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Cafe Americano – that can be nothing other than an American coffee, or not?! Not quite, because the Cafe Americano originally comes from beautiful Italy. In all likelihood, the history of the somewhat weaker espresso started in World War II. In the course of the war, many American soldiers, the so -called G.I.S, came to Europe. A large number of soldiers were stationed in southern European Italy at the time.

The Cafe Americano and its story

The military was enthusiastic about the Italian dining and coffee culture right from the start. Only with the strong espresso could and did the American guests not really make friends – he was simply too strong for them. But of course the soldiers knew how to help themselves and simply stretched the strong, dark coffee drink with hot water. The fun -loving Italians took the modification of their favorite hot drink with humor and, according to his creation, put him on their drinks cards as “Caffè Americano” (according to Italian spelling).

Curiously, William Somerset Maugham had an Americano ordered an Americano in Naples Italian in Italy in the First World War in his spy novel, which was published in 1928. It is not known whether this Americano is actually the Cafe Americano known today. But let’s be honest, myths are much more fun.

The preparation of a Cafe Americano: Come Si Fa?

First of all, first of all, a classic espresso is prepared, preferably with a fully automatic machine or a portafilter machine. The bean mix, the right grind and the right amount of espresso powder are also important for the production of the perfect espresso. We explain here how to make an espresso best prepared.

How much espresso you use for the Cafe Americano is ultimately up to you. Traditionally, however, the mixing ratio of espresso and water is 1: 1 – if you prepare a double espresso for the Cafe Americano, you use around 55 – 60 ml of hot water accordingly. The secret of the Italian-American coffee is that the espresso finds its way into the cup in front of the water.

Then the hot water is poured – as slowly and carefully as possible so that the crema of the espresso is preserved. The Cafe Americano is ready! Ideally, it tastes as aromatic and full -bodied as an espresso, but is also easy to compatible and edible for less hard -boiled coffee drinkers.

Cafe Americano and his supposed doppelgangers

With so many different types of coffee preparation, it is often difficult to keep an overview. The diverse offers in different cafes quickly create the impression that normal filter coffee, Cafe Lungo, Long Black and Cafe Americano are all one and the same. But whoever believes that has been missing. Because the preparations of these coffee drinks differ very well – if only in subtleties.

Cafe Americano and filter coffee

Filter coffee is prepared with weaker roasted and finely ground beans and less pressure when brewing than the classic espresso. So normal filter coffee is milder and less strong than the Americano.

Conclusion on the Caffè Americano

If the normal espresso is too strong, you will find the right alternative in the Cafe Americano. The siblings such as Long Black or Cafe Lungo presented by us are further variations with which you can experiment uninhibitedly. At some point you are guaranteed to find the perfect espresso and maybe we have given you the crucial information! How do you prefer your espresso? Let us know!

A date should take place in a relaxed atmosphere. Singles who date often choose a place that is quiet yet welcoming.

The café is not only a great place to have a chat, it also feels at home and relaxed. It’s the perfect place for a first date – and many more.

You can never go wrong with a coffee date. It is not without reason that the question “Would you like to go for a coffee with me?” is one of the most popular dating questions ever. A casual meeting at a coffee shop, at a normal time of day, is best for strangers who want to get to know each other. Here both dating partners are relaxed and can get involved with each other without pressure.

The search for a partner puts a number of hurdles and obstacles in the way of singles. If not every step is planned and prepared appropriately, getting to know each other can fall through before the first meeting. So which place is perfect for the first date? The environment should not be too private so that nobody feels restricted. Informality and a relaxed atmosphere lighten the spirits and ensure relaxed conversations. In a café you are in public, among people, and yet you have your own little area for private exchange. This environment in particular seems harmless and yet differs greatly from evening meetings in bars or getting to know each other in a strange apartment. However, the coffee date in the coffee shop scores with many other advantages!

Dating in the coffee shop

A pick-me-up and a pleasure drink in one – coffee is a fascinating drink. No wonder that the tasty hot drink should not be missing on the first date. The numerous coffee shops in the streets and on the large squares of our cities invite millions of visitors to relax and feel good every day. It is not uncommon for you to meet one or two singles enjoying a warm cappuccino or latte macchiato with their new potential partner. A coffee shop is a wonderful place to get to know each other – you can “sniff” each other out in a very relaxed manner and see whether you are on the same wavelength. Unlike in the cinema or in a loud bar, you can have a lot of conversation here. In addition, the coffee shop has the advantage that you can say goodbye relatively quickly after a coffee. In the end, you leave your options open.

