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Argentinian Coffee Culture: Have a Coffee With the Vice World Champion

Whoever thinks of Argentina, besides Lionel Messi, perhaps has the huge Pampas in mind, which is very intensively cultivated, e.g. B. is used for the world famous cattle breeding. But who thinks about coffee?

Argentina is known for many things. But also for coffee culture?
Argentine coffee culture

It is mainly thanks to the many Italian immigrants that there is a rich coffee culture in Argentina. Due to the geographical and climatic situation, coffee cultivation is only possible to a limited extent in the north of the country. That is why, when it comes to coffee cultivation in Argentina, the focus is very successfully not on sheer volume like in its neighbor Brazil, but on quality.

In most bars, restaurants and cafés in the country you can almost certainly order at least one of these four coffee specialties from the mozo, the waiter:
According to the German understanding, the “Americano” is a normal cup of coffee.
The “Solo” is a strong small coffee that is very similar to espresso.
The “Cortado” is a coffee with a little milk, usually served by the glass.
With the “Lagrima” the ratio of milk and coffee is reversed compared to the “Cortado”, i.e. a lot of hot milk and little coffee.
A piece of chocolate that can be melted in the milk is often served with the coffee and milk specialties.

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Typically Italy: 7 Unwritten Laws of Coffee Culture

Good coffee is as much a part of the Italian lifestyle as pasta and Chianti. Since the brown pick-me-up came to Europe around 500 years ago, a coffee culture has developed in Italy that is second to none. Here you will learn the most important things about their unwritten laws and typical habits of Italian coffee drinkers.

1. Anyone who says “caffè” means espresso

If you order “caffè” in Italy, you get: espresso. If you want a double, order a “caffè doppio”. You will usually look in vain for the typical German filter coffee, some tourist bars offer it as “caffè tedesco”. If you fancy a large cup of coffee, order either a caffè americano (espresso with hot water) or a caffè lungo, which is espresso made with twice the amount of water.

2. Those who drink coffee never choose paper cups

Paper cup coffee? Only in the worst of emergencies! Italians drink their espresso from porcelain or ceramic cups, some coffee specialties such as latte macchiato are served in glasses. Because for them, enjoying coffee goes hand in hand with a certain style – and paper or plastic cups are not initially intended. Typically Italy.

3. If you are in a hurry, you drink coffee standing up

The habit of drinking coffee on the street is as foreign to Italians as paper cups. If you are in a hurry and feel like coffee, you can quickly drink an espresso standing up in a bar. Therefore, the bars and cafes are rarely overcrowded.

4. If you drink espresso standing up, you pay less

How much does coffee cost in Italy? That depends on whether you drink your espresso at the counter or at the table. Statutory maximum prices apply for quick enjoyment at the bar. Whether you are in Milan or in a small Calabrian mountain village, you pay a maximum of 1 euro. However, if you opt for a seat, there will be a service surcharge – and that can be extremely hefty!

5. Anyone who has visitors offers coffee – always!

“Caffè?” Whether at home or in the office, offering a coffee to a visitor is the first and simplest gesture of hospitality in Italy. Because a chat over a cup creates a familiar atmosphere, which is important for successful personal and professional relationships. If, on the other hand, the guest is not offered coffee, he wonders – at least as an Italian – whether he is welcome at all or whether he has done something wrong.

6. Anyone drinking cappuccino is having breakfast

Cappuccino, latte macchiato & Co: Italians usually drink coffee specialties with milk for breakfast or in the morning. They are considered filling drinks. Incidentally, it is particularly frowned upon to treat yourself to a cappuccino directly after a meal. Espresso, on the other hand, always fits. Both after meals and at any time of the day or night. A compromise for those who don’t want to do without a little milk in their coffee is the “macchiato”, i.e. an espresso stained with a little milk.

7. If you drink coffee, you can keep others waiting

Coffee always comes first in Italy. No matter how important something is that you want to talk to someone about, if someone says they need a coffee, that’s more important! So be patient with your request until the other person has had their coffee – or if in doubt, just have one with them!

