Almost every nation and culture has their own rituals and traditions for serving coffee. For many people, coffee is consumed as a means of energy and to boost productivity, but for others, it is a method of relaxation and a way to socialize with people in the community.
In America, coffee is fast and big. Typically, people in America want their coffee as soon as they possibly can, and drink it fast as well. American consumerism has also pushed coffee cup sizes way past tradition. A classic cappuccino is usually around 6 ounces, but in America, they can be over 24 ounces. Coffee, for most in America, is not sipped and enjoyed, but chugged rapidly with large amounts of sugar and milk. The traditional brewing method in America, is the drip coffee machine.
Though, in Vietnam, coffee is enjoyed and savored. Despite the quality of coffee in Vietnam being of questionable quality, it is extremely popular there. When walking into a Vietnamese cafe, you will be given a couple glass cups, ice, sweetened condensed milk, a Phin(Vietnamese coffee brewer), and coffee. While it may be a surprise, people in Vietnam oftentimes make their own coffee at a restaurant. The coffee grounds are inserted into the brewer, and hot water is then poured over top, and then drips into the cup with the desired amount of sweetened condensed milk inside of it. From there, ice is added, and it is stirred.
Espresso is king in Italy, dominating the Italian coffee market. There, espresso shots are consumed, usually without anything added, throughout the day for a quick burst of energy. Though, on days where someone doesn’t need to be productive, they can spend a whole morning inside of an Italian cafe, slowly sipping away at a nice and fluffy cappuccino.
In Germany, coffee is also very popular, and took off drastically during 2001 when coffee brewers that use capsules and pods hit the market. In Germany, there isn’t really a staple beverage, as the bulk of citizens drink coffee however they want to really. Many consume coffee throughout the day, with or without sugar and cream, and prepared several different ways.
Turkey has some of the most pristine coffee rituals. Turkish coffee, as it is known, is made using extremely fine ground coffee that is brewed in a cezve / ibrik, which is a small copper plated pot. This method of coffee is one of the oldest that is still used today, and what makes it different from other brewing methods, is that the finely ground coffee is left in the serving demitasse, instead of filtered out. Turkish coffee is known to be “black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love”. Coffee in Turkey is sipped and enjoyed slowly with friends or relatives. Board games and talk of politics was very popular back when these coffee houses were first introduced.
Enjoy your coffee, enjoy your moments!
Leave a comment