For millions of people worldwide, coffee is a ritual.
In certain cultures, it’s a sacred and thoughtful experience, almost like a ceremony or meditation.
But for many, it’s a rushed pot of drip coffee in the morning before work or a quick stop at a local café where we probably order the same thing we’ve been ordering for years.
But there’s a whole world of coffee out there that extends far beyond the Starbucks drive through.
So put down your caramel frap (is it even coffee?) and get ready to embark on a wild journey through our top five unique coffees ranked from interesting to down-right weird.
You won’t believe what #1 is.
So, what do you say? Feeling adventurous?
#5. Turkish Coffee (Turkey)
When it comes to Turkish Coffee, it’s not so much about the type of coffee used, but more so the method of brewing.
Turkish coffee is made using finely ground coffee powder that is boiled with water in a special copper pot called a cezve (pronounced jez-veh).
What sets Turkish coffee apart from other coffees is that it’s very strong and thick with a nice layer of foam on top and it’s unfiltered, which means that the grounds remain in the cup. As you finish your coffee, the grounds settle at the very bottom.
The best part about the leftover coffee grounds is having your fortune told in a Turkish coffee reading! This is a very old tradition in Turkey where after you finish your coffee you carefully turn your cup upside down on the saucer plate and an experienced coffee reader flips it back up and looks at the shapes of the coffee residue.
Based on the different lines and patterns the coffee grounds have made, they try to predict your future.
Who knew a cup of coffee could be so mystical.
#4. Butter Coffee (Asia and U.S.)
Bulletproof Coffee
Unless you’ve been in a coma for the last 13 or so years, by now you’ve probably heard of Bulletproof Coffee. It’s simply regular black coffee mixed with a high quality butter, preferably grass-fed, and MCT oil.
This fat filled coffee completely took the keto world by storm and became a massive trend overnight, but many people were a little put off by the idea of drinking butter for breakfast.
Afterall, that’s exactly what it was designed to do - replace breakfast. The purpose of Bulletproof Coffee is to act as a meal replacement and help people on a keto diet reach and maintain ketosis.
Other touted benefits of bulletproof coffee include decreased hunger and better focus.
Kopi Gu You
Before Bulletproof Coffee was a thing, Singapore has been serving butter in their coffee since the 1930’s. They call it “Kopi Gu You.”
It’s dark black coffee with the addition of a thick slice of butter right on top. Once the butter is added, it immediately starts to melt, creating a nice creamy butter cap over the rich coffee. The butter gives the coffee an interesting smooth texture and nutty taste.
#3. Egg Coffee (Vietnam)
I know what you’re thinking - you probably like coffee and eggs for breakfast, but you like them separately.
Well, in Vietnam, they decided to put the two together, but not in the way that you’d think.
Egg Coffee, also known as "cà phê trứng," is made by beating egg yolks with sweetened condensed milk until it forms a creamy foam.
The whipped mixture is then poured over freshly brewed coffee, resulting in a sweet, custard-like experience.
The creamy texture and unusual blend of flavors have made egg coffee a popular specialty in Vietnamese coffee shops, and it's a must-try for those seeking something beyond the ordinary.
#2. Cheese Coffee (Scandinavia and Colombia)
What do Sweden and Columbia have in common with each other? They both like to put cheese in their coffee, apparently.
Kaffeost
Kaffeost, which literally translates to “coffee cheese,” is a traditional beverage popular in certain parts of Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden, Finland, and Norway.
It’s made using bread cheese, also known as Juustoleipä (pronounced hoo-stah-lee-pah). The cheese is cut into small cubes and placed in a coffee mug where strong black coffee is then poured over the cheese and allowed to steep a little bit to get those flavors to really meld.
The cheese cubes soak up the coffee and are eaten after all the coffee is gone.
So you can finally have your coffee, and eat it too.
Café Con Queso
Colombia has a drink that is quite similar to the Kaffeost called Café con queso, which translates to “coffee with cheese” in English. But unlike the Scandinavians, the Colombians use a thinly sliced melting cheese such as mozzarella.
The hot coffee melts the cheese, and the end result is, well, cheesy. While the flavor of the coffee is relatively unchanged, the melty cheese at the end takes on a strong coffee flavor.
It may sound weird to an outsider, but Colombians swear by it.
Afterall, we know wine and cheese go together, so why not coffee and cheese?
#1. Civet Coffee (Southeast Asia and South Africa)
Ever heard of a Civet?
It’s an animal that inhabits the tropical forests of Asia and Africa. They kind of look like a mix between a house cat and a ferret. But much to everyone on the internet’s surprise, they are neither feline nor rodent. They are their own unique species of small carnivorous mammal.
So what on earth does this thing have to do with coffee?
Poop. That’s what.
In Indonesia, it’s a delicacy referred to as “Kopi Luwak.” It’s a novelty coffee that is brewed using coffee cherries that have passed through the digestive system of a Civet, and it happens to be one of the rarest and most expensive coffees on the planet.
The civet's digestive enzymes ferment the coffee beans during the digestion process, resulting in a very unique flavor profile that is low in bitterness and exceptionally smooth and rich.
After the Civets do their business, collectors come by and pluck the partially digested beans from the excrement and then the beans are washed and processed like regular coffee.
What’s most shocking about all of this, is that a single cup of authentic Kopi Luwak can cost anywhere between $10-$100.
That is one expensive cup of poop coffee.
Dare to be Different
No matter how geographically distant or culturally different we are from one another, we all seem to have one thing in common and that’s a love for a delicious cup of hot coffee.
Whether you like a classic Americano or something a bit more niche like egg coffee, enjoy it in your ThermoJoe Travel Mug or Desk Mug to truly maximize the flavor and maintain the perfect ideal temperature until the very last drop.
Then go get yourself a refill, because you deserve it.
So go grab your ThermoJoe and embrace your adventurous spirit. Explore some unique brews and celebrate the diversity and creativity of global coffee culture.
