Coffee is appreciated in Japan, like numerous other parts of the globe. But its popularity in Japan isn’t on par with how it’s favored in European countries.
Many people in Japan usually prefer iced coffee. The Japanese-style iced coffee is delicious and slightly different from the iced coffee available in other parts of the world. With their classic style and refinement, Japanese coffee culture blends tradition and innovation.
It is impossible to visit Japan without visiting one of its cafes, whether traditional or contemporary. Besides hand-drip coffees, modern kissatens will offer other coffee styles as well, such as cappuccinos. It doesn’t matter what style your coffee is; it still has personality – wait until you see for yourself!
But what makes Japanese coffee different? Is the taste different because of the coffee beans or brewing method? Well, you will learn about this and many new things about Japanese coffee in this article.
History of Japanese Coffee Culture
In the past, tea was very much popular in Japan. Most people used to prefer tea over coffee. However, over time, this culture begins to change, and people start moving towards coffee.
Dutch introduced the coffee drink in the mid-1600s. But initially, the coffee did not receive the response that many people thought. In the beginning, coffee was rejected because of the burnt taste.
At that time, Dutch traders were only consuming it. Further, in the mid-1800s, coffee beans began to arrive in the country. At that time, the demand for coffee beans became very high. Because of the increase in demand, people start seeing business opportunities in it.
In 1888, Eiki Tei opened the first Japanese coffee shop. He got the idea of opening a coffee shop in France where he used to study. He tried to bring the same coffee style in his home country as well.
However, Tie did not attain much success in this because of various reasons. His shop only lasted for a few years, but it was the start of coffee culture in Japan.
Taste of Japanese Iced Coffee
No matter what type of coffee you prefer, the taste is the first thing most coffee lovers talk about. If you walk to know about the taste of Japanese iced coffee, it has a very delicious taste.
To understand the taste better, we have compared coffee Japanese and cold brew. Remember that we have used multiple coffee beans with each type of coffee to get the best outcome. On comparing both these coffees, we have noticed that the Japanese iced coffee is highly aromatic.
Other than this, the flavour of Japanese iced coffee is also more. When drinking Japanese iced coffee, you will appreciate the chocolate, caramel, and berries flavour more.
Therefore, if you want to enjoy a flavorful coffee, you should go for a Japanese iced coffee rather than choose any other coffee type. Besides, the iced coffee is also more complex and brighter, another reason to try it.
Further, it would help if you also kept in mind that you can produce various results even with the same coffee. If you want to make different outcomes with the same coffee, you must adjust the grind size and the pour rate. Each time you alter the pour rate and the grind size, you will attain a different outcome.
Coffee Beans in Japanese Coffee
Whether you choose a regular coffee or a Japanese coffee, coffee beans play a vital role. Every good cup of coffee is because of better quality coffee beans. If there is any issue with the coffee beans, you might not attain the safe taste of the coffee.
If you visit the Japanese cafe, they will pick the type of coffee bean you want. Therefore, depending on your choice, you can prefer any coffee bean. Before choosing any coffee beans, make sure that you know the flavour and notes you desire.
Knowing the type of notes and flavour you desire will make picking the right coffee beans easier. Other than this, some of the cafes even allow a variety of speciality coffees and blends. So, you will have a variety of options when preferring Japanese coffee.
You can also do various experiments with the coffee beans to attain different tastes. Experimenting with the beans will help you enjoy more fruitiness. You can also attain acidity in the coffee if you want.
This will help you appreciate the beautiful Japanese coffee culture. Further, various coffee brands and coffee shops provide different types of coffee beans that you can purchase if you want.
Drip Vs. Espresso Machine – Which Is Suitable to Make Japanese Coffee?
If you are a regular coffee drinker, you might know that the brewing method can also alter the taste of coffee. Therefore, if you want a better coffee taste, make sure to choose a better brewing method. Most of the modern-looking cafes in Japan usually prefer a hand drip machine.
On the other hand, you may find espresso machines there if you visit old cafes known as kissatens. However, in some cases, it might not happen, but mostly it is true. In the drip machine, the process of dripping water takes place.
The dripping of water that occurs slowly will help to generate taste through the coffee ground. The water goes slowly over the ground coffee, releasing the notes and flavours from the beans.
Other than this, there are various types of drip filters that you can try. So, it is up to you which type or shape of drip filter you prefer to get the taste you desire. If you want to experience a new coffee taste, we suggest you try a new drip filter.
Other than this, you can also enjoy the complexity of flavour with the help of drip coffee. However, the coffee beans that go through high-pressure conditions may lose their flavour as in espresso machines. This is the reason that many experts recommend using drip over espresso machines to make Japanese iced coffee.
However, both the drip coffee machine and espresso machine offer a completely different experience. So, it is up to you whether you want to go for an espresso machine or drip coffee maker to produce Japanese iced coffee.
How to Make Japanese Iced Coffee?
The process of making Japanese iced coffee is a bit similar to that of traditional iced coffee. Here, we will let you know the equipment and the steps to follow to make Japanese iced coffee at home.
Material Needed to Make Japanese Iced Coffee
The given material is required if you want to make a better-quality Japanese coffee.
- Dripper
- Paper filter
- Coffee Beans
- Hot water
- Kitchen scale
- Drip kettle
- Server
- Ice
Other than a dripper, you can even use a pour-over coffee maker if you want. You will get the same taste whether you prefer a pour-over coffee maker or a dripper.
Further, the quality of ice, hot water, and coffee beans depends on the amount of coffee you want to prepare. If you only need to make coffee for yourself, even a small quantity of these items will be enough for you.
Steps to Follow to Make Japanese Iced Coffee
The steps that you will need to go through to make Japanese iced coffee are given below.
- Take a small amount of water in a bowl and start boiling it. Make sure to keep on heating the water until it begins to boil. Once the water reaches its boiling point, stop the heating process.
- After that, take a filter and pre-wet it. Pre-wetting the filter will give a great-tasting coffee. Also, remember to dump out the water if it is present in the cup.
- Now, you need to grind the coffee beans. The amount of coffee beans that you should grind depends on the coffee quantity you want to prepare. If you want to prepare coffee for a large group of people, try grinding more coffee beans. On the other hand, if you only want a single cup of Japanese coffee, then 30 grams of beans will be enough for this task.
- After that, you will require adding ice to the server. Like the coffee beans, the amount of ice you want to add depends on the coffee quantity. For more coffee, you will require adding more quantity of ice. However, 150 to 160 grams of ice will also be enough for this task.
- Now take the ground coffee that you have prepared after grinding the coffee beans. Put these coffee grounds into the rinsed filter.
- Take the hot water and pour it. You can use around 20 to 25 grams of water. However, if you are preparing more cups of Japanese coffee, try adding more hot water. Make sure to permit the coffee to steep for half a minute.
Now, your Japanese coffee is ready. However, to get the best outcome, make sure to brew the coffee properly.