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Greek Coffee – Coffee Culture in Greece

Café Frappe, Greek coffee, and Nes

Let’s head south to sunny and warm Greece. Greek coffee, café frappé and a mocha dominate the coffee scene here. If you simply order a coffee in Greece, you will get a Nes instead of the classic black coffee crema as we know it in Germany. Nes is what the Greeks call instant coffee that is simply dissolved in hot water. The name derives from Nestlé’s Nescafé brand, which accounts for the majority of the types of instant coffee available in Greece.

These are the most popular coffee specialties of the Greeks

The café frappé, called frappé for short, is the well-known cold drink of the Greeks. Especially in summer, when it gets really hot in Greece, the frappé is particularly popular. Cold coffee, which we associate with iced coffee in Germany, differs from café frappé in that it is cooled with ice cubes instead of a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The café frappé is prepared by shaking the Nes together with some cold water and sugar in a cocktail shaker until it is foamy. The frothed coffee is poured into a tall frappé glass and filled with ice cubes and cold water. Depending on taste, cream or condensed milk can be added. Alternatively, a frappé frother can be used.

Greek coffee was originally called Turkish coffee because the Turks first brought the hot beverage to Greece. Today they differ in that, unlike Turkish coffee, Greek coffee is usually only boiled twice. Traditionally, a long-handled jug, the briki, is used for the preparation.

The Greeks still really enjoy their coffee in one of the many small cafés. On average, the Greek spends around forty minutes a day in a café. It is completely normal to linger over a cup of coffee that you have ordered in a café, while we Germans are used to ordering more.

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Japanese Coffee – Coffee Culture in Japan

Coffee in Japan

In Japan, tea is traditionally the most important hot drink. Tea is art, lifestyle and Japanese culture when you think of the deep-rooted Japanese tea ceremony. The most popular drink in Japan is green tea. Green Matcha tea, which has already found its first fans here in Germany, is particularly popular. But there is coffee in Japan. You can find it in the traditional kissaten, the special café houses in Japan.

Traditional coffee in Japan’s Kissaten

Originally, tea was consumed in the Kissats. The origin of the word “Kissaten” also means tea houses. Although coffee, like Europe, came to Japan in the early 17th century, it took a while for it to become popular with the broad middle class. Nowadays, drinking coffee in the Kissats is just as much a tradition as consuming the classic green tea.

It is all about one thing: staying and enjoying in an otherwise hectic time.

Preparing a classic coffee in Japan

Especially in the traditional Kissaten, the tasty coffee in Japan testifies to the high quality of the coffee beans and the craftsmanship of the Kissaten owners. Because many of them still roast by hand themselves. With the help of a cotton hand filter, the coffee is poured in portions directly above the cup. Today, unfortunately, the number of visitors to the Kissaten is steadily declining. The Japanese also want things to be faster and easier, especially in the big cities. The American chain Starbucks is considered “oshare” in Japan, meaning totally hip. Coffee, which you order at the counter in sometimes bizarre flavors and then get to-go in a paper cup, is becoming increasingly popular.

More soy milk and creative 3D latte art

In Japan, coffee is mainly drunk with soy milk. When it comes to the milk foam, the Japanese get very creative: baristas create unique faces, animals or manga characters from the milk foam. Recently, images or entire portraits have been printed directly onto the milk froth of cappuccino and co. using 3D printers.

If you fly to Japan, you should definitely plan a visit to a Kissat to immerse yourself in the world of traditional coffee culture in Japan – far away from coffee-to-go and hip flavors. Because coffee in Japan can be so beautiful. And so typically Japanese. A cappuccino with your favorite 3D motif on it is of course a must. A visit to a traditional tea ceremony is of course also a good idea. But don’t forget: slurp loudly when you drink the tea from the bowl.

