What's The House Blend at Different International Coffee Houses?
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What's The House Blend at Different International Coffee Houses?

We love our Gourmet House Blend.  It is a classic medium roast that is deliciously balanced, and that makes it the perfect crowd pleaser. Our Gourmet Decaf Blend uses the same roast, but with a decaffeinated bean. We like our Gourmet House Blend so much that it's the base of our extremely popular Genius Blend coffee which just adds MCT, Cinnamon, and Turmeric.

Now, the house of VitaCup does our Gourmet House Blend coffee differently than other houses; we add our essential vitamin blend to each cup and that gives it an unmistakable flair. But just because it's a standard coffee for our house doesn't mean it has to be basic!

That got us wondering - what's the signature "house blend" or preparation at different coffee houses around the world?  Check out these interesting coffee trends from international coffee houses in celebration of National Coffee Month!

THE NORTH AMERICAN HOUSE COFFEE

Canada

Coffee is King, or should we say Queen, in Canada. Coffee is the number one consumed beverage for adults, with 71% of Canadians saying they had a coffee yesterday and a consumption rate higher than even tap water.  Canadians drink as much coffee in the house as outside of the home - about a barrel's worth a year! Read this fun Canadian Coffee infographic for more facts.

Mexico

VitaCup's House Blend and Breakfast Blend Both contain beans sourced from Mexico, a great region for growing high-quality coffee beans. A lot of people are familiar with a spiked Mexican Coffee that has a tequila kick. We even shared our favorite recipe on National Tequila day & Cinco De Mayo.  But in Mexico, you're  likely to discover a very special preparation called Café de Olla. This is prepared with a traditional earthen clay pot that imparts a unique flavor. Add some cinnamon and panela, or piloncillo (an unrefined, whole cane sugar) and it's muy delicioso!

THE SOUTH AMERICAN HOUSE COFFEE

Colombia

Some of the best beans in the world are from Colombia, just like the beans we select to use in our French Roast. So it's no wonder that Colombia has a serious coffee culture. While many Colombians are ordering a sophisticated cup of coffee, most Colombians are drinking a more commonly found cup of coffee, the tinto.  The Tinto is a long, black coffee that is sweet, flavorful, and sometimes even has a piece of South American Cheese floating on top of it!

Brazil

The traditional cup in Brazil is likely to be a cafezinho, or "little coffee".  A lot of people might mistake this small, strong cup of coffee for espresso, but it's made with traditional Brazilian coffee beans, like the beans you'll find mixed with our beans from Mexico in our Gourmet House Blend. It's prepared to be super sweet, mixing the sugar and water before you even add the coffee and straining through a cloth into a tiny cup of sweet sunshine!

THE EUROPEAN HOUSE COFFEE

Netherlands

The Netherlands is the #1 biggest coffee drinking country in the world, drinking 2.5 times more coffee than we do here in the United States. Dutch coffee is the original cold brew, using cold water instead of hot water for somewhere between 3-12 hours in a Dutch Coffee maker. The big difference between cold brew and true Dutch Coffee is the brewing method, though. Cold brew is a "set it and forget it" method where the grinds sit with the water until strained, whereas Dutch Coffee has cold water consistently dripping onto the freshly ground coffee, yielding an even fuller body.  

Malta

In Malta, you can get Kafè, a concoction that is small and unique, just like the island nation, itself. This standout aromatic brew is flavored with rosewater and cloves! 

Read more about other European coffee favorites here.

THE ASIAN HOUSE COFFEE

Japan
Japan hits some extremes of coffee styles.  You can get the slow preparation that gives the Dutch coffee style brew a run for its money as a faster, but still delicious, cold preparation option.  They pour hot water over ice with a slow drip through a cloth filter.  In contrast, Japan is also where canned coffee's popularity took off.  Ready to drink kan kōhī is found just about everywhere including vending machines and convenience stores. 

Singapore

The kopitiam (or coffee shop) phenomena has hit Southeast Asia, but they've given it their own style.  The shops aren't just a destination for a cup of coffee, they're a regular social hub.  They are destinations for meeting up for a game of checkers, enjoying beers in the afternoon, or noshing on simple meals through the day.  The Singapore beans are often wok-fried in butter or even lard, and the coffee is strained through a cloth and sweetened with evaporated milk. Yum!

THE MIDDLE EASTERN HOUSE COFFEE

Iran

In Farsi they say "gahveh" for their cup of coffee - and they love to drink a Turkish style coffee with a side of psychic insight.  It's a social party custom to drink a thick, dark and unsweetened cup of gahveh and have your fortune read while you sip based on the way the brew leaves rings in the cup.  Read this fun blog post all about coffee culture in Iran.

Lebanon

The Lebanese use the traditional Arabic coffee that is a strong Brew like the Turkish coffee you'll find in Iran but they add their own flair to their coffee.  They use the traditional Arabic coffee addition of Cardamom, but they prefer a sweeter coffee than most of the area and also, sometimes, add a few drops of orange blossom water to their coffee, too.

THE AFRICAN HOUSE COFFEE

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is another world-renowned coffee growing region. Coffee makes up 28% of the Ethiopian export market.  In Ethiopia coffee is brewed in traditional clay pots and served in intimate, popular coffee houses called buna bets. It's often prepared with sugar OR salt - and the salt is a nice addition to their traditional coffee side, popcorn! 

Tanzania

In Tanzania, you'll find some of the spice islands, including Zanzibar where you'll find not only high-quality coffee beans but delicious and exotic preparations. The coffee in Zanzibar often includes cardamom, which is fairly common throughout Africa. However, they also add other spices - most commonly ginger, but you can also find additions like clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and turmeric!

We hope you enjoyed going on a tour of household coffees, international coffee cultures, and worldwide coffee recipes with us. 

Do you have a favorite country to get coffee from?  Tell us in the comments below!

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