If you are a Filipino, it is safe to assume that you are a coffee lover. You may have grown up in a household where your parents or older siblings often drink coffee, which is probably the reason why you learned how to drink coffee early in your life, too. Actually, as strange as it may seem, there are some kids as young as seven who already have a liking for coffee. Anyway, with the emergence of coffee shops everywhere, and easy to make coffee, it’s not hard to understand why more and more Filipinos like to think of themselves as coffee lovers.

Some fun (and maybe a little bit odd) facts about Pinoys and Coffee

Of course, as Filipinos, there are certain things about coffee – and your relationship with coffee – that are truly unique. Here are some of those things:

• Filipinos often take coffee in the morning to help them get energized and prepare for the long day ahead.
• Some even pour coffee over rice as “sabaw”. Yep, Filipinos do love soupy rice because it makes eating more fun.
• Filipinos love to dip bread or biscuits in coffee. Just like Oreo Cookies and Milk, Coffee and biscuits seem to be the perfect fit. Yum, yum.
• Aside from biscuits, Pandesal is also an awesome partner of coffee. Pandesal is every Filipino’s staple breakfast food and all-time favorite bread. Pair it with coffee, or dip it in coffee and you’re good.
• Coffee is also often taken during snacks. For a lot of Filipinos, no merienda is complete without coffee.

Proudly Filipino

One type of coffee that can be called as proudly Filipino is Kapeng Barako. Kapeng Barako is native to Batangas. Barako literally means “Alpha Male”, which could also explain why this coffee tastes so bitter-but you have to admit, it tastes really good, too. Think you know everything you need to know about Kapeng Barako? Think again.

• Barako is actually a tree. It got its name from the old Tagalog term for “Wild Boar”. Wild Boars love to eat a Barako tree’s leave sand fruits.
• The first Barako tree was planted in the 1800’s by the Macaset Family in Batangas. They got a cutting of the tree from a trip to Brazil.
• Basically, all coffee beans that hail from Batangas are called “Barako”.
• Kapeng Barako is known for being intensely flavorful and strong smelling.
• And, get this, some spas actually use Kapeng Barako as a body scrub!

It’s amazing how great the coffee industry in the Philippines is and how much Filipinos love coffee. It’s one of those things that make living in the Philippines amazing-and wherever you may be in the world, remembering Pinoys’ love for coffee will make you feel like you’re back at home.