The C in ‘Coffee’ stands for culture

Legend has it that coffee was first discovered by an Ethiopian farmer who noticed his goats acting sort of, too energetic for typical goats after chewing on some strange bean like cherries.  And that’s all you need to know about where coffee came from, am I right?

Over the centuries, coffee has become the most traded commodity in the world. According to some, coffee is the second most popular beverage after water. Coffee was named the most favored breakfast beverage in the 1600s. 1600s?! That only means that it literally replaced the then morning favorites, wine and beer.

If you think about it, you can drink coffee at any point of the day. In the morning to get you started with your day. In the afternoon, to get your day going and of course after dinner to settle your meal and end your day.

In fact, coffee is so popular that it has its own presence in societal norms like your casual ‘coffee breaks’ or ‘coffee dates’. I mean we’re not trying to dismiss tea but honestly, have you ever heard anyone say they were going on a ‘tea date’? I thought so too. Coffee creates this social ambience and a hub of entertainment.

Because coffee has become so ingrained within us especially in socializing, the expansion of simply brewed coffee had to occur. Now, there are over 100 varieties of coffee drinks ranging from cappuccino to affogato. Just to put the context in the differences between the two, a cappuccino is your regular espresso and milk while an affogato has a scoop of gelato in it. Yes, you read that right.  

Here’s a list of the two ways you can drink coffee for you to explore the next time you go to a café:

·      Black coffee

 As the name gives it away, this is basically just coffee and water. No milk or cream is added in this otherwise the core of ‘black coffee’ wouldn’t exist anymore. As easy as it sounds, there are different ways black coffee is made. One way to make your black coffee is an Espresso. This is very popular in countries like Italy where you force high pressure steam through grounded coffee beans to make a thick black coffee with foam on the top. An espresso is often a base for other types of coffee like the americano.

Another popular type of black coffee is the instant coffee. This is the easiest type of coffee you make wzhich simply requires pouring hot water over coffee powder or crystals and stirred till dissolved. Since it’s just plainly water and coffee powder, instant coffee is one you drink just to get your caffeine levels up and less about the flavor. Much like the espresso, instant coffee is also used as a base for other types of coffee like the Dalgona coffee.

·      Milk based coffee

As much as the black coffee is a fan favorite, milk-based coffees are equally interesting. The presence of milk or cream allow for a different aroma than the one without milk. And as a bonus, you can be creative with the foamed milk and make designs of your choice on the top of your finished coffee. Milk-based coffees are always perfect for the evenings as they contain lower concentrations of caffeine and acidity.

Flat white coffee is one of the types of milk-based coffees where the espresso is used as a base and a lower amount of steamed milk is poured on top. The espresso is the dominant in this type of coffee simply because there is more of it as compared to the milk. To top it all, we can’t forget the foam.

Cappuccinos are also milk-based where again, an espresso is the base followed by milk and foam. The difference between the flat white and a cappuccino is that there are two types of milk used in the cappuccino. To put it directly, this coffee contains 1/3 of espresso, 1/3 foamed milk and 1/3 steamed milk. Another difference between the two is that cappuccinos can be served hot, iced, with cream or just milk.

Lastly, we have the Lattes which is basically like a cappuccino but with more milk than espresso. Lattes are known as the coffees with the ‘milkiest’ aromas.

The essence of coffee houses

For the past 500 years, cafés or coffee houses have been a center for coffee drinkers. Its no secret that culture is infused in every cup of coffee consumed and the presence of coffee houses and cafés have surely helped create that coffee – culture experience.

Cafés have been undeniable famous for hosting small gatherings with friends, work meetings, and dates. Or even solo visits to get out of the house and read a book. Anything is possible with a cup of coffee in hand. The endless list of existing and new cafés you can discover and get on board with the coffee culture!

Having said that, there are quite a few cafés in Dar, it has become so trendy that we have 9 of them only on Haile Selassie Road . To name a few:-

Epidor (one of the oldest) • Haile  Selassie

Karak House • Haile  Selassie

Elan Café • Haile  Selassie

Orchids • Haile  Selassie

Bean There • Haile  Selassie

Woodberry Café • Haile  Selassie

Levant • Haile  Selassie

Kahawa Café • Haile  Selassie

Café Arabica • Haile  Selassie

Coffee Hub, Bains Avenue, Masaki • Tel: +255 689 322 314

Tasty Bakery and Café, Mikocheni • Tel: +255 718 138 293

Café Aroma, Sea View • Tel: +255 686 519 152

Central Park, Sea View area • Tel: +255 768 133 825