The Global Bean

Today I have an announcement to make: I love goats. I love goats because those crazy four-legged creatures probably first discovered coffee, making me forever in their debt. The discovery of this brilliant elixir is said to have come from Ethiopia where a goat-herder in the 7th or 8th century noticed some strange behavior from his goats after they consumed some red berries from a local tree. One account states that my now favorite four-legged creatures acted in an exuberant manner, skipping, rearing on their hindlegs and bleating loudly. Oddly enough, that's the same behavior I display every morning at about 7AM when I crack my first cup. And by the way, I can bleat with the best of them. Anyhow, long story short, those beans were roasted, and coffee was born.

I mention this because coffee is one of very few items that is a truly global mainstay. There is hardly a place on this planet that you can go and not find some form of coffee being enjoyed by young and old alike. Many naive Americans may think that coffee was born with Starbucks, but long before our Seattle invention coffee was being enjoyed all over the world. I thought I'd use this blog to talk about the global consumption of coffee, and the many ways you can expect to drink it on your next vacation.

To start, if you had to guess what America is ranked in per capita/per person coffee consumption (in kilograms) what would you think? While it's true that our country as a whole drinks more coffee than anywhere else, on a per person basis were #22 (source: International Coffee Organization)! We drink about 4 kilograms of coffee per person per year. It's nice to know that Finland is more addicted than I am; they lead the way with over 11 kilograms per person, a number I am determined to achieve.... Most of Europe in fact is well ahead of the States on a per person basis. As a side note, for those of you that have traveled through Europe and know that the servings come in the equivalent of a shot glass, you'll start to realize just how many bite size servings are being consumed over there. While in Europe, you can expect to drink coffee in much smaller portions, and often as cafe au lait: half-coffee, half-milk (mostly in France). While in Austria, you will typically find two-thirds dark, one-third regular. And all over Europe, expect to find a stronger, bolder blend.

While in Africa, particularly the birthplace of coffee Ethiopia, you'll find brews that are a bit more acidic as coffee is often brewed with lemon, orange, and/or ginger. Much of Northern Africa and the Middle East serve a very dark, bold brew as the coffee is served and consumed with the grounds. Having been through the area, I can tell you that a mouth full of grounds at the end of your cup will almost instantaneously invoke the aforementioned skipping and bleating. Good times.

Many areas of Asia that have long been tea drinkers are consuming more and more coffee as well. One source (Talk About Coffee) states that as many as one third of the people in China consume coffee outside their home. Wow. While China and Japan enjoy more of the traditional Starbucks blends, countries like Thailand and Malaysia also serve very heavy bold blends. By the way, if you are ever in Thailand and someone says the coffee is "unique strong" run from the place like it's on fire. You won't sleep for two days after that stuff. And let's not forget about Central and South America, home to the three largest exporters of coffee: Brazil, Columbia and Mexico. Coffee is as much a staple of the diet down there as it is here.

A bit of advice from me to you: Drink coffee, and love goats.