# Coffee drinking habits



## oscarlami

Coffee was introduced in Europe by the Arabs. The first Europeans to have contact with the product were those in the areas they conquered in Southern Europe, parts of Spain, Italy and Turkish territories fundamentally. 

It was seen as an infidel beverage used by Muslims, but in the 17th Century Pope Clement VIII baptized it making it an acceptable Christian drink. 

I think that's the reason why northern Europeans understand coffee in a different way. They are problably more used to drink teas and infusions and they look at coffee as another infusion.

Someone explained to me that the characteristics of a good coffee are embodied in its name ( Café in Spanish).

C- Caliente (hot)
A- Amargo (bitter)
F- Fuerte (strong)
E- Escaso (scarce)


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## Noel Acevedo

Roi,
I agree 100%.  What people in the US drink is not coffee (except in some more exclusive and thus expensive coffee shops) but a very watered down "something".  I am from Puerto Rico, historically where the best coffee is grown, of course arabica beans.  There are three super premium coffees in the world and PR grows one of them.  Coffee to be appreciated must be strong, dark and sweet, and that is what we have here.
Coffee arrived in the "new world" during the early 18 hundreds when the French (bless them) introduced the beans to their colonies in the lesser antilles.  From there they passed into Brazil and the rest is history.  60% of the worlds coffee is from the original beans from Yemen, the Kaffa region and thus called arabica.  They grow from 600 to 2000 meters hight.  The other 40% is Robusta which grows at sea level to 800 meters, and I believe is the main bean used in Brazil.  It is grown in sunlight, as opposed to shaded areas for arabica and is the back bone of what is called coffee in the US.  There are several pages that you can search via Google for history and details, but yes a strong espresso is the best.
Noel


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## Faith

oscarlami said:
			
		

> Someone explained to me that the characteristics of a good coffee are embodied in its name ( Café in Spanish).
> 
> C- Caliente (hot)
> A- Amargo (bitter)
> F- Fuerte (strong)
> E- Escaso (scarce)


 
Hi
I didn't know that!! Anyway,  I don't like coffee like that!!  I like it either hot or cold (with ice), I don't like it bitter I prefer it sweet (a lot of sugar mmmmm) and not too strong jajaja. I guess I'm not a good "cafetera" but I'm addicted to coffee!!!


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## astronauta

Para mi solo existen los carajillos de anis (espresso con un tanto de anis) mmmmmmmmm.............


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## cuchuflete

Roi Marphille said:
			
		

> wow!
> and how do you manage to ask for a "carajillo" in Canada?



Given that most Canadians don't use the word 'carajo' in daily speech, 
I would just say.."An expresso please, with a shot of anisette."  Or, if I've understood AV...a double shot.


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## lauranazario

Noel Acevedo said:
			
		

> There are three super premium coffees in the world and PR grows one of them.


Yes, Alto Grande!
I enjoy sending Alto Grande to a special coffee-loving friend who says its flavor is marvelous and delicate but he doesn't consider it a "morning coffee" (the type one needs to really wake up) but rather an afternoon pleasure. 

Saludos,
LN


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## Noel Acevedo

Lauranazario:

Alto Grande, yes.  In addition try a coffee you only find in Jayuya called Tierra Madre (or Madre Tierra). Comes in a glass sealed jar.. GREAT.  And second floor Plaza las Américas towards Sears, small stall sells coffee from Lares, Try the gold bag...  For those of you who have to stick with Starbucks, as Charlie Chan would say :So Solly'.

Saludos, 

Noel



			
				lauranazario said:
			
		

> Yes, Alto Grande!
> I enjoy sending Alto Grande to a special coffee-loving friend who says its flavor is marvelous and delicate but he doesn't consider it a "morning coffee" (the type one needs to really wake up) but rather an afternoon pleasure.
> 
> Saludos,
> LN


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## astronauta

Roi, I just order a espresso with a shot of white Sambuca, but in Canada, cafeterias that are not licenced cannot serve alcohol therefore, to go to the nice cafes and sit down with my friends for coffe, my mom gave me the cuttest flask you've ever seen!


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## meili

I also used to be a coffee drinker.  Back in my hometown with my old office job, I usually consume 3 or 4 cups of coffee with cream and sugar a day!! I don't know, but coffee really keeps me moving! What with all the researches and reports!   Now I like my coffee mixed with chocolate! Yummy!


