7 unusual ways coffee is made around the world

Espresso, French press, slow drip, frappemochawaccuccino.

Coffee preparation can be baffling—and that’s just in your local Starbucks.

There are many other ways coffee is made around the world.

Here are seven of them.

SEE ALSO: 5 things you should know about cold brew coffee

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Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Coffee’s origin story is set in Ethiopia, where a goat herder notices his flock is full of beans after eating a certain berry. 

He tells the local monks, who toss the offending berries on the fire, but then—presumably overcome by the heavenly aroma—decide to make a drink out of them instead. The increased alertness aids in prayer, and the rest, as they say, is a multibillion dollar industry.

Whether that’s all true or not, Ethiopia does retain a unique coffee culture—one in which the famed and elaborate coffee ceremony, conducted by women, remains part of daily life. Details vary, but it goes something like this:

1. Burn incense, preferably frankincense.

2. Roast green coffee beans over a brazier. Once roasted, grind the beans using a mortar and pestle.

3. Add the beans and water to a round-bottomed, long-necked clay pot called a jebena. Bring to a boil.

4. When ready to serve, stuff a makeshift filter (horse hair, cloth, or similar) into the neck of the jug, before pouring the coffee into small cups.

5. Add sugar (sometimes salt and/or butter) to taste. Traditionally, three cups are drunk.

6. (For more on Ethiopian coffee, see David Farley’s “Coffeeland.”)

I was lucky enough to participate in similar ceremonies with the local Nubian people around Aswan, in southern Egypt. The procedure was the same, except spices like cloves, ginger, and cardamom were ground up along with the coffee beans. Similar coffee drinking rituals take place in Sudan, too.

Indonesian Coffee

At the other end of the spectrum, kopi tubruk, the traditional Indonesian way of making coffee, is about as simple as it gets.

1. Set a pan of water to boil.

2. Add a tablespoon of finely ground coffee to a beer glass, mixed with sugar to taste.

3. As soon as the water is boiling, pour it into the glass and stir well.

4. Let the mixture sit for up to five minutes. This allows the coffee grounds to settle, and the drink to cool.

That’s it! The key is to not boil the water for long, or else the brew will taste flat, and to use good quality, finely ground coffee. Oh, and sip carefully as you near the bottom.

Turkish Coffee

This brewing method is used all over: in much of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Balkans, for example.

(Quickest way to cause offense in Greece? Order a Turkish coffee. Bonus demerits if you are in Greek Cyprus at the time.)

This method is quick, unfussy, and results in a brew that is thick, strong, and chewy.

1. Add water, finely ground coffee (it should be like dust, and in Arab countries is often flavored with cardamom), and sugar to a long-handled, tulip-shaped pot called (in Turkish) a cezve. Stir well.

2. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Watch carefully!

3. As soon as it starts to boil/froth, remove from the heat and let cool for 30 seconds.

4. Return to the heat until it starts boiling again.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 once more (so the mixture comes to the boil three times).

6. Serve black in tiny cups.

The coffee grounds sink to the bottom of the cup as a kind of sludge (like tea leaves, they can be used for fortune telling), and there should be a foamy, creamy layer on top of the drink. A Turkish proverb sums up what coffee made this way should taste like—”black as hell, strong as death, sweet as love.”