Coffee is the world’s second most consumed beverage – after the basic building block of water, of course. However, unlike water – which is typically consumed as itself or maybe with a lemon – coffee is a drink that is continually honed. It comes in a variety of strengths (boldness) and flavors. Just ordering a cup at Starbucks can take five minutes it seems. In addition to making adjustments to its basic existence, coffee is a drink that typically has a number of adjustments and/or accessories used with it after the fact.

While it is second to water in consumption, coffee may be second to none when it comes to additives. While there are certainly a large number of drinkers who prefer their cup of Joe to be black, there are even more (at least in the United States) that prefer it a bit sweeter than it comes naturally. Sugar (or artificial sweetener) is the most common coffee additive. Some drinkers will dump it in by the spoonful. Milk or creamer is another additive used to make coffee a bit less bitter and make the taste a bit less sweet. A third type of sweetener is honey. This additive dates back as a coffee mixing material almost to the origin of coffee itself.

Sweetness is not the only taste that is commonly added to coffee. Spices offer an additional adjustment that many deem to be appropriate with their morning cup. Cinnamon is a very common additive to some of the thickest forms. It helps to offset the bite that the boldest coffee may illicit. For the lighter coffees, vanilla is a more common addition. The vanilla extract really helps to offset the bitterness found in various forms of coffee. In addition to these, other spices such as nutmeg or pumpkin are commonly added to coffee prior to drinking. In the western hemisphere, these spices are typically not used as additives. Instead, they are added to the coffee before the brewing process to create the various flavors that are currently so popular.

One of the more interesting coffee additives is cocoa. Many enjoy how the chocolate taste complements their coffee drink. This is very common amongst the desert coffees but certainly not limited to them. But this is an interesting addition because of the similarities between the cocoa bean and coffee bean. Both grow primarily in the tropical regions and share a similar shape, size, and texture. Both are [typically] ground (to different levels of fineness) prior to processing.

At its heart, coffee is one of the most natural drinks on the planet. It is simply water strained through a series of beans or grounds. However, that alone does not meet the needs for many drinkers. Coffee itself may need a series of flavor and taste adjustments before it meets the needs of the various end users. It is strange that coffee drinkers often feel an affinity or association with each other, given how few actually drink it the same way. The taste of each person’s drink compared to any others is often as unique as their fingerprint.

Author Bio: By Felix Chesterfield III; To discover more about coffee accessories, how to buy coffee online, or the history of coffee and its usage in general, please contact the author or visit the link provided. Thank you for taking the time to read this article!

Category: Food and Drinks
Keywords: Coffee, Coffee accessories, beverages