Coffee is extremely valued in Israel – from a morning cup to coffee at dinner or even coffee outdoors – Israelis drink coffee in many different forms.
A survey conducted ahead of Israel’s 74th Independence Day by Landwer Coffee company delved into the coffee consumption habits of Israelis, finding that 59% of respondents preferred black coffee over espresso (41%).
In addition, it was found that 66% of Israelis consume 1-3 cups of coffee per day on average, compared to 34% who reported consuming more than 4 cups of coffee on average per day.
While many in Israel assume that people enjoy fine espresso bean coffee from overseas, this survey found that to be misleading. A staggering 67% of respondents said they prefer coffee made in Israel – such as the ubiquitous “Elite” instant coffee – to foreign coffee brands or beans.
What is Israeli coffee?
Traditional Turkish coffee – unfiltered brown ground coffee – has been rebranded as “Israeli coffee” in some circles. It is traditional in Israel to have coffee after meals, during work and – perhaps most notably – on outdoor expeditions, such as army work or camping.
Landwer Coffee, who commissioned the survey, also provided tips on how to make the quintessential cup of black coffee. For starters, they say you must pour the ground coffee before you pour water to preserve texture. Landwer also advises adding sugar after the coffee is prepared, as adding sugar to the ground coffee mixture can caramelize the ground coffee beans. Lastly, Landwer says that the darker the coffee, the more bitter the taste – therefore, one must add as much coffee as suits one’s palate.
Landwer Coffee is the first coffee roaster company in Israel and the second-largest in the country. Originally established in 1919 in Germany, founder Moshe Landwer fled Nazi Germany to open the company’s first cafe in 1933 on Rabin Square, Tel Aviv. Landwer Cafe currently has over 80 locations around Israel.