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## Brioche

I like black coffee, so it has to be good.
I like coffee to have flavour and body, but some blends are too burned for my liking.  

When I was in my twenties I could drink coffee anytime.

Now, I  drink 'real' coffee only in the mornings.  If I have a coffee in the evening, it has to be decaffinated, or I won't be able to sleep properly.


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## gilbert0

I'm not really a coffee drinker. I only drink coffee when I'm at work during night time. I drink coffee mocha. And I like coffee flavor ice cream.


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## Cracker Jack

Well yup, Roi. I don'tconsider myself a St*rB***'* addict but I frequent the place only for frappuchino.  Although I also like S****le'* B**t.  To be honest, I am not much of a coffee drinker. I just do it when I need to stay up late at night studying or doing term papers.

I was once insomniac and I used coffee to cure it.  I drank coffee for 2 weeks at bedtime and stopped it abruptly. I then went to sleep soundly.  *Edited by Mod-In-Training.  Added mod post for testing purposes.  Edit tools not properly functioning at this time.*


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## Vanda

We are traditionally addicted to coffee. I am! In the morning I can't be
totally awake without at least , let's say, 200 ml of coffee, and then
many "cafezinhos" during the day, and in the afternoon, again , more
125 ml of coffee.
And Noel Acevedo don't be mad at me, but I think ours is better.  
Anyway, Brazilian coffee, Costa Rican coffee, Colombian coffee, it doesn't
matter , provided it's strong and black. And to change a little: capuccino
in between the black coffee. Is it or not the god's drinking?


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## redwine

have you tried the rice coffee or corn coffee from roasted rice or corn? yum, yum,yum and if you want it with a pinch of cinnamon.....


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## Merlin

redwine said:
			
		

> have you tried the rice coffee or corn coffee from roasted rice or corn? yum, yum,yum and if you want it with a pinch of cinnamon.....


Yes I have tried it. Due to poverty here in the Philippines sometimes por families don't have food to eat. So sometimes they use the burnt rice and make it as a coffee to feed their hungry stomach. I'm not saying that rice or corn coffee are for poor people. It's just that most of us have tried it due to poverty. My mother is a coffee addict. I got mad to my sister when I went home one time and find out that she had bought a coffee maker for my mom. She consumes 10 cups of coffee a day. I greatly affected her health. So I always remind her not to drink too much coffee because I know she can't avoid it.


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## foxfirebrand

lauranazario said:
			
		

> I enjoy sending Alto Grande to a special coffee-loving friend who says its flavor is marvelous and delicate but he doesn't consider it a "morning coffee" (the type one needs to really wake up) but rather an afternoon pleasure.


 
Your friend may be right.  I personally like strong espresso and other "burnt" coffees, but the darker it's roasted, the weaker coffee gets-- in terms of caffeine content, not flavor.

A little known fact!  Plain old Folger's coffee, light-roasted _Robusta_ beans not much darker than greenish-tan, will give you an insipid-tasting cup of brew-- but pack triple the caffeine jolt of a cup of "French roast."

Fortunately I don't drink it for the caffeine.  I don't know what they do to prepare coffee in México, but that's where you'll get the tastiest cup of coffee, in my opinion.  And I don't mean in fine restaurants.

I lived in Naples for 3 years and love anything that reminds me of the place, including the espresso-- but México is the place to drink coffee.


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## cuchuflete

To say that I like good coffee would be akin to saying that I like Coltrane's A Love Supreme.  The words are accurate, but lack the requisite intensity.

Morning coffee:  Grind 1/3 good espresso beans, 1/3 french roast, and 1/3 medium roast arabica or kauna.  Fill filter basket with approximately 2.5 times the 'recommended' dose.  Brew.   The result is strong and flavorful, though less strong than what comes out of the espresso pot later in the day.  This recipe is much stronger than what usually gets called coffee in this country, and which I call unprintable names, and try to avoid. 

Other coffee experiences:  Best espresso I've ever tasted was in the coffee shops in Rome.  I have no idea where the beans were from.   Costa Rican coffee in San José was wonderful.  In the rest of the country it was flavorful, but weak.

Worst coffee ever: anything made in a percolator.


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## pajarita

I'm for coffee, good and strong.  