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Vietnamese Coffee – Coffee Culture in Vietnam

Vietnam is the second largest supplier of green coffee after Brazil. A full 14% of the coffee sold worldwide comes from Vietnamese growing areas. Coffee was introduced to Vietnam early on by French colonialists and the favorable growing conditions meant that the country quickly developed into an important coffee region.

In Europe we mainly know the Arabica bean, whereas in Vietnam far more varieties such as Robusta, Chari, Culi and Catimoretc are grown. The Vietnamese also roast their coffee beans in butter or cooking oil until they turn a very dark color both inside and out. This type of roasting is described as very gentle, as the full aroma is retained and the finished coffee later gets its charismatic, strong taste. One more reason why the coffee in Vietnam tastes so different than it does here.

Cà phê – The preparation of Vietnamese coffee

The preparation of a traditional Vietnamese coffee with a so-called phin filter (a Vietnamese metal sieve) differs fundamentally from the methods commonly used here in Germany. The ground beans are filled into the Phin filter and a small amount of hot water is poured over them.

The ground beans should swell to get more flavor. After about 2 minutes, about 2/3 of the filter is filled with the rest of the hot water. The coffee now drips slowly into the glass below and after about 6 minutes the coffee is ready. To keep the coffee warm while filtering, the glass is again placed in a bowl of hot water. Don’t worry: this sounds more complicated than it actually is!

Cà phê sữa đá – iced coffee with condensed milk

The undisputed classic: In order to achieve the typical, sweet taste of Cà phê sữa đá coffee, viscous, sweetened condensed milk is poured into the cup beforehand. Then the glass is filled with ice cubes and the coffee base, previously filtered in the traditional Phin filter, is added. You will love the coffee!

Cà phê trứng – coffee with whipped cream

A specialty that hardly any tourist can ignore – and hardly anyone does not learn to love. Egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk are whipped into a frothy, creamy and fluffy mass and then simply poured onto traditional Vietnamese coffee. The Cà phê trứng was invented in the 1940s when milk was scarce and people were looking for a substitute. The coffee with egg foam is definitely a real specialty!

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Italian Coffee – Coffee Culture in Italy

Italian coffee – coffee in perfection

When you think of Italian coffee, the first thing that comes to mind is of course the delicious espresso. Espresso is the basis of Italian coffee culture, which is refined with milk and milk foam depending on personal taste. Here in Germany, too, espresso, cappuccino and latte macchiato have long been among our favorite coffee varieties.

Mainly thanks to professional fully automatic coffee machines and capsule machines, which are becoming more and more popular. But what is the Italians’ secret for aromatic espresso? And what characterizes the coffee culture in Italy? There are answers now:

Coffee culture in Italy – caffè for everyone!

For a long time, the Arab world had a monopoly over the coffee trade, until pilgrims were able to smuggle germinable coffee beans to Europe. More precisely, to Venice in Italy. Here, the delicious hot drink was first widespread in the circles of the nobility and aristocrats. Gradually, coffee found its way into all social classes and soon became an integral part of everyday life.

Although the first Italian coffee was consumed on Venetian soil, today Naples is considered to be the city in Italy that identifies most closely with coffee. Not only do numerous songs in honor of the popular hot drink come from Naples, but also a special and heartfelt tradition. Here, in addition to their own espresso, citizens can also pay for a “caffè sospeso” in the café. Translated, this means something like a “saved” coffee. This coffee is waiting, so to speak, for someone who cannot afford anything else. After all, enjoying coffee should be open to every citizen in Naples.

Espresso or espressi – which is correct?

There is a lot of confusion about the correct plural, especially among tourists in the popular holiday destination. One thing in advance: the native Italian does not order an espresso at all. If you really want to adapt to the coffee culture of Italy, order a “Caffé”. Sounds like a normal filter coffee, but what is meant is a small espresso.

This is exactly what leads to confusion among tourists in Italy. If you want to be on the safe side, simply order a caffé espresso, or for two “due caffè espresso”.