It’s no secret that most of us love coffee. There is something cliche about the coffee date. Millions of people, including a number of couples, sit together in cafés every day and enjoy a coffee or two together. By the way, if you don’t want to lean too far out of the window on your first date, you have found an extremely cheap and yet stylish dating option with a coffee date!

Coffee is the drink for relaxed dates

Coffee is great for a first date. Not only that most of us are true coffee lovers – the coffee also convinces with an invigorating and euphoric effect. The caffeine in coffee increases our alertness and keeps us alert throughout the conversation. With the enjoyable hot drink, our good mood automatically increases. With a delicious coffee you create the perfect basis for a pleasant get-to-know-you. Of course there are also all kinds of other drinks in a café. But the probability that the other person drinks coffee is usually quite high.

A particular advantage of coffee is the great variety of tastes. In most cases there is something for everyone – whether black, with milk and sugar or as a large milk foam creation. The wishes of coffee lovers are inexhaustible here and are fulfilled anew every day. As a man, however, you naturally take the initiative and ask the lady what she would like a drink to be – this way, misunderstandings are avoided from the start. By the way, if you want to take a spontaneous stroll through the shopping streets or through the park, the coffee is of course also available as a coffee to go. This means that the hot drink can easily be taken with you on the go and enjoyed in a warm mug on the go.

Dating in the cafe

We have found that coffee and dates go perfectly together. Of course, a café is primarily the perfect place for the first date, since getting to know each other is completely informal and free of obligations. Furthermore, the coffee itself convinces with its enjoyable taste and an invigorating effect. If you want to be successful in your partner search, you can’t go wrong with a coffee date.

Coffee plays an important role in Cuba and has retained its reputation as a real luxury food. Here the history of coffee comes to life.

Coffee culture Cuba – the popular luxury food of the Cubans

Enjoyment is in the Cuban blood. No wonder that, alongside tobacco, coffee is one of the most popular luxury foods. Due to limited production, coffee is not a commodity in Cuba. Nevertheless, Cubans drink quite a lot of coffee throughout the day. No matter the time of year or day, a Cuban likes to make time for a cup of coffee and a nice chat. Visitors are also given a cup of coffee as a matter of course. Cuban coffee tends to be very strong and very sweet. That is why it is usually served in small cups.

The Cubans and the coffee

The delicious brew was once brought to the island by French coffee farmers. They had to flee Haiti at the time and henceforth grew the delicious bean in the mountains of Cuba. The soil here is rich in nutrients, so the coffee beans can grow slowly. The mild, low-acid but spicy aroma is characteristic of Cuban coffee. The coffee plantations produce up to 6,000 tons of coffee annually – but this is not enough to cover Cuba’s own needs for the green bean. As a result, Cuban coffee is not a mass product and is therefore particularly popular with coffee connoisseurs from all over the world.
No matter the time of year or day, a Cuban likes to make time for a cup of coffee and a nice chat.
Tropical flair spreads immediately with a Cuban coffee. After all, the spicy aroma smells particularly intense. A Cuban coffee on the palm beach is certainly a very special treat.

Typical Cuban coffee

Overall, Cubans prefer three different coffees. They like their coffee strong and sweet. The best known is the Café Cubano or Cafecito. Incidentally, cafecito means “small coffee” and alludes to the typical small cup in which it is served. The cafecito is considered a Cuban specialty and is also very popular outside of Cuba. It consists of dark roasted beans and sugar. The barista adds sugar during the brewing process. No wonder the cafecito is very sweet.
The slightly milder alternative to the cafecito is the cortadito. This is an espresso with frothed milk in a ratio of 3:1. The cortadito is usually served in a small glass. Of course, there is also a classic milk coffee in Cuba. This is called café con leche and consists of coffee and milk.

Enjoying a coffee from the industrial coffee machine and eating a delicious piece of cake, that’s what many expect from a café. Few expect that there are also cats running around, climbing on chairs and being petted by the guests. But they’ve also been around in Germany for almost five years: cat cafes. The trend, which originated in Asia, is something special for animal lovers who do not have their own four-legged friends.

What is the concept of a cat cafe?