I have a predilection for those that remind me of Spain and Portugal. Yet, when it comes to the "best coffee ever," my choice is undoubtedly experiential: Canadian campfire coffee.  My work sometimes takes me to western Canada.  One summer the location of a particular project required an extended period of camping in a rather remote area.  Every morning, the first one up started a fire and set a simple kettle full of water and coffee grounds (origin unknown) to boil.  It is hard to say whether I would choose the stuff today in a blind taste test, but the research was so riveting, the project so exciting, the crew so engaging, the air so clean. . .


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## rob.returns

Cofee is the most feasible option for a boost of energy...

But i like it when its unprocessed, all the bitterness and pureness of natural flavor in that one great cup. (sounds like a commercial)

The way I drink it, without cream. Plain sugar and coffee.


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## foxfirebrand

rob.returns said:
			
		

> But i like it when its unprocessed, all the bitterness and pureness of natural flavor...


 
Then why the *sugar?* 

I thought you were the one who was worried about junk food!  Dispense with that vile toxin _this instant!_  Don't you find it leaves a funny stink in your mouth?


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## rob.returns

I'm not addicted to coffee foxfirebrand. Once in a while we need it, sort of an extra kick for the morning. Sugar? Like it a little sweet but ofcourse in moderate amounts....Coffee anyone?


			
				foxfirebrand said:
			
		

> Then why the *sugar?*
> I thought you were the one who was worried about junk food! Dispense with that vile toxin _this instant!_ Don't you find it leaves a funny stink in your mouth?


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## LanceKitty

I started drinking coffee to feel like an adult.  That was high school. I took coffee seriously in college when I had to be up late for paperworks and study groups. Unfortunately, it never _did_ keep me up the way I expected it to. Back then I suspected my mind was just too powerful than the caffeine so when it was time for sleep, Mr. Sandman was as real as President Bush. Whatever stimulant that was supposed to be in my body willingly gave me up to the Sandman. 

I was told, _after college_, that if I wanted a cup of coffee to keep me up all night, it had to be brewed. Instant coffees were a no-no.  Up to today, I haven't tasted BREWED COFFEE!

I've stopped drinking coffee. Not that it failed me... but because I hated the headache I'd get from caffeine withdrawal when I'd forget to check the cupboard for my stock of INSTANT COFFEE...


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## BasedowLives

i bought an espresso machine today.

tastes like crap, but it gets the job done!


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## cuchuflete

BasedowLives said:
			
		

> i bought an espresso machine today.
> 
> tastes like crap, but it gets the job done!



I couldn't agree more...the last time I tried drinking an expresso machine, the flavor was vile.   Then I tried using it to make coffee.  Much more to my taste.  

That's just a pretext to get your attention, BasedowLives..and to let you know never to wash that machine with soap.  Just clean water.  If you use soap, you will never get all the residue out, and it will make the coffee taste like,......well, crap.


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## Beautiful Princess

Merlin said:
			
		

> Yes I have tried it. Due to poverty here in the Philippines sometimes por families don't have food to eat. So sometimes they use the burnt rice and make it as a coffee to feed their hungry stomach. I'm not saying that rice or corn coffee are for poor people. It's just that most of us have tried it due to poverty. My mother is a coffee addict. I got mad to my sister when I went home one time and find out that she had bought a coffee maker for my mom. She consumes 10 cups of coffee a day. I greatly affected her health. So I always remind her not to drink too much coffee because I know she can't avoid it.


 
Hi.. I beg to clear this, it's true that most of the people lived in poverty level... the fact that you have rice.. is an exception.. because it's a resources... natural resources here in our country.. for our own pride.. I feel sorry, you seem to degrade our own country.. anyway, kapeng bigas.. or rice coffee here... is also a medicine.. especially for cholic..


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## pajarita

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> That's just a pretext to get your attention, BasedowLives..and to let you know never to wash that machine with soap. Just clean water. If you use soap, you will never get all the residue out, and it will make the coffee taste like,......well, crap.


 
Agreed. A tip for removing the oily residue left by the coffee itself is to fill the water reservoir with 1 part distilled vinegar and two parts water. Attach the empty grounds basket and run the machine as though making a pot of coffee. When the cycle is finished, pour out the vinegar water and repeat the process with pure water at least twice. 
I've known some folks who were staunch in their belief that a coffeepot/-machine is to be "cured" with coffee oils the way an iron skillet is cured. They say it imparts a flavor like no other. They may be right, but "uber-bitter" is not a flavor I enjoy. . .


