German coffee consumption has soared in recent years after a dip according to statistics made available. If these figures are to be believed German coffee has sold at the rate of 6.1 kg per head. This is mainly due to a shift in perception that coffee is an old fashioned drink for old timers.
Coffee has made a snazzy comeback in a stylish new avatar as a hot drink with attitude. Innovative trends were signaled by espresso and instant versions that gave you a good cup of coffee on the go. Out-of-home consumption is estimated to be make up about 25% of the coffee market.
German coffee turned into a success story from consumption at the rate of 15,000 tons in the 90s to a whopping 55,000 tons in recent times. German roasters together account for about 1.5 billion Euros worth of coffee imports. About 2 million bags of green coffee are stored in warehouses in Bremen and Hamburg. Big cities like Berlin and Hamburg have thriving coffee sales especially at outlets such as Starbucks and Balzac.
German coffee has gone gourmet with a vengeance as it becomes almost an accessory to city chic. It signals individuality and confidence, not to mention that awesome caffeine induced bravado that works wonders.
Some popular German coffee brands are Dallmayr, Eduscho, Jacobs, Niederegger, and Tchibo. It is characterized by its strong, full flavor without any bitter aftertaste.
It was this desire to get rid of the aftertaste that prompted Melitta Bentz, a housewife from Dresden, to invent the first coffee filter. She fussed around this problem till she discovered that her son’s blotting paper cut into a round and placed in a metal cup made the perfect coffee filter that kept the grounds off and the coffee fine.
Exotic brands such as Hawaiian Kona Fancy, Jamaica Blue Mountain, and Kopi Tongkonan Toraja from Asia have a select following among German coffee drinkers. The fact that they come at a hefty price of around EUR 150 for 500 gm does not seem to deter the aficionados. :-)
Let’s head back to German cuisine and learn more about German delicacies.