The secret of Italian coffee

Italian coffee is roasted from very dark beans. This requires a special art of the roasting master. It is not for nothing that there are still many small roasting plants in Italy, the so-called “torrefazione artigianale”. The roasting masters have many years of experience and manage to slowly roast the coffee beans to the desired result.

They press hot water at high pressure through the finely ground coffee powder from the dark roasted beans. This creates a foam from the coffee bean oils – the Italians call it crema. The slow but stronger roasting also gives Italian coffee its characteristic aroma. The bitter substances reduce the caffeine and acid content of the espresso and make it easier to digest. The bitterness is traditionally balanced with lots of sugar.

Part of the dolce vita and coffee culture in Italy is to take a sip of still water with your coffee or cappuccino. Therefore, a small glass of water is traditionally served directly with the cup of coffee.

Whether at home on the couch or in one of the Italian cafés in a sunny spot – enjoy your aromatic coffee espresso to perfection.

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French Coffee – Coffee Culture in France

No country is as well known for this as France. Coffee is an important part of culture – the French love it! The annual per capita consumption of green coffee is 5.4 kg. This puts France in the middle when it comes to global coffee consumption.

Like the Italians, the French use a strong and dark roast for their coffee production. In general, the darker the roast, the stronger the taste.

Coffee preparation in the French Press

As the name suggests, the French Press was invented in France. No wonder, then, that it is the preparation method of choice in France. As we all know, the French are real connoisseurs! Therefore, when preparing their coffee, they ensure that the taste is as pure and pure as possible.

Apart from the coffee filter, hot water and freshly ground coffee beans, no other tools are used in the French press. This ensures a natural coffee taste, just like the French love.

The preparation method is easy: ground coffee is placed in the French Press pot and hot, no longer boiling water (less than 95 degrees) is added. After a few minutes, stir. Then let it steep for another 5 minutes and press the coffee grounds down – voilà, done!

Order real coffee in France

Anyone who has ever vacationed in France knows that many coffee specialties have different names than we know them in Germany. If we order “un café” in France, we get an espresso. “Un allongé” or “un américain” comes closest to German black coffee, as it is a strong espresso lengthened with hot water.

But how do tourists get a delicious latte, for example? It is better not to order “Un café au lait” in a café, as the French usually only drink it for breakfast. So we are immediately exposed as tourists. Incidentally, the coffee cup for the “café au lait” is so wide that a croissant or French toast can be dipped into the coffee with butter and jam.

The French “café au lait” consists half of frothy milk and the other half of very strong and very hot espresso, of course preferably from the French Press. The special thing about the preparation is that milk and coffee are poured into the coffee cup at the same time. If you want to make sure that the locals don’t look at you in the café, it’s better to order “un café créme”, a coffee with a little frothed milk.

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American Coffee – Coffee Culture in the USA

Once upon a time, Americans knew nothing about good coffee and enjoying coffee. With the consumption of watery and bad instant coffee, which was only used for a caffeine kick in times of war, it was almost impossible to speak of a coffee culture in the USA. Because it actually only began in 1971 in Seattle, when Starbucks was launched. Thanks to Starbucks, we associate coffee specialties such as iced coffee, frappucino or flavored coffee with American coffee culture in addition to coffee-to-go and café americano.

Starbucks revolutionizes American coffee

The land of opportunity has revolutionized the coffee market in two ways in recent years. With the opening of the first Starbucks in Seattle in 1971, what is probably the most important representative of American coffee drinking, the coffee shop, took on a new meaning. Long live the American Dream!

Starbucks founder Howard Schultz launched a new American coffee culture with the invention of Starbucks stores. The idea of ​​identical coffee shops, where customers find the same product everywhere, should make you feel right at home. Today you put your laptop on the table, surf the Internet and enjoy various coffee specialties at the same time.