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## panjandrum

I confess dual allegiance as far as coffee is concerned: 

Italian (espresso or variants) ALWAYS when out, 
French (cafetiere) ALWAYS when at home; fair trade organic arabica from Peru.
Filter, never; percolator NEVER - bleugh.

I have a friend who has invested heavily in the home espresso-makers. Before setting off for Italy in May, I asked him which of all of them made the best espresso (thinking to buy one).
He thought for a while, then confessed that the only one he uses, the one that makes the best espresso, is the simple stove-top one. 
Mine cost 60p (about $1) and gets an occasional outing.


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## dave250

I was literally about to click submit on Friday 9/23/2005 when the power went out thanks to hurricane "Rita" and everything I had written was lost.

Both my wife and I love all the Mexican, Central American and South American coffees we can get our hands on from the local shops and through mail order. We grind beans fresh and very fine for each pot we brew. A pot is about 3-4 eight ounce cups. We use either a manual Melita drip system or a Braun auto system with a cone filter. I think the brew would be strong by most standards and have had European freinds enjoy it. Almost everyone in my region of Louisiana drinks strong coffee. There is even a local brand of a dark roasted robusta-arabica blend that will do in a pinch that almost everyone (who aren't connoissuers) drinks daily. We (Carol250 and I) prefer lighter roasted coffees and drink it black.

I love coffee.


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## SweetMommaSue

Good morning foreros (as I sip my strongly made "instant" cup of coffee)!

The best espresso I ever tasted was when I visited Madrid on a lay-over stop when I was transferring overseas (back in 1985!).  I went into a coffee shop in the middle of the city--it was great!  And it sure packed a punch! The coffee I had in Kenya was nice, too. l

I agree with all who have said that the water makes a difference in the taste.  I can bring my own beans with me up to my father's, brother's or sister's homes and have different tasting coffee in each place!  

Percolators make the absolute worst-tasting coffee.  I don't know why this is, but I have yet to taste coffee made in one (even when I make it myself) that tastes good or even moderately pleasant.  I have an automatic drip maker, and that is better than the percolators, but still doesn't capture the full body and flavor of the beans.  I would love to know what method of preparing coffee yields the best flavor!

I agree with you, Roi, that American coffee is like a coffee-drink or coffee-water!  It's usually quite weak.  I went from that (I began drinking coffee when I was 12 or 13) to US Navy coffee (also notoriously bitter and having a taste all its own).  It is said that when filters run out of supply, the sailors will substitue _*anything *_(including socks) for them. . .and if you tasted the coffee, you'd see why!   Now I can make it as strong as I like.  

To me, the biggest down-side to coffee is the addictive factor.  Your body accustoms itself to the caffeine in a most sneaky way!  I didn't even realize that I was addicted until the day I didn't have my morning wake-up cup!  The ensuing headache was abominable!!! Caffeine withdrawal headaches rank right up there with some of the worst, most painful ones I've had! But, after I give my body a break of a couple of days, I'm usually right back drinking my coffee again (non-sweetened and with cream)!  It helps me to wake up in the morning.  I love black, non-sweetened coffee after sweet desserts (decaf, though so I don't stay up all night) or a specialty coffee for dessert (like with Amaretto & Kahlua).  Instant coffee for me serves the purpose of getting me going when I simply do not have the time to "brew" it.

While camping, once a long time ago, I had "hobo coffee" which was simply coffee grounds put in the bottom of a pot with water and "cooked" over the fire for a while.  It actually tasted good!  I tried it again at home, but somehow, cooking it on an electric stove just didn't have the same effect.  Perhaps it had more to do with the atmosphere of being out in nature. . .

Smiles!


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## Chepin

Coffee saved the life of my dear old friend when he was an infant in Puerto Rico, and he had a milk allergy.  He tells that his mother kept him alive giving him drops of black coffee from an eyedropper.  I love coffe, dark and rich and hot, but the older I get, the more I find out, and I wanted to share the following from a website I found by searching "Fair Trade Coffee."Now, when I can, I try to buy Fair Trade Coffee and to avoid certain large chain coffee shops because they won't treat their workers fairly.

