One of the best ways that travelers get acquainted with the local customs is by stopping into a cafe--any cafe, really--and sitting down for a coffee. It could be early in the morning, right as shops and markets are starting to open. It could be during a slow afternoon stretch where businessmen are having power lunches and ladies of leisure are gossiping. Or it could be late in the evening, when in a surprising number of countries, going out for coffee is a suitable alternative to boozing it up, or a great activity to sober you up at the end of the night.
In fact, it's easy to learn about a place by studying the caf? lifestyle. For example, if you're in the United States, in most any city that's not a New York or a San Francisco, you're going to find that the way that most people do coffee is as fast as they possibly can. From driving through the window at the local Starbucks to a number of to-go options in malls and shopping centers, coffee isn't so much an experience to be savored, but a substance to be consumed as quickly as possible. It seems that Starbucks has been responsible for introducing concepts like flavors and soy milk to suburban areas, though, and even Dunkin Donuts has had to step up their game and finally offer espresso.
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.
Of course, hop across the pond to The United States, and you're going to find that things are a little different. People actually go to drive-through windows at Starbucks because they don't have the extra couple of minutes to get out of the car on the way to work, and even places like McDonald's have taken to serving Newman's Organic coffee because somehow Americans have learned that they like the taste of better coffee, but they don't really understand that the taste is only half of the experience. So while you can get a decent cup of coffee even at a rest stop in New Jersey now, it doesn't mean it comes with remotely the same ambiance as a country where the caf? lifestyle actually matters.
The concept of snacks coming with a coffee isn't just something that happens in the Northern Hemisphere. Down south in Argentina, a country of immigrants, cafe culture is also alive and bustling. But in Argentina, especially in the capital city of Buenos Aires, it's about more than just sitting down and having an Italian-style coffee. There's usually a small glass of soda water, three or four cookies, and even in some bars, some chips or a small sandwich. It's a pretty great deal, and no wonder that it seems that from the hours of two until eight in the evening, cafes all over the city are packed with everyone from young soccer fans to elderly couples hanging out and enjoying their coffee and snacks.
The thing about the snacks in these other countries where the caf? lifestyle is important is that it's pretty much permission to stay as long as you want. There's no one trying to turn the tables over fast in the afternoon, and every extra item that comes with that coffee buys you at least ten more minutes to sit, relax, and hang out.
But as the world gets even smaller, countries influence one another even quicker, and the far-flung traditions become something more tangible. When Starbucks opened up in Buenos Aires, they made sure to include a latte with dulce de leche, the tasty local treat that's a version of caramel. So now that Starbucks knows that is a popular item down in Argentina, they might be bringing it to the United States as a flavor, just like pumpkin or hazelnut.
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.
In fact, it's easy to learn about a place by studying the caf? lifestyle. For example, if you're in the United States, in most any city that's not a New York or a San Francisco, you're going to find that the way that most people do coffee is as fast as they possibly can. From driving through the window at the local Starbucks to a number of to-go options in malls and shopping centers, coffee isn't so much an experience to be savored, but a substance to be consumed as quickly as possible. It seems that Starbucks has been responsible for introducing concepts like flavors and soy milk to suburban areas, though, and even Dunkin Donuts has had to step up their game and finally offer espresso.
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.
Of course, hop across the pond to The United States, and you're going to find that things are a little different. People actually go to drive-through windows at Starbucks because they don't have the extra couple of minutes to get out of the car on the way to work, and even places like McDonald's have taken to serving Newman's Organic coffee because somehow Americans have learned that they like the taste of better coffee, but they don't really understand that the taste is only half of the experience. So while you can get a decent cup of coffee even at a rest stop in New Jersey now, it doesn't mean it comes with remotely the same ambiance as a country where the caf? lifestyle actually matters.
The concept of snacks coming with a coffee isn't just something that happens in the Northern Hemisphere. Down south in Argentina, a country of immigrants, cafe culture is also alive and bustling. But in Argentina, especially in the capital city of Buenos Aires, it's about more than just sitting down and having an Italian-style coffee. There's usually a small glass of soda water, three or four cookies, and even in some bars, some chips or a small sandwich. It's a pretty great deal, and no wonder that it seems that from the hours of two until eight in the evening, cafes all over the city are packed with everyone from young soccer fans to elderly couples hanging out and enjoying their coffee and snacks.
The thing about the snacks in these other countries where the caf? lifestyle is important is that it's pretty much permission to stay as long as you want. There's no one trying to turn the tables over fast in the afternoon, and every extra item that comes with that coffee buys you at least ten more minutes to sit, relax, and hang out.
But as the world gets even smaller, countries influence one another even quicker, and the far-flung traditions become something more tangible. When Starbucks opened up in Buenos Aires, they made sure to include a latte with dulce de leche, the tasty local treat that's a version of caramel. So now that Starbucks knows that is a popular item down in Argentina, they might be bringing it to the United States as a flavor, just like pumpkin or hazelnut.
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.
About the Author:
Damian Papworth adores coffee. As such he launched the One Cup Coffee Makers website. On this sitee you can read up on your 1 cup coffee maker
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