The classic café americano is still the leader in the coffee scene, but the USA has also made “cold coffee” socially acceptable with innovations such as iced coffee and frappuccino. In addition, American coffee can also be a little sweeter. The addition of sugar is usually self-evident. Flavored coffee has also become particularly popular. The coffee is extra sweetened with a syrup in flavors such as chocolate, vanilla or nuts.

The Café Americano as an oversized coffee to go

The New York way of life – the city that never sleeps. New York is hectic, exciting and fascinating at the same time. There is always something new to discover and Americans are always on the go. The American coffee culture has already adapted to a life full of dynamism.

And with the spread of what is now an international coffee shop chain, the coffee-to-go culture has also intensified. Coffee to go cups have become indispensable in American cities and significantly more coffee is consumed in the cities than in the country. So it’s no wonder that Americans order their coffee directly in oversize.

Conclusion:

The coffee culture in America was shaped by the opening of Starbucks branches with new coffee specialties and a large selection of products. American coffee, which until the 1970s could only be found as poorly prepared instant coffee, was supplemented and made famous by variants such as iced coffee, flavored coffee or frappuccino. The coffee behavior of the Americans is partly due to the hustle and bustle in the big cities. For a quick caffeine kick in between, an oversized coffee-to-go from the nearest Starbucks branch around the corner is enough.

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Brazilian Coffee – Coffee Culture in Brazil

Brazil is the number one coffee country

Brazil has been the world’s largest coffee producer for more than 150 years. No wonder – every fourth coffee plant in the world is on Brazilian soil. Due to the excellent climatic conditions, the coffee plantations in Brazil can generate the world’s highest profitability in their industry.

Brazilian coffee is known for its Arabica beans. The variety makes up the majority of Brazilian coffee production at around 77 percent. Much more than the well-known Robusto beans. Coffee cultivation is an important economic factor for Brazil. Not only because of the high coffee cultivation, the country is also the export world champion. Around 60% of the annual pension is exported.

Coffee variations of Brazilian coffee

Brazilian coffee is very versatile in terms of taste. The vastness of the country and the varied landscape favor a large variety of coffee. The coffee beans in the south taste rather mild and spicy with a hint of vanilla. The beans, which are grown not far from the seawater in the north, are characterized by a rather strong aroma.

Brazilian coffee – cafezinho

The coffee culture in Brazil is known for a number of coffee specialties and rituals. Above all, the Brazilian coffee “Cafezinho” is omnipresent in the country and is an integral part of the country’s hospitable culture. Here it is common practice to invite guests to a cafezinho. And anyone who is invited should better take a few minutes for the other person.

Otherwise, the inviter feels personally insulted. Incidentally, cafezinho is a small, strong coffee that is served in small cups like an espresso and drunk “hot” in one go.

As the largest coffee-growing region and export world champion, Brazil is the giant among the coffee countries. Due to the different locations of the growing regions, Brazilian coffee scores with its variety of tastes. The cafézinho is an integral part of the coffee culture in the hospitable country of Brazil.

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Swedish coffee culture – the perfect fika is achieved with the French press

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said: “No pleasure is temporary, because the impression it leaves is lasting”. Everyone who has traveled to western Sweden appreciates the enjoyable coffee break that is taken daily in cozy cafes with delicious coffee and excellent cake. The fika tradition is unique in the world. You can also take a Swedish coffee break. The coffee for your fika works particularly well with the French press, because this allows the full aroma to unfold. Feel free to leave the filter coffee machine in the cupboard.

Fika – a special coffee break requires the French Press

Swedes call their coffee break, which includes eating delicious biscuits, cakes or fine Danish pastries, fika. The Swedish coffee break is taken together and is an excellent way to intensify contact with colleagues or to spend valuable time with friends.

The Swedish fika is very different from the customs of other countries, where you drink your coffee quickly while standing or walking. Swedes take time for each other, reduce stress by drinking coffee together, intensify contacts and treat themselves to delicious pastries and excellent cakes. The time together, the culinary delights and the delicious coffee from a filter coffee machine or a French press are what make the Fika what it is. Find out more about the differences between the preparation with the French press and the filter coffee machine.

