of beans is accessible at any given time.

Finca El Injerto Coffee is such an expensive coffee because of very rare, tiny and rich in quality beans. The coffee seeds are handpicked and only the seeds which have reached a minimum maturity level are picked. The coffee is then put in special tanks so that the natural fermentation process can take place. Afterwards, the coffee beans are washed with natural clean water and soaked in clean water for 24 hours. The beans are then dried with pulp in patios in open and undergo the natural drying process. In the last and final stages, dry milling and roasting are done before the coffee is ready to be packed and shipped.

Hacienda La Esmeralda has won first place in many worldwide coffee contests in recent years. This coffee is cultivated in the highlands of Boquete, located in the South-West Mountains of Panama and is grown in the shade of guava trees. One of the factors for the rich taste of this coffee is the location of their farms. It is located in volcanic mountain ridges surrounding the Boquete River Valley, the farms are in the range of lush micro-climates, getting two ocean breezes. With cooler temperature and shade of age-old trees, the coffee plants surely get an amazing environment to blossom. They run an auction every year and in a recent auction, their coffee was sold at an astounding $350 / pound.

Produced in Indonesia by the coffee beans picked from the excreta of Asian palm civets. Asian palm civets are a small cat animal found in South Asia. The partially digested coffee cherries are eaten and defecated by palm civets. The fermentation of coffee beans happens within the stomach during the digestion process and thus giving that delicious taste to the coffee. Kopi Luwal is also known as Civet Coffee as it is produced by civets. But, some animal welfare organizations have also criticized this coffee as to get maximum benefits; few people have started caging civets and then force-feeding them coffee cherries all day.

St Helena is a remote island off in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, about 1,200 miles from the west coast of Africa; and was made famous after Napoleon Bonaparte in his late years of exile, living in complete isolation, mentioned: “The only good thing about St Helena is the coffee”. Due to the distance, transportation costs are high, adding to the high price tag. But, ardent lovers of this coffee are ready to shell out the moolah due to the exotic fragrant caramel flavour with hints of citrus.

And finally, a few interesting points which are mention-worthy before we end this article. Coffee is the world’s second-largest traded article next only to crude oil. Due to the coffee-growing geographical requirements such as tropical climate, high altitude and rich soil; Hawaii is the only US state to grow coffee (California has recently started cultivation of coffee plants). If you add cream to your coffee, it stays warm for 20% longer period of time and Mecca banned coffee since 1511 as they believe that it stimulates radical thinking and laziness.