Coffee, the globe-trotting bean

Legend has it that coffee was ‘discovered’ by an Ethiopian goat-herd in the 9th century, who noticed that the animals who nibbled on the fruit of the Coffea plant had more energy.

Whether it’s truth or a tall tale it’s hard to tell, but you’ll enjoy debating the merits of it over an Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Raw beans are first roasted on a flat metal pan over an open flame, ground by hand using a pestle and mortar, then brewed in a spouted pot known as a jebena. The coffee is always served black, and sweetened with sugar.

“Coffee,” an old Turkish saying goes, “Should be black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love.”

That’s pretty much how you’ll be served it anywhere in Turkey, a country that takes it so seriously, that the United Nations has hailed Turkish coffee as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Across Turkey, finely-ground beans are boiled in a pot with sugar and water, then poured – short, strong shots – into small cups. Sweeten it as you prefer, but don’t ask for milk.

Vietnam is the world’s second-largest coffee producer, behind Brazil, and on the streets of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City you’ll find cà phê đá served in roadside stalls and cafés. Dark roasted beans are coarsely ground and drip-filtered, before hot water is added. Enjoy it black, or sweetened with condensed milk, or poured over ice.

Here the coffee is as spicy as the cuisine! Served in a large clay mug, café de olla is traditionally flavoured with a whole cinnamon stick and sweetened with the raw sugar known as piloncillo.

Living la dolce vita? Start your day in Italy with a simple espresso, typically ordered as a ‘single’ or a ‘double’ shot. For a real Italian kickstart, ask for a caffè corretto: a single espresso with a healthy splash of grappa.

One more thing: if you prefer your coffee tall and milky, keep it for the morning. Asking for a cappuccino or latté after dinner will earn you a raised eyebrow from the waiter.

In Bangkok, street vendors throw coffee tradition out the window. Thai-style iced coffee – oliang – is coffee blended with ice and flavoured with a combo of cardamom, condensed milk and sesame seeds.

Pull up a chair on the streets of Dakar for a cup of café touba. This traditional Senegalese drink is made from Arabica coffee spiced with cloves and peppery djar seeds. Expect it to be served sweet. Very sweet.