As any good American does, I drink coffee. Since the Boston Tea Party and the tariffs from the Kingdom of Great Britain, America has chosen coffee as our freedom Drink. This simple act of rebellion and patriotism carries into modern times with our national addiction to caffeine and our swift kick to the noggin to start our day and fight off any droop in energy. Traveling to Bali didn't slow down my consumption of the regal bean water; it accelerated it. We tended to seek out experiences and cafes that offered our favorite beverage. When you have to pay for clean drinking water, you may as well pay a little extra for the flavor and results that coffee offers.
Plumeria flowers were everywhere in Bali, and so were rustic or feminine cafes. The sweet-smelling flowers added such an ambiance to the already tropical environment of the streets, and the coffee made us even more awake to these sensations on this dreamy island.
Coffee farms were scattered between the rice terraces and flower farms. You could tour some of these farms and enjoy a tea and coffee tasting during your time in these areas. They provided fresh samples and a way to purchase what you try right from the farm that produced it. The trip from farm to table was shortened, and you could even take part in producing your very own to take home with you.
The cafes throughout the island offered a broad range of lates to choose from. Classic lattes were a crowd favorite, but you can also see many trying anything from ube, charcoal, tamarind, and tumric. These beverages added even more to the vibrant palette of this island paradise. Every cup was fresh and exciting.
Indonesia is famous for its coffee Kopi Luwak, the most expensive coffee in the world. It is produced by farmers who let wild civets eat the ripest and most flavorful coffee cherries and digest them. The fruit pulp is digested, leaving the bean intact, resulting in an extremely smooth coffee with notes of chocolate. Lewak coffee isn't always ethical here in Bali. Locals on one of our tours shared that some farms producing Kopi Luwak force their civets to overeat coffee cherries. This can be dangerous to wild animals and is considered animal abuse. The farms we visited had ratings that outlined their ethical treatment of civets, and they were proud to share stories about how the animals live.
If getting your coffee is a concern when traveling, just remember that you can find the freshest coffee, roasted to your preference, in Bali.
0 comments