Top 20+ Morning Beverages More Popular Than Coffee In Other Countries

Cutting Back On Coffee? There Are Many Ways To Start Your Day

For many, the aroma of coffee is synonymous with the start of the day, but as much as coffee is ingrained in our daily rituals in the West, it's far from the most popular morning beverage worldwide. Tea holds that title, but even within the world of tea, there is tons of variation, from Japanese matcha to South African rooibos, and in South America, coffee and tea both play second fiddle to yerba maté. Whether you're looking to break your routine or just want to add some new beverages to your repertoire, here are 20 morning beverages more popular than coffee in other countries. 

1. Agua Dulce - Costa Rica

Agua dulce translates to "sweet water" in English and that's precisely what it is: water boiled with a very unrefined version of sugar cane. It's still frequently drunk today by Costa Rican farmers who enjoy the energy kick they get from it. It's also common in other parts of South America where it's called "agua de panela" and served with lime.

2. Dou Jiang - China

Don Jiang is essentially warm soy milk and can be served sweetened or savory with vinegar and chili oil. Soy milk in China is more robust in flavor than the boxed varieties we have in the West and is simply the by-product of tofu-making.

3. Yak Butter Tea - Tibet

Long before Silicon Valley started sipping Bulletproof coffee, folks in the Himalayas were enjoying yak butter tea, a beverage made for warming your body, perpetually chilled by the mountain air, from the inside out. It's made from tea leaves, yak butter, water, and a little salt.

4. Sarabba - Indonesia

Sarabba is a warm spiced beverage from Indonesia similar to India's masal chai. It's made with sweet coconut milk, egg yolks, and spices like black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and sometimes cloves and anise.

5. Black Tea - Britain

The image of a quintessentially British person is just not complete without a cup of tea. The UK has a long-held cultural tradition surrounding tea, the significance of which cannot be overstated. Brits have a preference for black tea leaves, and it can be served with milk, sugar, or just black. 

6. Naranjilla Juice - Ecuador

Naranjilla (also called lulo) is a very tart tropical fruit that is juiced and blended with water or ice in places like Ecuador and Colombia. The flesh can also be eaten, but the fruit's propensity to bruising makes it especially popular for juicing. 

7. Matcha - Japan

Matcha is a special type of strong, green tea with origins in Japan. The leaves are made into powder and blended with hot water using a special whisk made from bamboo to fully incorporate the little clumps of tea. It's now popular as a latte in the West as well. 

8. Masala Chai - India

You're probably familiar with chai lattes at places like Starbucks, but this spicy, milky tea has a long history in India. Legends say masala chai, which translates to spiced tea, was created 9,000 years ago in ancient royal courts. Mainstream consumption started in the early 20th century when the price of tea was so high, that vendors would add milk, sugar, and spices to add flavor.

9. Mint Tea - Morocco

Mint tea, locally known as "stay," is more than a beverage, it's a cultural tradition. The beverage is a symbol of hospitality and is typically served to welcome guests into one's home. The simple drink of hot water and tea leaves is refreshing and hydrating, especially in Morocco's hot climate.

10. Golden Milk - India

Golden milk is a warm, bright drink made primarily from turmeric and milk as well as sometimes ginger, black pepper, and honey. It's been brewed for thousands of years as part of Ayurvedic medicine. Turmeric is touted for its immune-boosting and antioxidant properties.

11. Chicory Coffee - New Orleans

Okay so it's not exactly a different country, but in New Orleans, chicory root is roasted and brewed like coffee for a rich, chocolate-like, caffeine-free beverage. It was popular in the Prussian Empire and France in the 18th century before it was brought over to French territories like New Orleans. 

12. Lassi - India

In the Punjab region of India, yogurt is blended with different fruits or seasonings and water to create a smoothie-like beverage. Mango lassis have found widespread popularity around the world, but they come in a multitude of flavors including salty lassis which are savory. 

13. Rooibos Tea - South Africa

In South Africa, the tea of choice is a red leaf called rooibus. It has a distinct nutty, slightly sweet, and earthy flavor, and is the nation's national drink with a history dating back hundreds of years. 

14. Horchata - Mexico

Horchata tastes like rice pudding in liquid form. It's a traditional, creamy, sweet, and flavorful beverage, seasoned with baking spices like cinnamon and vanilla. Many versions of horchata exist in Central and South America, but the Mexican version using rice is the most internationally popular.

16. Atole - Mexico

Atole is a warm, thick breakfast beverage made from corn masa which is also used to make tortillas. The masa is heated and mixed with water or milk until smooth and creamy, sweetened, and spiced with cinnamon. Sometimes fruit, cocoa, or nuts are also added. 

17. Chocolate Caliente - Colombia

In many countries where cocoa is abundant, hot chocolate is just as popular if not more popular than coffee in the morning. In Colombia "chocolate caliente," is made in a narrow metal pitcher called an olleta, and in Bogota, it's sometimes served with a piece of mild cheese (queso fresco) melted inside.

18. Yerba Maté - Argentina

In Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and parts of Brazil, yerba maté is vastly more popular than coffee in the morning and is deeply ingrained in the cultural identity. It's a strong green tea-like beverage served in a special metal cup with a metal straw designed to strain away the leaves as you drink. 

19. Barley Tea - Korea

In Korea, roasted barley grains are steeped in hot water to create a toasty, nutty, earthy, caffeine-free, antioxidant-rich beverage. Its consumption dates back centuries in many East Asian countries but nowhere is it more frequently enjoyed than Korea.

20. Salep - Turkey

Salep is a warm and milky beverage enjoyed in Turkey, particularly in the colder months. It's made from orchid root powder which makes it naturally thick due to its gelatinous character, and is usually served sweetened with sugar or honey, cinnamon, and sometimes, other flavorings like rosewater.