As for tasty coffee, there is a wonderful café Puertorriqueño, called Café Madre Isla, from the mountains of Adjuntas in central Puerto Rico. You can order it online by searching "Café Madre Isla" online. It's produced by an environmentally consciouos collective. No pesticides, fair trade and muy rico...very good. That's all para now.  CM

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/nacla1000.html

mod edit: text from website removed, link added.


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## julienne

I didn't start drinking _(instant  ) _ coffee seriously until recently. main reason? somehow or other I used get sleepy whenever I drink it  ... I used to drink the stuff to get me to sleep, back in college... i know its weird, but it's true  

now that I'm working, i think i'm getting addicted to it... can't function correctly without it, and sometimes i have it flavored with just a bit of chololate too (_i found out about it when i accidentally dropped a Hershey's kisses in my cup)_


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## Finelli

I was 15 the first time I order a coffee...  to my surpirse I was asked if it was "for here or to go."   "To go???" why would anyone need to take a coffee to go just shoot it down and leave.

I was born in Canada and found out what my family called cafe they called "expresso??" and what they called coffee was a warm glass of stained water....

Over the years I've come to appreciate an occassional cup of Tim Hortons coffee (Tim Horton is the biggest coffee chain in Canada.)  But I still think of my espresso as coffee and can't believe anyone would put milk in their coffee after breakfast.


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## Napp

I'm not a coffe-lover, perhaps that's because I drink coffe with milk and mint-chocolate (?), or capuccino with or without cinnamon.

But if we talk about chocolate, this is another story. (Another thread?). 

Saludos


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## tvdxer

Is coffee (or similar drinks) often drinken in your country?

Are cafes popular?  Do they play an important rule in your local or national culture?  Do they tend to be locally owned and operated, or part of national or international chains, e.g. Starbucks?

How do people prefer to drink their caffinated drinks?  Straight and bitter, or with plenty of chocolate, cream, vanilla, etc.?

==

Coffee is very popular in the U.S., but not as much as elsewhere: according to Euromonitor statistics, found at the wonderful NationMaster site, Americans consume 3 kgs of coffee annually, per capita.  Compare this to other famous coffee-drinking countries, France and Italy, at 3.9 and 3.2 kgs each, or Norway, the leader, at 10.7 kgs (!).  We do, however, manage to outdrink the UK (1.2 kgs) and Ireland (0.7 kgs).

It seems that coffee is most often drinken at the home or office.  Instant coffee with cream seems to be the most popular choice.  Personally, whenever I drink caffinated beverages (not something I do on a daily basis, as I would be very fat if I did), I like them to have plenty of vanilla, chocolate, and other sweet things that "serious" coffee drinkers might consider blasphemous.  Starbucks Frappucinos appeal to me, as do butterscotch and vanilla mochas.

In Minnesota, one finds plenty of Starbucks, along with lesser (regional?) chain Caribou Coffee.  There are many, many independent cafes.  Note that in a small town, a "cafe'" is often better described as a small (and usually inexpensive!) restaurant, with perhaps a bar to serve coffee and tables to serve food.


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## cuchuflete

Drinken?  ......

Not in English, I'm afraid.

Have a look.


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## maxiogee

Quicken - He's been stricken with a fricken virus!


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## tvdxer

cuchuflete said:


> Drinken?  ......
> 
> Not in English, I'm afraid.
> 
> Have a look.



It sure is the TVDXER dialect of English!

I'm reforming the English language one post at a time baby!


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## Lemminkäinen

#1 eh? Well,  don't drink coffee at all, so that goes that stereotype 



tvdxer said:


> Is coffee (or similar drinks) often drinken in your country?



If there's any truth in that link, then yes, obviosuly  
As a student, I've seen some impressive drinkers, but I think that most people have a cup or two in the morning and then perhaps another at noon or so. 



> Are cafes popular?



They're growing in popularity at the moment, and it's very trendy to sit and have a fancy coffee at cafés.



> Do they play an important rule in your local or national culture?



In some parts of the city (like the 'trendy' Grünerløkka) they're very much an important part in what we call 'the city picture', but otherwise, no, not really.



> Do they tend to be locally owned and operated, or part of national or international chains, e.g. Starbucks?



There are a lot of locally owned cafés, but also quite a number of national chains (the only international chain is 7-eleven - I'd say "fast coffee" bought from there and similar chains are also very popular). 



