Top 5 unique coffees from around the world

For many travellers, coffee is more than a morning ritual – it’s a window into culture, history, and place. Around the world, coffee tells stories of land, tradition, and community, often in ways that surprise even seasoned explorers.

From floral brews sipped like fine wine to cheese floating in your cup (yes, really), here are five of the world’s most unique coffee experiences – and the destinations that bring them to life.

Panama Geisha (Gesha) – Panama

The Champagne of Coffee

Panama Geisha is legendary: originally discovered in Ethiopia and perfected in Panama’s Boquete highlands, this coffee changed how the world thinks about flavour in the cup.

Light-bodied and elegant, Geisha coffee tastes almost nothing like traditional coffee. Instead, it’s delicate, aromatic, and refined – more like a fine tea or white wine.

Why it’s so special:

Notes of jasmine, bergamot, orange blossom, and stone fruit
A silky, tea-like mouthfeel
Highly prized and often auctioned for record prices

How locals enjoy it:
Best brewed as a pour-over or filter, never rushed. This is coffee to sip slowly, paying attention to aroma, texture, and finish.

Travel tip: Visit Panama’s highlands and enjoy Geisha at the source, surrounded by misty mountains and lush plantations.

Menengiç Coffee – Turkey

Coffee Without Coffee Beans

Despite its name, Menengiç isn’t made from coffee beans at all. This caffeine-free drink comes from roasted berries of the wild pistachio tree, resulting in a brew that’s nutty, earthy, and gently sweet.

Popular in southeastern Turkey, it’s thick, comforting, and often enjoyed with milk.

What makes it unique:

Naturally caffeine-free
Rich, nutty flavour with chocolatey undertones
A centuries-old regional tradition

Travel tip: Sip Menengiç in a small Turkish café while watching daily life unfold – it’s a slower, softer coffee moment.

Buna Coffee Ceremony – Ethiopia

Where Coffee Becomes a Sacred Ritual

In Ethiopia, coffee isn’t just consumed – it’s honoured. The Buna coffee ceremony is an immersive, communal experience that can last up to two hours and represents hospitality, respect, and connection.

What happens during a Buna ceremony:

Green coffee beans are washed and roasted over an open flame
The aroma is intentionally wafted toward guests as a welcome
Beans are hand-ground using a mortar and pestle
Coffee is brewed in a traditional clay pot called a jebena
It’s served in three symbolic rounds:
- Abol – the strongest
- Tona – softer and reflective
- Baraka – the final cup, meaning “blessing”

Refusing a cup is considered impolite – accepting all three is a sign of deep respect.

Travel tip: Experiencing a Buna ceremony is one of the most meaningful cultural moments you can have in Ethiopia.

Kaffeost – Finland

Yes, There’s Cheese in Your Coffee

In Finland’s far north, coffee comes with a surprising twist. Kaffeost features cubes of squeaky leipäjuusto (Finnish “bread cheese”) dropped straight into a cup of hot black coffee.

It may sound unusual, but locals swear by it – especially during long Arctic winters.

Why it exists:

Dairy was abundant, coffee was precious
Calories and warmth mattered
Comfort was essential in harsh climates

What it tastes like:

Coffee becomes smoother and rounder
Cheese absorbs the brew, turning gently bitter-sweet
Soft, pillowy texture – no melting, no stringiness

Travel tip: Try Kaffeost in Lapland, ideally after a snowy adventure or Northern Lights tour.

Café de Olla – Mexico

Spiced, Sweet, and Soul-Warming

Café de Olla is coffee the way it’s meant to be shared. Brewed in a traditional clay pot, this Mexican classic is simmered with cinnamon, cloves, and piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar).

The result is deeply aromatic, rustic, and comforting – like Christmas in a cup.

Why travellers love it:

Warm spices enhance the coffee’s natural sweetness
Clay pot brewing adds earthy depth
Often served during celebrations and family gatherings

Travel tip: Enjoy Café de Olla in a local market or small town café for the most authentic experience.

Coffee has a way of grounding us in a place – connecting us to its people, climate, and traditions. Whether you’re sipping floral Geisha in Panama or sharing a ceremonial brew in Ethiopia, these coffee experiences are journeys in themselves.

At World Travellers Motueka, we believe travel is about moments – and sometimes, the most memorable ones happen over a cup of coffee.