Coffee word search

Solving tips

Look for the rare letters first: a Z, Q, J, X or K is easy to spot in big print. Then circle the long words, which cross more of the grid. Every letter belongs to a word or to the hidden saying, so the uncircled letters left at the end are the saying, in order.

In this grid, 9 words read across, 7 words down and 0 words diagonally, and none read backward. The longest is Cappuccino and the shortest is Drip, which hides best: look for it last.

About the words

The coffee plant is native to Ethiopia, and by the 1400s people in Yemen were brewing the drink. Coffeehouses spread across the Middle East and then Europe in the 1500s and 1600s, becoming places for conversation, news and business.

Americano

An Americano is espresso diluted with hot water, which gives a drink close in strength to drip coffee. A popular story says it began with American soldiers in Italy, but that is unconfirmed.

Barista

Barista is Italian for someone who works behind a bar, and in coffee shops it names the person who makes espresso drinks. Skilled baristas steam milk and pour designs into the foam.

Beans

Coffee beans are actually the seeds of a small fruit called a coffee cherry. The two main species grown are arabica and robusta.

Cappuccino

A cappuccino is espresso topped with steamed milk and a thick cap of foam. The name is said to come from the brown robes of Capuchin friars.

Cold brew

Cold brew is made by soaking coarse grounds in cool water for many hours, often overnight, then straining. It differs from iced coffee, which is brewed hot and cooled.

Cortado

Cortado comes from the Spanish word for “cut.” A shot of espresso is cut with a similar amount of warm milk, giving a smooth, strong drink served in a small glass.

Crema

Crema is the golden-brown foam that floats on a freshly pulled shot of espresso. It forms when pressurized water forces tiny bubbles out of the coffee oils.

Decaf

Decaf is coffee with most of its caffeine removed from the beans before roasting. Commercial decaffeination began in Germany in the early 1900s.

Drip

In 1908, Melitta Bentz, a German homemaker, invented the paper coffee filter, and drip brewing became popular. Hot water passes through the grounds and drips into a pot.

Espresso

Espresso is made by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee, giving a small, strong shot. The method was developed in Italy in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Grinder

A burr grinder crushes beans between two textured surfaces for even-sized grounds, while a blade grinder chops them unevenly. Many people grind beans just before brewing for the best aroma.

Latte

Latte is short for the Italian caffè latte, “milk coffee.” It is espresso with plenty of steamed milk and a thin layer of foam. In Italy, asking for just “latte” gets milk.

Macchiato

In Italian, macchiato means “stained” or “marked.” A traditional macchiato is a shot of espresso marked with just a small dollop of milk foam.

Mocha

A mocha adds chocolate to espresso and steamed milk. The name comes from Mocha, a port in Yemen that was once a major hub for the coffee trade.

Pour over

For pour over coffee, hot water is poured slowly by hand over grounds held in a paper filter in a cone. The method gives the brewer control over the flavor.

Roast

Roasting turns green coffee seeds brown and creates the flavor. Light roasts keep more of the bean’s own character, and dark roasts taste bolder and smokier.

The hidden saying (no peeking until you have found every word): The line means to see things as they really are, and to stop ignoring the facts. It is an American expression from the twentieth century, and its exact origin is not well documented.

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