We all long to travel, right? Seeing new places and experiencing new things isn’t just exciting but also the key to broadening our worldviews and seeing things through different lenses.
But if your bank account says a firm “No” to travel, what’s the next best thing? Treating your taste buds to a journey all around the world, right from your kitchen. Today, the Coffee Friend team looks at how you can travel from your kitchen, all without leaving home.
It Starts with a Coffee
Few beverages are as globally loved as coffee. From the rainforests of Brazil and Vietnam to the volcanic hillsides of Hawaii and Costa Rica and the footprints of global coffee shops, one simple bean unites us all. When we fire up our bean-to-cup coffee machines, we’re already tasting the world, one cup at a time.
It’s a sophisticated Italian barista grinding fresh beans and precisely controlling water temperature and pressure to create everything from robust espressos to silky flat whites. It’s an Ethiopian hospitality ritual, welcoming visitors to your home with a bubbling brew. Or maybe your catch-up sesh with a friend over a cuppa is a homage to the hotbeds of political intrigue and creative innovation of Europe’s original coffeehouses.
All are unlocked with one simple bean-to-cup coffee machine or espresso maker. It’s a time-saving device and an international passport and uniting force, all in one!
Tasting the World
Humans have been shaped by what we eat, so much so that we’ve travelled the world to find new tasty treats and bring them home. Food has created our hospitality rituals, our kitchens, and our homes.
Can you imagine an Asian kitchen without the wok that delivers the intense heat needed for authentic stir-frying? How else do you get the wok hei, that distinctive charred flavour that’s nearly impossible to achieve with standard pans?
Mediterranean flavours rely heavily on slow-cooking methods and fresh ingredients. A quality olive oil, ceramic tagine, and pizza stone can help recreate the sun-soaked tastes of Greece, Morocco, and Italy. Add a tortilla cormal, and you’ve brought the heady tastes of Latin America to the party. Add some masala dabba spice boxes, and you have the fresh taste of India at your fingertips. Your spice cabinet itself is a museum of global cuisine. Japanese dashi, Korean gochugaru, Middle Eastern za’atar, and Indian garam masala rub shoulders together despite their continental differences. Now, your bean-to-cup coffee machine can bring the world into your kitchen, too.
Just as our bean-to-cup coffee machines open the doors to new tastes, flavours, and styles, so can a little extra investment in our kitchens. The beauty of these implements lies in their simplicity – they’ve remained virtually unchanged for centuries, proving that sometimes traditional methods truly are best.
Explore Global Coffee Treats in Your Own Kitchen
So, how can we put our bean-to-cup coffee machines to work and bring global flavours home?
In the sun-baked streets of Rome, sleepy locals will stand at marble counters, sipping frothy cappuccinos with their pastry cornetti before work. An afternoon treat may be a tiramisu, where coffee-soaked ladyfinger biscuits and mascarpone cream celebrate Italian dessert-making. On a hot day, the refuge is affogato, a hot espresso slathered over gelato. Take your own trip to Italy, throw a few pastry treats in your shopping cart, and daydream about sun-dappled cobblestones.
Now, let’s head to Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. Here, the buna, the sacred coffee ceremony, is how you show warmth and hospitality to your guests, accompanied by popcorn and roasted barley. True, the traditional buna misses out on the bean-to-cup coffee machines, but what’s a small detail, right? As your welcoming cup bubbles and brews, offer your guest a popcorn snack (unless roasted barley is your thing) and honour a time-trusted tradition.
Feeling bold? Why not transport your kitchen to Vietnam and try out cà phê trứng, the legendary egg coffee that transforms your morning cup into a dessert-like indulgence? It’s surprisingly easy to make. It showcases a strong Vietnamese coffee (your bean-to-cup machine has that handled) and tops it with creamy layers of whisked egg yolk, sugar, and condensed milk.
Feeling a Brazilian break, but your bank account won’t allow it? Try out a traditional Brazilian coffee, or cafezinho, and pair it with a warm, cheesy baked treat like the traditional pão de queijo. It won’t give you a tan, but you’ll sure feel like you’re standing on the streets of Rio de Janeiro!
Next, head to the American South and try your hand at red-eye gravy. Simply blend fried country ham drippings and strong black coffee, then add it to your favourite American biscuits. Or fire up your BBQ and try coffee-rubbed brisket with the ideal crispy outer crust.
We’ve spoken about the coffee journey a lot on this blog— but it’s time to make coffee a destination, too. Starting with something as simple as a bean-to-cup coffee machine could be the spark that ignites your love of international cuisine. With the right coffee pal, be it a classic espresso grinder or a cutting-edge bean-to-cup machine, your kitchen could become your gateway to global gastronomy. Be sure to check out Coffee Friend’s extensive range for the right match.