Review of the book – BLACK AS HELL, STRONG AS DEATH, SWEET AS LOVE: A Coffee Travel Guide
It’s been a long time since I posted a Book Review here. So I am back with one that is perfect for the occasion. I have joined the Blogchatter Food Fest 2025, where we talk about food and everything related to it in 5 posts spread across 10 days. I did this last time too and enjoyed it and didn’t want to miss it this time too.
So the first post is all about my favorite beverage- Coffee and this book was a perfect read.
Title – BLACK AS HELL, STRONG AS DEATH, SWEET AS LOVE: A Coffee Travel Guide
Author – Steven P. Unger , Ruth St. Steven
Genre – Non Fiction / Cooking Food and Wine
Format – EBook
Pages– 168
Publisher – Robert D. Reed Publishers
Publication Date – Jan 02,2025
BLACK AS HELL, STRONG AS DEATH, SWEET AS LOVE: A Coffee Travel Guide, is the first and only book to trace coffee consumption from its origins in prehistory to becoming the world’s second-most-valuable commodity after oil-and to pair this history with replicable, affordable Coffee Experiences that provide a unique approach and added value to the readers’ destinations, no matter how many times they’ve been there before. This book is a multi-genre travel book with unique historical insights that immerse the reader in the culture of a country or city through the lens of the destination’s deep relationship with coffee. No other travel book has ever provided the kind of total immersion into a country or city-through histories, travel directions, one-of-a-kind photos, and recipes-that BLACK AS HELL, STRONG AS DEATH, SWEET AS LOVE: A Coffee Travel Guide, delivers in every chapter.
The timing is right for BLACK AS HELL, STRONG AS DEATH, SWEET AS LOVE: A Coffee Travel Guide, a history of coffee and a travel guide to Coffee Experiences on almost every continent. Plus, there are recipes.
Among the Coffee Experience destinations are places that almost no one goes to, like Ethiopia’s South Omo, and places masses of tourists go to, like Paris. Other Coffee Experiences are closer to home for Americans, as simple as sharing a colada at a ventanilla in Miami’s Little Havana; or taking the Canal streetcar to the end of the line, where Morning Call in New Orleans’ Spanish moss-shrouded City Park offers chicory coffee, beignets, crawfish bread, gumbo, alligator sausage, and jambalaya just a short walk away from the last remaining section of Bayou Metairie.
These Coffee Experiences result from three years of related travel, five years of research, and decades of travel and travel writing. These are the Best of the Best, the Coffee Experiences that surpassed all our expectations.
Linking the Coffee Experiences to history provides a unique approach to a city or country’s particular relationship to coffee. Coffee Experiences may be in the middle of, or adjacent to heavily touristed areas, but for the most part, they are places barely mentioned in guidebooks.
The Coffee Trail is full of curious twists and turns, spanning millennia and the rise and fall of great civilizations.
As an ardent lover of filter coffee, I picked up this book with great curiosity—and it didn’t disappoint. What I expected to be a light read turned out to be a deep, immersive journey into the global culture, history, and rituals surrounding coffee. From Ethiopia and Jordan to Paris, Istanbul, Turin, Cuba, New Orleans, and beyond, the chapters paint a vivid picture of how coffee connects people across countries and cultures.
Each place’s brewing techniques, serving customs, and the ceremonial importance of coffee are meticulously documented in crisp prose that brings the scenes to life. The rich, vibrant photographs not only complement the text but elevate the reading experience, adding layers of visual storytelling. I especially loved the thoughtful quotes that open each chapter—they set the tone beautifully.
This book is much more than a guide; it’s a celebration of coffee as both art and ritual. Scattered throughout are fascinating facts—some surprising, even shocking. For instance, did you know coffee was once banned in 1600s Istanbul under threat of death? Or that Ethiopians used almost every part of the coffee plant centuries ago, long before brewing became widespread?
Each chapter ends with curated recipes, beverage suggestions, and contact recommendations, making it both practical and inspiring. While it would’ve been great to see more countries included, what’s here is rich, layered, and satisfying. It’s not a book you rush through—you can flip to any section and find something compelling.
Though it leans slightly textbook-like at times, the blend of storytelling, travel, history, and culture more than makes up for it.
If you love coffee—not just drinking it, but understanding its place in the world—you’ll definitely enjoy this one. I now know with joy that wherever I go, I can sip my favorite drink while appreciating the diverse, beautiful traditions behind it.
After reading – BLACK AS HELL, STRONG AS DEATH, SWEET AS LOVE: A Coffee Travel Guide | Book Review – Here is my verdict
If you love coffee—not just drinking it, but understanding its place in the world—you’ll definitely enjoy this one.
Steven P. Unger has traveled extensively in North, South, and Central America; Western Europe; the Middle East; Africa; Istanbul; and Romania. He has been published in numerous travel and bicycling magazines. He was an exchange student at a historically black college, Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, and later a member of the Bear Tribe, a California commune.
This post is a part of #BlogchatterFoodFest.
If, like me, you love Coffee, then be sure to check out these recipes…
Check out the Winning Warmers page for more Tea/Coffee based recipes
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