The Wondrous World of Coffee

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jamie_P._Johnson]Jamie P. Johnson
Coffee has now become an international beverage that is enjoyed by many countries, and wherever you go you will find that the coffee is prepared and presented in a different way. Now I'm not talking about your local Starbucks, I'm talking about the little coffee caf�s that are unique to a country; there you will get the unique flavor and feel the difference.
However, there are a number of variations of coffee that are widely used and are more popular, most of these are made from Espresso which originated in Italy.
Espresso: The main base for a lot of coffee variants, it is made by passing pressurized steam through ground coffee, and has a rich layer of cream called "crema" that is the result of pressurized steam passing through the coffee. It is served in small cups, without milk.
Cappuccino: This uses espresso as a base, and you just add frothed milk to make this beverage, it can be served either cold or hot.
Latte: Similar to a cappuccino except it is a bit lighter and has the addition of different flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, caramel, honey and many others.
Macchiato: Again made with espresso, it just has a hint of milk normally not more than a table-spoon.
Mocha: In this variant, one-third espresso and two-thirds steamed milk are used and a bit of chocolate is added that makes it Mocha.
Americano: The way this variant got its name and well actually was made was because of the American soldiers in Europe. Now, the Americans were accustomed to drinking normal drip coffee and in Europe all they got was Espresso, which was way too strong for their taste and so they used to add hot water o the espresso making it more like the normal coffee hey were accustomed to.
Frapp�: Very popular in Greece, this is made from instant coffee, and is served chilled and has a thick layer of froth on it.
Turkish: This is one coffee that does not use espresso as a base and it is made on very low heat, on a Turkish coffee maker that is similar to a jug and is usually made from brass and you heat it on the stove. The result is a beverage that is extremely strong and is bit sludge like when you come around to finishing it. The very strong flavor is due to the coffee grounds being thoroughly soaked and heated in water, only removing them when poured in a cup.
Although these were the popular variations, you may find a lot of other types since people make some changes themselves and every place has a different method of preparation and serving. Even coffee beans have loads of variations and you can find Arabica, roasted, and then each of them will have different strengths from mild to strong. Then there are different ways of grounding them as well, for instance fine ground coffee is best for Turkish coffee while medium ground is used for Espresso and the even the way it is ground has an effect on the final flavor.
If you are a coffee enthusiast like me you will also enjoy this article to get to know more about the types of coffees:   rel=nofollow http://www.ehow.com/list_7437418_types-espresso-coffee.html
James Johnson is an expert online author and internet marketing specialist from the UK. http://www.facebook.com/johnson1506
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Wondrous-World-of-Coffee&id=6671719] The Wondrous World of Coffee