Coffee for the fika – brew with the filter coffee machine or with the French press?

Most Swedes brew their morning coffee in a filter coffee machine. Swedes drink a lot of coffee, so capsule and pad machines are not common. The Swedes are nothing like the filter coffee machine.

The coffee that is drunk with the fika in the afternoon is prepared with the Swedish pot or the French press. Anyone who boils their favorite hot drink will be rewarded by the full-bodied aroma. Brewed coffee is characterized by a lot of body. The oils and fats contained in the coffee are not filtered out during filterless preparation. When it comes to coffee enjoyment, it makes a difference whether you use the filter coffee machine or the French press. Filter coffee machines and French presses only offer two methods of preparation for the fika, among many others.

Coffee is offered in Sweden in the two degrees of grind “Kok” (cooking coffee) and “Brygg” (brewed coffee). Swedish coffee packaging contains both the designation of the degree of grinding and a coffee pot or filter symbol. This tells you whether you should brew or boil the coffee. With the French Press you can boil coffee and with the filter coffee machine you can brew brewed coffee.

In the coffee perfect online shop you can buy high-quality bean and filter coffee for the Fika.

Swedish coffee tastes less acidic and stronger than our coffee. The beans are roasted darker in the north and the beans are selected for types that are less acidic. You will taste these two differences, regardless of whether you prefer to prepare your coffee with the filter coffee machine or the French press.

How you make the coffee for the fika depends on what type of guy you are:

Cook boiled “Kok” in a pot or French press

Traditionally, Swedish coffee “Kok” is boiled with water in a pot. The coffee powder falls to the bottom of the pot and the hot drink is carefully poured into a cup. The coffee powder settles in the cup. After enjoying the coffee you can read the coffee grounds.

This method of preparation is preferred by many Swedes for the fika, but in this country it is not for everyone because of the coffee grounds, which unfortunately are always drunk.

If you want to have the full coffee experience without coffee grounds in the cup, prepare your favorite hot drink with the French press. Very fresh coffee “Kok” without coffee grounds is child’s play with the French press. Pour hot water over the coffee in the French Press, let the coffee steep and use a metal sieve to press down the coffee grounds. In contrast to the filter coffee machine, the metal sieve in the French press does not filter, but preserves the fats and oils that are in the coffee. The coffee is characterized by an aromatic fullness. If you want the full aromatic taste, you should prepare the brewed coffee with the French Press. Brewing systems cannot compete with the French Press.

Cooked out prepare “Brygg” in the percolator or in the filter coffee machine

Coffee that has the “Brygg” grind can be prepared in the filter coffee machine or in the percolator. In the percolator, the boiling water is pushed up through a pipe and runs into a perforated steel container containing the coffee powder. From there it drips back down into the water as coffee. The percolator is very suitable if you only pour a few cups.

If you opt for the filter coffee machine, you should dose the coffee powder less than you are used to. The Swedish coffee is stronger and darker than the German. The filter coffee machine is very suitable if you want to prepare several cups. Unfortunately, the coffee powder loses some of its aroma when brewed in the filter coffee machine, since the fats remain in the filter. However, it is useful when several people are doing the fika together.

Summary:

You can boil or brew the Swedish coffee for the fika.
The Swedish coffee varieties are called either “Kok” or “Brygg”.
For reheating, try the French Press. The aroma is not filtered out by the French press, but can be drawn into the hot drink, including the coffee fats and oils, and you can enjoy coffee without annoying coffee grounds in the cup. The French Press is far superior to the typical Swedish pot because the coffee stays in the press. The coffee is more aromatic in the French press than in the filter coffee machine.
The filter coffee machine is well suited to preparing many cups at the same time.
The coffee from the filter coffee machine offers a little less flavor than boiled coffee.
Brewing in the percolator offers excellent coffee enjoyment.
If you want a full aroma, the French press is the preferred choice.

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