From Grande Soy Lattes to Cafe con Dulce de Leche: Coffee Culture Around the World
Clueless about the best way to meet people and get to know a new city? There's a simple way to figure out where the best spot to go later in the evening is, or better yet, to understand how things work. Just head to a local cafe, and get the best insight on how the country you're in operates. Learn if people are leisurely or rushed just by watching them drink some coffee.
You see, the caf? lifestyle is more than just a reflection on how the locals like their coffee (one sugar, two sugars, milk, no sugar). It lets you know how people value their time, how a day actually moves, and whether or not you're going to find yourself waiting a long time for your friends to show up. In places like Western Europe, it's literally possible to sit as long as you like, sipping on a cappuccino, watching the action of the city go by. In Italy, if you meet a friend for coffee and don't stay for a couple of hours, they're going to think something is terribly wrong. After all, where could you possibly have to rush off to?
That might be news to someone from The United States, who, outside of a few big cities, would never see such a thing except amongst unemployed teenagers. Coffee in the Unites States, if you're not in a fancy restaurant, is more about getting caffeine in your body to go work a job. Most spots that are serving coffee aren't serving anything that's particularly good, and the extent to which the caf? lifestyle exists in most American cities amongst average people is the fact that you can now get something called espresso at a Dunkin Donuts in Boston.
In western Europe, the culture of France and Italy depends greatly on having time to sit and have a coffee, and leisurely public beverage consumption there is a thing of legend. For example, it's not uncommon to see restaurants in small plazas all over Rome with outdoor seating, even in the middle of a hot summer, where the locals and tourists alike are hanging out, sipping espresso or cappuccino, and perhaps snacking on a small cookie. If you go during the afternoon time where everyone it seems is in a cafe, it's also likely that you'll get a snack, like some peanuts, too.
It's pretty obvious how things work in The States when you realize that all your coffee comes with is a napkin or a dairy creamer. In other places, where you're encouraged to sit and stay awhile, there's practically a small spread presented with even the most regular cup of joe. In Buenos Aires, cookies, crackers, and some soda water come along, too. In Italy, at least a cookie is expected. In Holland, at least a couple of cookies come, too. And in Paris, if you're going to a cafe to enjoy a coffee, you might actually save money by ordering it with some pastry or croissant item.
It says a lot about a country when snacks come with your coffee. Because if someone's serving you enough food to nibble on for a couple of hours, they are not trying to throw you out. They're saying to stay, to sit awhile, to just relax. And that's an incredible and welcome change if you're used to a society of to-go and delivery. People genuinely do seem more relaxed places where the caf? lifestyle allows for leisure time. Everyone, from businessmen to aspiring young writers and artists, takes the time to sit down and have conversations or enjoy some private time. There's no societal penalty, it's just a legitimately nice time.
And there's just something more relaxing about the time to sit and talk for awhile. Even though that culture might not exist in your home country, or perhaps the pace of work is threatening it, but it's an important relic of a time where life was about more than just work, even when everyone was working. And work might actually save the caf? lifestyle. Because now, if you have a laptop, you pretty much have an excuse to sit as long as you like, in a public place, under the guise of work.
If you're traveling for business, visiting a different city for a little while, or relocating abroad, the best possible thing to do is to head to a popular local coffee spot. In just an afternoon, you'll learn more about a country by watching its citizens drink coffee and talk than you would from a whole stack of Lonely Planet guidebooks. - 17273
You see, the caf? lifestyle is more than just a reflection on how the locals like their coffee (one sugar, two sugars, milk, no sugar). It lets you know how people value their time, how a day actually moves, and whether or not you're going to find yourself waiting a long time for your friends to show up. In places like Western Europe, it's literally possible to sit as long as you like, sipping on a cappuccino, watching the action of the city go by. In Italy, if you meet a friend for coffee and don't stay for a couple of hours, they're going to think something is terribly wrong. After all, where could you possibly have to rush off to?
That might be news to someone from The United States, who, outside of a few big cities, would never see such a thing except amongst unemployed teenagers. Coffee in the Unites States, if you're not in a fancy restaurant, is more about getting caffeine in your body to go work a job. Most spots that are serving coffee aren't serving anything that's particularly good, and the extent to which the caf? lifestyle exists in most American cities amongst average people is the fact that you can now get something called espresso at a Dunkin Donuts in Boston.
In western Europe, the culture of France and Italy depends greatly on having time to sit and have a coffee, and leisurely public beverage consumption there is a thing of legend. For example, it's not uncommon to see restaurants in small plazas all over Rome with outdoor seating, even in the middle of a hot summer, where the locals and tourists alike are hanging out, sipping espresso or cappuccino, and perhaps snacking on a small cookie. If you go during the afternoon time where everyone it seems is in a cafe, it's also likely that you'll get a snack, like some peanuts, too.
It's pretty obvious how things work in The States when you realize that all your coffee comes with is a napkin or a dairy creamer. In other places, where you're encouraged to sit and stay awhile, there's practically a small spread presented with even the most regular cup of joe. In Buenos Aires, cookies, crackers, and some soda water come along, too. In Italy, at least a cookie is expected. In Holland, at least a couple of cookies come, too. And in Paris, if you're going to a cafe to enjoy a coffee, you might actually save money by ordering it with some pastry or croissant item.
It says a lot about a country when snacks come with your coffee. Because if someone's serving you enough food to nibble on for a couple of hours, they are not trying to throw you out. They're saying to stay, to sit awhile, to just relax. And that's an incredible and welcome change if you're used to a society of to-go and delivery. People genuinely do seem more relaxed places where the caf? lifestyle allows for leisure time. Everyone, from businessmen to aspiring young writers and artists, takes the time to sit down and have conversations or enjoy some private time. There's no societal penalty, it's just a legitimately nice time.
And there's just something more relaxing about the time to sit and talk for awhile. Even though that culture might not exist in your home country, or perhaps the pace of work is threatening it, but it's an important relic of a time where life was about more than just work, even when everyone was working. And work might actually save the caf? lifestyle. Because now, if you have a laptop, you pretty much have an excuse to sit as long as you like, in a public place, under the guise of work.
If you're traveling for business, visiting a different city for a little while, or relocating abroad, the best possible thing to do is to head to a popular local coffee spot. In just an afternoon, you'll learn more about a country by watching its citizens drink coffee and talk than you would from a whole stack of Lonely Planet guidebooks. - 17273
About the Author:
Damian Papworth loves coffee. As such he created the One Cup Coffee Makers website. On this sitee you can read up about your 1 cup coffee maker
posted by X - Men at
3:11 AM
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