Top 5 Quirkiest Coffees from Around the World You Need to Know About
Just me and the love of my life: Vietnamese coconut coffee
Secret’s out: I love coffee. I drink it every day and, when I travel, I make it a mission to try the local coffee— and all versions of it. Naturally, I love trying all of the different food items a country or city has to offer, too. But, coffee? It’s my main objective. And when I’m gallivanting around a country, I make it a point to go to as many unique and highly-rated cafes as I can and drink their coffee.
Normally, I prefer black coffee like a true “coffee snob.” However, I haven’t just tried black or “regular” coffee around the world. I’ve tried all kinds…and some of them are made in truly fascinating and sometimes strange ways!
1.) Vietnamese Coconut Coffee
By now, you must know my obsession with Vietnam! This right here is one of the biggest reasons I love it so much: the coffee. Vietnam has some of the greatest coffee I’ve ever had— in all of its beautiful forms. The most common is the Vietnamese iced coffee, or “cà phê đá,” which is made in a small metal drip, then mixed with condensed milk and ice. This is indeed delicious; however, my favorite version is their coconut coffee: drip coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut cream. So refreshing, sweet, and perfect for their impossibly humid weather!
2.) Vietnamese Egg Coffee
How about a morning drink that is breakfast and coffee in one drink? “Kill two birds with one stone” and all that. The Vietnamese egg coffee, or cà phê trứng, is sweetened condensed milk mixed with a raw egg yolk until the mixture is actually a creamy, meringue-like consistency! Then, all of that sweet, poofy goodness is poured atop traditional Vietnamese drip coffee or even espresso. It may sound bizarre, but how appetizing does this concoction look?!
This was genuinely mind-blowing. I had no idea that “egg coffee” could look so appealing and taste like pure heaven in a cup! Granted, not all versions of egg coffee has a fancy chocolate drizzle on top, but I was just lucky to have it on mine!
3.) Bosnian coffee
It looks a lot like Turkish coffee, but don’t ever say that to a Bosnian because there are differences between the two and they will be very offended if you compare the two! There’s a very methodical process behind making this divine stuff: boil the water, pour the coffee grounds on top, wait for them to settle, add ice water, stir until creamy, spoon the cream into your small cup, then pour the coffee on top! Scrumptious— and truly revitalizing! The Turkish delight that’s always served on the side isn’t so bad, either!
4.) Indonesian Kopi Luwak, or “Cat Poop Coffee.”
Yes. I drank “cat poop coffee.” This delicacy in Indonesia is one of the more bizarre delicacies I’ve tried— and one of the most expensive coffees in the world! It’s a fascinating process: coffee cherries have been eaten by a civet cat, digested, pooped out, then made into coffee! Apparently, their enzymes produce a smoother cup of coffee. But, to me, it didn’t taste particularly different from any other coffee I’ve had. It was a little overrated in flavor, honestly, but it was indeed strong! But, it was an experience all on its own!
There are various types of coffees here, but all were made from cat poop (except one)
5.) Irish Coffee
When I went to Ireland, I was honestly expecting the infamous “Irish Coffee” to be some sort of Americanized drink, much like the Irish car bomb (which, by the way, is actually quite offensive and you should never order it in Ireland!). However, I was pleasantly surprised when I got there that Irish coffee is a real thing— and it is far stronger, more flavorful, and richer than the ones I’ve had at home in the US!
If you aren’t already aware, Irish coffee is actually a cocktail with the finest ingredients: hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and fresh cream. Trust me: if you like coffee and whiskey, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this concoction!