> How do people prefer to drink their caffinated drinks?  Straight and bitter, or with plenty of chocolate, cream, vanilla, etc.?



The "regular" coffee made at home will usually be normal filtered coffee (I'm not sure if that's the correct expression in English), though there was a cappuccino machine craze a couple of years ago.

When drinking coffe "out" though (especially among young people), it's more fancy coffee (*kaffe latte* is very popular), but I don't think it's as "extreme" as in Starbucks with all this crazy stuff they add 
But I don't drink it, so what do I know? 

Ultimately though, I think it comes down to individual tase, and so it's hard to give an answer that covers everything.


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## cuchuflete

maxiogee said:


> Quicken - He's been stricken with a fricken virus!



He's been eatin outta the cider barrel again.  Makes 'im write all funny.


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## judkinsc

My opinion on the matter, as a personal viewpoint and perhaps stereotype, is that:
The French prefer espresso black, which they sip, or caffe lattes.

The Italians prefer espresso black, which they drink in one gulp, or a cappuccino for breakfast.

The Americans prefer percolated coffee, which is nasty stuff, but espresso is becoming steadily more popular after being a "trendy" fad for a while.

Personally, I think black espresso is the best: French or Italian. Italian cappuccinos are good, too.


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## zebedee

So lets close this one and all those caffeine addcits can join those other two threads because the posts are starting to repeat the other threads' posts.

See you all in the other threads! (See GenJen's post nº7)


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## cuchuflete

GenJen54 said:


> I hope the TVDXER dialect also includes "search."  Here are a few more threads on the subject:
> 
> CLICKEN
> CLICKEN



Orthography with your coffee, Miz?


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## GenJen54

*Moderator Note: *The original thread was *merged* with another thread started on October 22, 2006 (Post No. 34).


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## ireney

s coffee (or similar drinks) often drinken in your country?

Are cafes popular? 
Very and then add some

Do they play an important rule in your local or national culture?
Yeap. They are the basic meeting place and have been for endless generations (although their appearence has changed obviously)

 Do they tend to be locally owned and operated, or part of national or international chains, e.g. Starbucks?
Locally owned and operated. Starbucks is the only coffee chain I know of and it has started making its appearence these past two years (dynamically as ever)


How do people prefer to drink their caffinated drinks? Straight and bitter, or with plenty of chocolate, cream, vanilla, etc.?
Since we are coffee aficionados it's a bit hard to tell. There's turkish cofee and frappe which is basically instant coffee with cold water shaken up, nes (instant coffee with hot water) all of which are the "regular" ones people will drink either for pleasure of for waking up. All other kinds of coffees are popular but more as drinks than waking up tools if you know what I mean.

Personally I don't like vanilla or other flavours in my coffee all that much. All other kinds of coffee are more than welcom provided no one has added any sugar!


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## Hakro

For Finland (silver medal after Norway) I could copy Lemminkäinen's answers from post #38, all of them except for personal habits: I drink drink three or four large (2 dl) cups of coffee every day. I just can't understand how we didn't win Norway as Lemminkäinen doesn't drink coffee at all.


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## mplsray

judkinsc said:


> The Americans prefer percolated coffee, which is nasty stuff, but espresso is becoming steadily more popular after being a "trendy" fad for a while.


 
What are you calling "percolated coffee"? If it's what the average American would understand by percolated coffee, which is coffee made in a percolator, a device which sends boiling water through coffee grounds over and over again, I haven't had any for a very long time--a decade? two decades?--and wouldn't know where to go to get a cup of percolated coffee if I wanted one!


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## ElaineG

Well, come over if you want to, I've got my grandmother's percolator -- very useful to an extra coffee maker for large dinner parties and family gatherings.

But I suspect Jud meant what I would call _filter_ or _drip coffee_.


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## judkinsc

ElaineG said:


> But I suspect Jud meant what I would call _filter_ or _drip coffee_.



Indeed, indeed.  "To percolate" = "to filter, permeate gradually, etc."  A percolator being an older, more specific, machine, I should have clarified.  I was referring to the usual coffee filter and drip ensemble.

A cafe americano, or cafe lungo, is a weaker version of espresso, with more hot water added.  It's similar to a drip coffee in size, but more flavorful, and is to be preferred to the drip version.


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## emma42

Did any forer@ ever taste that ersatz coffee made from acorns, drunken [sic] during the Second World War?  Perhaps Cuchuflete?


