tend to stick to our favourite brand of all American medium roast, and our most
difficult decision is whether to take instant or spend a bit longer making
filter. However, there are a fantastic range of coffees available from a wide
variety of countries, and learning a little about the possibilities can help us
to discover what we really want in a coffee.The biggest coffee grower globally
is Brazil, which should come as no surprise when you consider that one third of
the land is ideal for coffee production. With such a large volume, the varieties
of Brazilian coffee are numerous, but some of the more popular blends are from
Minas Gerais and Bahia. Less is produced in Columbia, although this may be a
better known coffee producer. Exquisite Columbian coffees from Popayan or
Narino, are sweet gentle blends available as supreme or excelso.Other less well
known coffee producers in the Americas are Mexico and Cuba. The small beans
grown in Mexico make a lightly acidic coffee with a smooth flavour that can rival
Columbian or Brazilian blends. The strong dark Cuban Cubano is drunk in shot
form and can really give you a lift.Looking to other parts of the globe,
Indonesia has an ideal climate for coffee production and the roasts from this
area have a low acidity and a full bodied flavour. Malaysia produces a stronger
brew, largely due to their practice of filtering the grounds through a muslin
bag, rather than because of fundamental differences in the beans. A chilled
alternative is offered in Thailand, where a special blend flavoured with chicory
is mixed with ice and condensed milk.In Europe, each country seems to have its
own idea of how to make the perfect cup. The French maintain that half coffee
and half milk is the best combination, whereas the Austrians favor a mixture of
dark and regular roasts to produce a particular blend.The Italians are
particularly fanatical about their coffee, particularly espresso which no dinner
would be properly ended without. For those that find the espresso a little
strong, it can be combined with warm frothy milk to make a latte or cappuccino.
Italian cafes would not be the same without the delicious aroma from the
cappuccino machines.So next time you have coffee on your shopping list, take a
look at the varieties on offer, and perhaps choose a couple of different types
from around the world so you can experiment and determine what it is you really
like in your coffee.