If you are a real fan of this magical drink, perhaps one of your wishes would be to try all the different flavors of coffee available (all over the world, maybe?!). That, however, doesn’t make a visit to any expensive coffee house a necessity.
You can experiment with the taste of your coffee, all by yourself without shelling out those extra bucks by adding to it those simple ingredients available in your kitchen. Here’s a list of a few unusual things that you could add to your spice up your regular coffee:
Salt
Adding salt to coffee is a tradition that comes from Northern Scandinavia, Sibir, Turkey, and Hungary. You can add salt to both hot as well as a cold brew to give your coffee a richer, bolder twist. It not only helps to enhance the flavor of your coffee but also helps to counter the bitterness in case your grounds are not fresh.
You can even add salt to coffee in case you have accidentally ended up with one that has a harsh, bitter taste. Sodium interferes with the transduction of bitter flavors and will make your messed up coffee drinkable.
Butter
This comes from the recipe for the traditional Tibetan Yak Butter tea. The trick is to add butter to your morning cup of coffee to make it a wholesome substitute for breakfast. It not only raises your energy levels but also helps to keep your fast food cravings at bay.
Ice Cream
What can be better than a combination of cold coffee and ice cream to beat the heat? A scoop of your favorite ice cream floating on your cup of coffee is not just a treat to your taste buds but also a delight to the eyes. This idea of a dessert drink comes from a famous German drink called Eiskaffee, which is a perfect blend of coffee and ice cream.
Vanilla
It is hard to imagine someone who wouldn’t like to have the classic taste of vanilla packed in their cup of coffee. The subtle, delicious fragrance of vanilla will instantly counter your morning blues. If you cannot get hold of fresh vanilla beans, a few drops of vanilla extract work just as fine.
Another advantage of vanilla extracts is that they help sweeten your coffee without using sugar or processed creamers.
Coconut Milk
Coconut Milk is a great alternative to regular milk and cream if you are looking for something non-dairy. Naturally sweet, coconut milk also has essential vitamins and nutrients that make it an ideal choice for your morning cup of coffee.
Egg
Weird as it may sound, this is a tried and tested recipe in the Nordic countries of Scandinavia. The logic behind this is that the raw egg mixed with coffee (before brewing) acts as a filter that clarifies the coffee giving you a perfectly colored drink without any sediment.
Spices like Clove, Cinnamon, and Cardamom
A pinch of these spices in your regular cup of coffee would be welcome to most people. It is a usual trend in the Asian continents where these spices are added to tea not only for their sweet essence and pungent smell but also their herbal properties.
Cinnamon adds a sweet flavor, can serve as an alternative to artificial sugar and also balance coffee’s natural bitterness. Clove brings a unique, pungent taste to your coffee. Similarly Cardamom, apart from giving an exotic touch to your coffee also balances the effects of caffeine.
And last but not the least … BOOZE!
The trick of adding a hard drink to coffee comes from the traditional Irish tradition called Kaffekask. Though this is something we would advise you to avoid as first thing in the morning, it is worth giving a shot. A combination of liquor and caffeine will add a twist to your otherwise monotonous routine.
