Coffee Around the World: Unusual Drinks Beyond the Latte

What belongs in a cup of coffee? Milk and sugar are familiar answers. But travel a little further and the possibilities become much more interesting: fragrant cardamom, sweet condensed milk, strong tea or even a piece of cheese.

Coffee around the world is about more than different beans. It is about what people add, how they serve it and the place it holds in everyday life. A drink can be a cooling afternoon refreshment, a small indulgence or a gesture of hospitality.

If your usual order rarely ventures beyond a latte or cappuccino, consider this an invitation to explore. These distinctive coffee drinks offer a different way to think about your next cup - without needing to declare any one tradition the strangest or the best.

When coffee meets an unexpected companion

Kaffeost: coffee with cheese in northern Europe

Cheese in coffee sounds surprising until you think of the familiar pleasure of enjoying something rich alongside a bitter brew. Kaffeost takes that pairing one step further.

Associated with parts of northern Finland and Sweden, it involves serving hot coffee over pieces of a firm cheese such as leipäjuusto. The cheese absorbs some of the coffee and softens, ready to be eaten as part of the experience.

This is not a latte with an unusual dairy ingredient. The contrast is the point: hot coffee, mild cheese and a texture you would never find in a cup of steamed milk.

Yuanyang: Hong Kong's answer to coffee or tea

For anyone who struggles to choose between coffee and tea, yuanyang offers a delicious compromise. It brings coffee together with Hong Kong-style milk tea, creating a drink with roasted depth, the briskness of tea and a creamy finish.

The balance varies between preparations. There is no need to treat a precise coffee-to-tea ratio as a universal rule, and the milk and sweetness can differ too. Enjoyed hot or iced, it shows how two familiar drinks can become something with a character of its own.

Aromatic coffee: where spice changes the cup

Café Touba: Senegalese coffee with a peppery character

Café Touba combines coffee with grains of Selim, an aromatic spice sometimes described as African pepper. Some versions include cloves as well.

Rather than adding sweetness or cream, this pairing takes coffee in a fragrant, peppery direction. It is an intriguing starting point for anyone who already enjoys warm spices but wants to look beyond the familiar cinnamon sprinkle.

Café de olla: Mexico's warming coffee tradition

Cinnamon and piloncillo, an unrefined cane sugar, are characteristic ingredients in café de olla. Its name refers to the pot used to prepare it, with the vessel forming part of the drink's identity.

The attraction is easy to understand: the aroma of coffee and cinnamon, followed by deep sweetness. Recipes vary, but the overall idea is a comforting brew in which coffee and spice work together rather than compete.

Gahwa: Arabic coffee and the pleasure of hospitality

Gahwa belongs to coffee and hospitality traditions across the Arabian Peninsula, including the United Arab Emirates. Many preparations combine lightly roasted coffee with cardamom, while other ingredients vary by region and household.

Often served in small cups alongside dates, it offers a different rhythm from a large takeaway coffee. The lighter roast character and aromatic spice invite you to slow down and appreciate the serving ritual as well as the drink.

Qishr: a different side of Yemen's coffee tradition

Qishr takes this journey beyond the roasted bean. Made from dried coffee cherry husks, it is a coffee-related infusion rather than a conventional cup of brewed coffee.

Associated with Yemen, it is often prepared with ginger and sometimes other spices or sugar. Its lighter, infusion-like character is a reminder that the coffee plant has more to offer than the beans we grind each morning.

Cold coffee with a different personality

Mazagran: coffee with a citrus twist

Mazagran is associated with Algeria and with later variations elsewhere, including Portugal. Its recipes and historical accounts differ, so it is better explored as an evolving drink than reduced to a single claim about the invention of iced coffee.

A lemon-accented version combines strong coffee, ice and bright citrus, with sweetness adjusted to taste. If creamy iced coffee feels too heavy, this sharper, refreshing direction could be the more appealing alternative.

Oliang: Thai iced coffee beyond the iced latte

Oliang is known for its strong, sweet character. Traditional blends may combine coffee with roasted grains or seeds, although ingredients differ between makers.

