Pour some sugar on me. A history of coffee and sugar.

The topic of sugar and coffee can call for some strong opinions, so buckle up. We've got those coffee purists who'd rather skip the sweet stuff, myself included.  But today, we're not picking sides. I rather want to explore the background of sugar and coffee, because like it or not, there’s actual merit and history behind it.

I’ve just left Budapest, and firstly, can I say how surprised I was with the Specialty coffee culture here in the city. Genuine speciality coffee, and bloody good.

One thing that stood out in Budapest was the sentiment around drinking sugar with coffee. It is very frowned upon. In Budapest it is typical to be charged extra per teaspoon of sugar you want with your coffee. You can make the assumption that this is a money making thing, but they also have signs in some cafe’s to warn you that sugar ‘ruins’ the coffee.


Image credits: Taken at My Little Melbourne Cafe in Budapest

Arriving in the south of Spain, things are very different. I guess the coffee culture might be influenced from their Italian neighbours. After 3 times, I finally remembered to ask them NOT to add cacao (yes chocolate powder) to my flat white. And it’s a lot more than a generous sprinkle.

Commonly to the Mediterranean coastline, the south of Spain uses a very dark roast for most of their coffees, which I guess pairs a bit better with cocoa.

Surprising to me, coffee’s history can persuade you that sugar is indeed ‘acceptable’. Some of the first recorded coffee recipes look something similar to today’s Turkish coffee, boiling water, coffee and sugar together in a pot. Only later on in the 1930’s did the Italians create their recipe and coined the term ‘cappuccino’.

My favourite part of the coffee story, which many don’t quite know, is that the word “coffee” is actually derived from the Arabic word for wine. Makes perfect sense why the same people who have good taste in wine also have great taste in coffee. My type of people.

Okay, back to the sweet stuff. As usual, Reddit offered a rabid hole of opinions regarding this topic. It’s not a recent clash in opinions either. Most of these are from 10+ years ago.

The strongest argument I have come across is the one that the chain, or process of bean to mug is so intentional and considerate that you shouldn’t add anything to it otherwise you risk spoiling the results of this divine process.

A more molecular argument, pun intended, proves that sugar binds with some parts of the coffee chemicals which genuinely does remove or block some of the ‘bitter’ notes and changes the flavour balance. So adding sugar to your coffee is doing more than just making it sweeter.

Purists naturally argue against adding sugar because of the balance disturbance caused. I would however challenge that opinion with the same reasoning of adding milk to coffee, especially considering the milk sourcing and quality chain is so varied and out of our control.

For the sake of coffee culture advocating for community, I conclude that we should allow people to do whatever they want with their cup of coffee, be it ‘sacrilege’ or not, coffee brings people together, and it’s even better when it allows different people with different views and opinions share something in common, their love for coffee.