Because coffee has a certain bitterness in its most natural form, it could be said that coffee?s an acquired taste. However, with a bit of milk or sugar added, coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. The reasoning behind flavored coffees is the same: Take a product with natural caffeine and health benefits and add some sweetness or flavor to create a different dimension. It?s no surprise that the amount of coffee flavors continues to increase on a regular basis.

In the past, the number one flavor added to coffee was chocolate, or mocha. With origins in European espresso-based cafes — most of which serve hot chocolate — it was not much of a leap for coffee drinkers looking for a slight change to add some chocolate to an espresso drink, creating the ?caf? mocha? now served in coffee houses big and small all across the world. After that, the practice of adding syrup ?shots? to coffee became popular, mimicking the flavor of liqueurs (amaretto, hazelnut etc.) as well as supplying distinct flavors (orange, mint).

Of course, if you are looking for coffee flavors without adding anything after brewing, you can find flavored coffee packaged and ready to go. Hazelnut, mocha and other flavors can be added to the coffee in bean or ground form. Clearly, it?s impossible to grow coffee with a flavor present in the bean, so any type of coffee with flavors has to be altered after the harvest. Despite the use of an artificial flavoring process, the flavors themselves need not be artificial.

Among the most popular flavors being found today, almond, pistachio, orange and white chocolate have joined hazelnut and mocha at the top of the list. Whatever flavor or type of sweetener you love, you?ll probably be able to find it at a caf?. Even the syrups being used can be produced organically.

There is nothing artificial about chocolate in the hands of the right producer, of course, so enjoying a caf? mocha can have a more natural flavor than some of the syrups. The natural properties of both can blend together nicely.

Intense coffee drinks that have elements like pumpkin and cinnamon may seem more like a winter cider than coffee, yet they have become extremely popular.

Adding a variety of different syrups or creams to a coffee drink will certainly make its nutritional properties vary widely from a typical cup off coffee with a spoon of sugar or ounce of milk. Coffee drinkers who grow accustomed to highly sweetened beverages that the fat and overall caloric content will be significant. Keeping it simple will allow a coffee beverage to retain its most beneficial qualities.

For most coffee purists, the more you see tampering with the basic coffee form, the less appeal it will have. For those with a sweet tooth who aren?t crazy about traditional coffee, different flavors will add a significant amount of appeal and probably keep you going back to your favorite corner caf? for some time.

Damian Papworth, a coffee lover, has recently been investigating 4 cup coffee makers. He recorded his findings on the One Cup Coffee Makers site.

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