There has been a major upswing in coffee consumption in the United States lately. That doesn't just mean the types and kinds of coffee available, but also the dazzling array of flavors that you can order your coffee in. Now, in addition to frappaccino and mocha latte, we can have raspberry nutmeg or almond crunch coffee. If it sounds like you are eating dessert instead of drinking coffee, don't be concerned. These new flavors are achieved simply by adding flavored syrups to the coffee. They add little to the coffee in the way of calories, and lots in the way of flavor.

This trend towards flavored coffees has been around for only a few years in the United States, but it has been a pleasure that has been enjoyed in other countries for years. Some of the best coffee brewers and coffee shops have traditionally used flavorings to make the ordinary cup of coffee more interesting. Quality coffee shops will use natural ingredients to flavor their coffee and add a richness to it. They try to use pure and natural ingredients in the syrups and flavorings in their coffeemakers. When they blend the espresso in the espresso machine, the ingredients are added before hand so the coffee is infused with the flavor.

Flavored coffee syrups are made from a sugar base to which is added natural flavorings such as fruits, nuts or spices. These are blended in a water mix and then concentrated into a syrup. One of the main reasons that flavored coffees have become such a rage is that they offer sweetness and flavor without contributing to fat or cholesterol intake. The recent craze to avoid fat and cholesterol has contributed greatly to the popularity of flavored coffee syrups.

Low carb diets are another boon to the flavored coffee business. You can feel as though you are eating a chocolate donut when you order a choco-latte, but there are no carbs in this baby. There are also sugar free syrups for those who want to avoid sugar, either because of the calories or because they have diabetes. You can enjoy the same vanilla, hazelnut, almond, caramel, Irish cream, chocolate, raspberry or amaretto coffees without fear of consuming sugar. They usually use a calorie free Splenda to substitute for the sugar taste.

If you enjoy your coffee with a lot of flavor to it, there is no end to the tastes you can experiment with using flavored coffee syrups.