That variation matters: the name alone does not tell you exactly what is in every blend. Served over ice, it offers another way to enjoy coffee's depth without relying on the familiar espresso-and-milk combination.

When coffee becomes a small dessert

Cà phê trứng: Vietnamese egg coffee

Associated particularly with Hanoi, cà phê trứng pairs strong coffee with a rich, whipped topping commonly made using egg yolk and condensed milk.

The pleasure comes from contrast: dark coffee beneath a sweet, creamy layer. For a first-time drinker, it can feel closer to a spoonable dessert than a morning pick-me-up.

This is a description of the drink, not a raw-egg recipe. Hot coffee alone should not be relied on to make an egg mixture safe. Anyone preparing it at home should use a tested food-safe method and appropriate ingredients.

Café bombón: Spanish coffee with a sweet finish

Associated particularly with Valencia, café bombón pairs espresso with sweetened condensed milk. It is often served in a glass, allowing the contrasting layers to become part of the presentation before they are stirred together.

Small, creamy and distinctly sweet, it is a good example of how a simple combination can feel indulgent. Proportions vary, so do not assume every café serves it with precisely equal amounts.

Raf coffee: a creamy vanilla variation

Raf coffee brings together espresso, cream and vanilla sugar, with the ingredients steamed together rather than assembled like a conventional latte.

Associated with Moscow's café scene, it takes coffee in a smooth, sweet direction. If your favourite part of a milk-based coffee is its texture, this is an interesting variation to explore.

Non-alcoholic Irish coffee: a creamy twist without the whiskey

A comforting coffee topped with a soft layer of cream does not need alcohol to feel special. This Irish coffee-inspired version leaves out the whiskey and keeps the pleasure of warm coffee, a little brown sugar and cool, lightly whipped cream.

To make one serving, stir one or two teaspoons of brown sugar into approximately 150 ml of freshly brewed hot coffee, adjusting the sweetness to taste. Lightly whip 30 ml of plain double cream until thickened but still pourable, then gently pour it over the back of a spoon to form a layer on top.

Sip the coffee through the cream for a contrast of warmth, sweetness and richness. No whiskey, liqueur or alcoholic flavouring is needed. This is an alcohol-free adaptation inspired by Irish coffee, rather than the traditional recipe.

Not every unusual coffee needs a dramatic ingredient

Argentina's café lágrima offers a quieter contrast: mostly milk, with just a small amount of coffee. Rather than chasing intensity, it allows coffee to become a gentle accent.

Chocolate, orange and coffee also make an appealing dessert-style combination, while coffee with lemonade or sparkling citrus offers a modern direction for experimentation. These ideas can be enjoyed without assigning them an uncertain national origin or treating a café variation as an ancient tradition.

Explore the traditions, not just the spectacle

Some drinks attract attention because they look dramatic. Kopi joss, associated with Yogyakarta in Indonesia, is known for the addition of hot charcoal. It belongs in a discussion of unusual coffee culture, but not as a home experiment in this guide. Do not put barbecue charcoal or glowing embers into a drink.

More broadly, one recipe never represents an entire country. Ingredients, serving styles and personal preferences change from region to region, and sometimes from one kitchen to the next. The most rewarding approach is curiosity rather than a search for the world's 'weirdest' cup.

Which coffee would you try first?

Start with the flavours you already enjoy. If you like aromatic spice, explore café Touba, café de olla or gahwa. If you prefer a creamy treat, café bombón or Raf coffee may catch your attention. If refreshment is the goal, look towards mazagran or oliang.

And if you love both tea and coffee, yuanyang might be the easiest decision of all.

Watch the journey unfold with Adems

We’ve brought some of these coffee creations to life on our YouTube channel, taking our curiosity from the page to the cup. Join us as we explore their flavours and preparation, and find fresh inspiration for your own coffee journey. Visit the Adems YouTube channel to watch and discover what you might like to brew next.

At Adems, we believe a better coffee journey begins with curiosity. Keep exploring Coffee Journal for brewing ideas, coffee guides and fresh inspiration for your next cup.