The United States is a nation of coffee drinkers, and the stats prove it: Americans drink about 491 million cups of coffee each day. What is now an essential morning routine has fueled conversation and significant change throughout history.
Historian Mark Pendergrast, author of "Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World," noted how the conversations over coffee helped spread ideas during the French and American revolutions.
Every day, coffee is what wakes drinkers up in the morning and, sometimes, what keeps them going throughout the day. Unsurprisingly, many have developed a deep love for the caffeinated drink, noting its different aromas and flavors.
Home Grounds looked into the flavor profiles of coffee from 10 different regions, drawing on coffee experts, news reports, and other sources. There are two major species of coffee: Arabica and robusta.
Arabica trees, the trees we can usually thank for our morning obsession, grow best near the equator in high altitudes with lots of indirect sun. While these coffee plants are native to Ethiopia, they have since made their way to other parts of the world, such as Latin America and Southeast Asia, producing coffee with slightly different terroir due to differences in soil, weather, and processing procedures after harvest. Many coffees produced by a single producer or region often tout 100% Arabica beans.
On the other hand, robusta is made from the Coffea canephora plant rather than the Coffea arabica. It is often grown in lower altitudes in countries like Uganda, Vietnam, and Indonesia. These beans feature more bitter flavors that make them perfect for espresso blends.