Specialty Coffees
Coffee is a part of everyday life for many all over the world and is second only to tea as a beverage of choice. Man has been consuming coffee for the best part of recorded history and has experimented to create a variety of coffee specialty drinks to enhance the flavors of the brew.
Coffee in its pure form unblended and roasted to perfection is the best way to drink coffee; having said that, drinking coffee with enhanced richness of flavor and body has always been popular with many societies all over the world. The way specialty coffees and specialty coffee drinks have evolved over the years is fascinating and gives us an insight as to what is expected of the beverage in terms of satisfaction.
Specialty Coffee Shops, Culture & Lifestyle
Coffee originated in Africa and in South America from where it has spread to most places with suitable climatic and growing conditions. Coffee has been made into more than just a beverage, evolving into a lifestyle itself. After it reached the gates of Vienna during the Second Turkish Siege (early 1500s) coffee soon became the beverage of choice in all of Europe. Even today, Vienna is a city of specialty coffee shops with a distinct culture woven around specialty coffee consumption.
Specialty coffees come in different forms. From cappuccinos and lattes to coffee with cream that delight the palate of even the most discerning coffee drinker. Most of the time we see coffee blends which are strong, mild, bitter or sweet in combination with many other characteristics that offer all sorts of exciting possibilities.
The specialties come with different combination. Some are served with milk while others are served with crème, either as part of the coffee or separately or in lovely heart warming layers. The coffee can be concentrated or a balanced mixture of several flavors the aromas of which just run through our nostrils and take us to the highest level of enjoyment.
Specialty Coffee Beans
There are also specialty coffee beans that are associated with certain regions where they originate from such as Kona Coffee from Hawaii, Tanzanian Peaberry from Africa and Blue Mountain Coffee from Jamaica.
Specialty Coffee Drinks
The techniques used in preparing each of the specialty coffee drinks tend to differ. With some techniques the crème is generated as it is made. Milk foam, whipped cream, plain milk, cocoa, chocolate and liqueur or brandies are additions that enrich the specialty coffee drinks.
There are even biscuits and other confections which are served with some types of specialty coffees that have become standard fare all over the world. Each special coffee shop has its own version of traditional specialty coffee drinks and this can be seen all over the world.
Specialty Coffee Markets
It is amazing to think that this unique world of specialty coffees is generated from Gourmet Coffee Beans, which for the most part are grown on small plantations, hand-picked and hand-sorted before hitting the world markets.
And when you realize that crops can vary from even month to month according to the growing and climatic conditions the coffee plants face, it is truly an amazing feat to achieve any kind of standards within such variable crops.
Making Specialty Coffees
How to make specialty coffees can vary from region to region especially when you factor in coffee making equipment like cappuccino machines and the French Press. From the Viennese melange to the French café au lait and the Italian cappuccino plus lattes, mochas, espressos and iced coffees; all are popular specialty coffees that can be enjoyed internationally just as they are enjoyed in each region of its origin.
In traditional Viennese coffee houses a glass of water is also served with each cup of coffee to refresh the palate of the drinker so as to maximize the flavor and taste that it will leave in the mouth, giving utmost satisfaction.
“Specialty Gourmet Coffees”
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