There’s no shortage of ways to make a delicious cup of coffee, and countries around the world have perfected various methods for achieving the perfect java. If you’ve ever been curious about international coffee recipes, now’s your chance to try one of these exciting new ways to make coffee. Here’s an exploration of coffees from around the world, all of which you can try in the comfort of your own home.
Vietnamese Coffee
Image via Unsplash by Hoang Thanh
If you’re partial to having a cold beverage to cool you down on a hot day, you just might love Vietnamese coffee, also known as cà phê đá. While it’s possible to enjoy it hot, it’s common to serve Vietnamese coffee over ice. This type of drink uses condensed milk and robusta beans to produce a strong but sweet beverage that keeps you energized and refreshed.
To make your own Vietnamese coffee, pour a couple of tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into your favorite coffee cup, then fill a Phin filter that you can place on top of the cup with coarsely ground strong coffee beans. Next, pour boiling water over the coffee and allow it to brew into the condensed milk. The result is a rich, creamy coffee drink that you can sip on hot or pour over a glass of ice to savor it cold.
Turkish Coffee
Turkish coffee, or türk kahvesi, can offer outstanding amounts of caffeine, making it the perfect choice to wake you up in the morning. You can make Turkish coffee by boiling water, sugar, and finely ground coffee beans in a special type of copper pot called a cezve. There’s no filter involved when making Turkish coffee, which enables the brew to become thick and luxurious, maintaining all the flavor and caffeine of the coffee beans without dilution.
In some locations, you can find vendors who make Turkish coffee before your eyes. These specialized types of coffee shops often use the traditional way of boiling the ingredients together, which involves moving a cezve around on a bed of piping hot sand. This naturally raises the temperature of the coffee, ensuring you get the strongest, most decadent brew.
Japanese Slow Drip
Another great way to enjoy a refreshing iced coffee is to opt for Japanese slow drip. This method uses a filter and, most often, cold water to produce a cold brew that’s exceptionally strong. To make Japanese slow drip, add medium-ground coffee to a filter of your choice, then place the filter on top of a pitcher.
Then, fill a slow-drip brewing device with cold or room temperature water, situating it above your filter. All you need to do now is wait, as the water will slowly drip into the coffee, producing a pot of powerful cold brew after between six and 24 hours, depending on the strength you desire.
Ristretto Coffee
Espresso lovers can delight in the decadence of ristretto, which originates from Italy. This method of brewing uses less water than traditional espresso or drip coffee, which makes the resulting shot outstandingly potent. In turn, making a ristretto beverage can produce less coffee than other brewing methods, but that’s only because you won’t need much to feel your normal morning buzz of caffeine. Most drinkers don’t even add sweetener or milk to their ristretto, instead drinking it straight or diluting it slightly with warm or iced water.
If you have an espresso maker at home, you can enjoy a homemade ristretto by using the same amount of grounds as you would for an espresso shot but adding a smaller amount of water and pulling the shot more quickly than you typically would. This will give you the perfect ristretto shot, which can keep you energized all day long.
Dalgona Coffee
Out of South Korea, dalgona coffee can be a fun way to enjoy your favorite drink. This recipe uses instant coffee powder, which you combine with a small amount of sugar and hot water, then shake vigorously. The result is a foamy, luscious coffee that you can pour over milk or cream. One of the best parts of dalgona coffee is you can enjoy hot or iced, making it a perfect drink year-round.
These are just a few delectable coffee drinks from around the world. Try one or more of these delicious recipes at home or a coffee shop near you. You’ll be sure to enjoy your classic caffeine fix with a new flair, and you’ll have something new to share with the other coffee lovers in your life.