The concept of cat cafes comes from Asia. The first coffee shop in Taiwan was opened there in 1998. The four-legged friends scurry around freely between the coffee machine for commercial use, the tables and chairs and the guests. Especially in big cities, the living space is usually very limited and there is not much space for pets.

Cat cafés allow animals and animal lovers to meet in a relaxed atmosphere. In addition, a visit to the café should help visitors to relax and take a little break from the stresses of everyday life. But of course there are also rules for this type of encounter to protect the animals. The focus is on the cats, who decide for themselves whether they want to be petted and can withdraw at any time.

Cafes vary in menu, but most only offer small snacks and cakes. The range of coffee is in no way inferior to the range of “normal” cafés. A commercial coffee machine offers a wide range of products – from black coffee to cappuccino and latte macchiato.

Benefits of a cat cafe

A cat café offers young and old the opportunity to meet the animals in their familiar surroundings. Because the cats live permanently in the cat cafe. Most of them have been taken from animal shelters or even rescued from the street. Of course, the cats are medically examined beforehand. A cat café is not only intended as a pastime for people, but also offers homeless animals a new home.

In many large cities, including Germany, keeping pets is not allowed. Or working people don’t have time to take care of their own animal. Cat cafes offer the opportunity to watch and relax with these animals over a leisurely cup of coffee from the industrial coffee maker. But children can also watch the cats, pet them and play with them – if the cats want it. For kids without pets, this is a great change.

Are there any other animal cafes?

Yes, there are. The Japanese in particular are not running out of ideas for animal cafés. You can choose between hedgehogs, snakes, falcons, rabbits, dogs and also penguins, which you would like to watch over a cup of coffee from the industrial coffee machine. Some of these cafés then place a transparent box with the animal on the table for guests to examine closely.

The question of whether the animals are always enthusiastic about sitting on the platter, we leave open. In Germany, on the other hand, a retreat where visitors are not allowed to enter is one of the strict requirements. If the animals get too much, they can simply disappear.

Coffee culture and coffee specialties from Mexico

Mexico, known for delicious tacos and the world-famous drink tequila. But did you know that Mexico is also a coffee-growing region or have you ever heard of the Café de Olla? Read on to learn more about Mexican coffee culture.

Coffee cultivation and Mexican Chiapas coffee

Mexico is now almost among the top 10 on the list of the largest coffee producers. In addition to a small proportion of Robusta, Arabica beans are almost exclusively grown in southern Mexico. Arabica is characterized by a mild, balanced taste and only has a very fine acidity.

Mexico supplies the whole world, especially with their aromatic, Mexican Chiapas coffee from the province of the same name, right on the border with Guatemala. The tropical climate in the state of Chiapas provides ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. The Mexico SHG from Chiapas has a soft, velvety, mild character.

Café de Olla – Recipe for the Mexican coffee specialty

The coffee specialty in Mexico is the well-known Café de Olla (German: “coffee from the clay pot”). The café de olla is very sweet and is traditionally made with brown sugar and cinnamon. In Mexico, coffee is a popular choice for breakfast, and in some parts of Mexico it is still drunk from old clay cups. This gives the otherwise sweet hot drink an earthy note.

Café de Olla consists of black coffee, which is cooked with a good portion of cane sugar, also known as piloncillo, and refined with cinnamon. The pinch of cinnamon in particular gives the coffee its unique and sweet aroma. You can also easily prepare Café de Olla yourself at home:

Ingredients:

1 cinnamon stick / cinnamon spice
6 tablespoons dark roasted and coarsely ground coffee
75g brown cane sugar
600ml water
Possibly cloves and a piece of orange peel

Directions:

First bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, then dissolve the cane sugar in it. Add the cinnamon stick, simmer gently, stirring frequently. Then add the coarsely ground coffee powder, stir and let steep for 5 minutes. Filter the coffee into cups and then carefully pour it through a fine sieve into the cups. Complete!

The Mexicans also like to add cloves, an orange peel or dark chocolate as flavor additives.

This is how Mexicans drink their coffee

Admittedly, Mexico doesn’t really have a coffee culture like we know from other countries. A black café americano is usually served for breakfast or a café de olla is drunk. A cappuccino or latte macchiato is usually only served in trendy cafés in the city. In rural areas, Mexicans also use instant coffee powder, which is brewed with hot water.