A New Tradition of Exotic and Classic Coffee Flavors
Written by Damian Papworth   
Sunday, 18 October 2009 14:49
You might say that coffee is an acquired taste, as it will often strike people as bitter upon first encounter. For this reason, people will commonly add milk and sugar to a cup of coffee in a an effort to soften the impact or to sweeten the taste. For people with more of a sweet tooth, even that might not do the trick. The process of adding different flavors to coffee drinks -- or even to the bean itself -- is nothing new, but the number of coffee flavors available is increasing all the time.
by DamianPapworth


You might say that coffee is an acquired taste, as it will often strike people as bitter upon first encounter. For this reason, people will commonly add milk and sugar to a cup of coffee in a an effort to soften the impact or to sweeten the taste. For people with more of a sweet tooth, even that might not do the trick. The process of adding different flavors to coffee drinks -- or even to the bean itself -- is nothing new, but the number of coffee flavors available is increasing all the time.

Prior to recent times, when considering different flavors for coffee, most people would think about chocolate (mocha) as the main option. It took just one small step to add chocolate to an espresso drink, as most of the cafes in Europe serve hot chocolate drinks along with the rest of the menu. While the caf? mocha is a drink that can be found in most of the world?s cafes, other types of flavors have followed suit. Some were formulated to mimic the classic liqueurs, flavors like Irish cr?me or cr?me de menthe. Others were more traditional (orange, hazelnut) and were added in small doses to drinks much like a shot or liqueur would be added to a cocktail.

Coffee drinkers who love different flavors in coffee can also find different choices in whole bean or packaged form. By taking the bean and modifying the overall taste, coffee producers must introduce an unnatural element to the coffee. It simply cannot be done during the cultivation process. However, the flavors themselves can be entirely natural. Getting a package of hazelnut or mocha-flavored coffee is possible these days in your favorite caf? or local store.

Among the most popular flavors being found today, almond, pistachio, orange and white chocolate have joined hazelnut and mocha at the top of the list. Whatever flavor or type of sweetener you love, you?ll probably be able to find it at a caf?. Even the syrups being used can be produced organically.

Enjoying a caf? mocha is in many ways enjoying flavored coffee at its most natural and best. There are varieties of pure chocolate, even in powdered or syrup form, that can be mixed with coffee to enhance the natural properties of both.

Some of the more exotic flavors being marketed in coffee drinks are pumpkin spice and cinnamon varieties.

For coffee drinkers who are experimenting with different flavors and concoctions, you should remember that caffeine is generally the ingredient with the biggest impact in traditional coffee. When you are adding elements like whipped cream, syrups and powders, the fat and sugar content in your drink could rise considerably.

For coffee purists, the further you are pulled from the original intention of the coffee bean, the less likely you will enjoy it. However, for those with a sweet tooth who have never been crazy about the basic bitterness of traditional coffee, coffee flavors will add an element of enjoyment which will keep you heading back to the caf?, caffeinated or not.

About the Author:

Damian Papworth, a coffee lover, has recently been looking at 4 cup coffee makers. He recorded his analysis on the One Cup Coffee Makers website.
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