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## cuchuflete

Acorns should be reserved, along with instant coffee, for porcine creatures used to hunt for truffles.

Does anyone still drink that vile stuff?  When my college roommate, in a non-cafeinated condition, threw a ski pole at our dorm room door, creating a nice clean puncture wound, we found a good use for instant coffee.  A spoonful, mixed with just a few drops of warm water, created a thick paste that filled the hole, matched the color of the wood, and saved us from a substantial fine.


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## Sorcha

cuchuflete said:


> To say that I like good coffee would be akin to saying that I like Coltrane's A Love Supreme. The words are accurate, but lack the requisite intensity.
> 
> Tee hee
> 
> Worst coffee ever: anything made in a percolator.


 
Im gonna have to question that one there, what kind of percolator are you referring to? The kind that _every_ Italian household uses? 'cos to me, thats pretty good, and often better than some machines, plus i get to be my own barista which helps too. Have you heard of caffe' dello studente(students coffee)?


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## ElaineG

> Does anyone still drink that vile stuff?


 
I have to share a sad story that goes back almost 20 years to my first summer backpacking in Europe. I spent several weeks in Scotland traveling around the highlands and islands, and in those days, that was hard core tea drinking territory. (Now there is a Starbucks in Inverness, but this was long ago...). Everywhere we went, the Scots were as nice as could be, and my friend and I were invited to tea, dinner, lunch and even breakfast at many wonderful peoples' homes. We soon learned to stop asking for coffee, though, either at homes or in the cheaper restaurants that we could afford, when offered a choice between coffee and tea, because the coffee was inevitably Nescafe and inevitably undrinkable.

One night, on a late night bus to Glasgow, I made the acquaintance of some very hip seeming art students. They invited me to come to their house the next day for "a coffee", and I accepted. When I went round to their flat, which was very chicly done up, I saw to my great joy that a cafetiere (French press style coffee maker) was sitting on the table. I started salivating as they set up lovely smoked salmon sandwiches and other delectables ... after 5 weeks, I was finally going to have a cup of coffee. They even made some remark about their hip coffee maker...

and then proceeded to fill it up with hot water and 7 heaping spoons of Nescafe.    It was all I could do not to cry.

That is why I believe that globalization is not all bad.  Nowadays, you can get a latte on the Isle of Mull, and for a coffee addict like myself, that's a good thing.


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## emma42

That is brilliant, Elaine!  I have to say that my mother is regarded  by some as "posh" because she uses instant Nescafe, rather than instant "own brand"!

Instant coffee is still very widely drunk in England, although "proper" coffee is now not unusual at all (as it was 20 years ago).  There are many varieties of instant coffee, many of which I find palatable.  This is because I am a philistine Limey tea-drinker.


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## Etcetera

Noel Acevedo said:


> What people in the US drink is not coffee (except in some more exclusive and thus expensive coffee shops) but a very watered down "something".


I guess the situation is very much the same all over the world. 
That's why I never drink coffee as such in all these cafes and restaurants. I don't have enough money to go to an expensive cafe, and I don't want to drink that coffee-flavoured something. 
Latte and cappuccino in most cafes aren't bad at all, but I still prefer to drink coffee at home - my Mum buys Lavazza Oro, and it's very good.


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## Hakro

emma42 said:


> Did any forer@ ever taste that ersatz coffee made from acorns, drunken [sic] during the Second World War? Perhaps Cuchuflete?


In Finland the ersatz coffee was made from roasted roots of dandelion. I have never tasted it.


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## ireney

Oh boy! I guess I should start oinking right now since I am having some cold, shaken, _instant_ coffee right now 

It's not tasty if you think of it as coffee, it's not exactly coffee (I'd go with Turkish coffee if I wanted lots of aroma and a taste you can't beat) but it's an enjoyable drink to me and many other Greeks.


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## Lavinia.dNP

panjandrum said:


> I confess dual allegiance as far as coffee is concerned:
> 
> Italian (espresso or variants) ALWAYS when out,
> French (cafetiere) ALWAYS when at home; fair trade organic arabica from Peru.
> Filter, never; percolator NEVER - bleugh.
> 
> I have a friend who has invested heavily in the home espresso-makers. Before setting off for Italy in May, I asked him which of all of them made the best espresso (thinking to buy one).
> He thought for a while, then confessed that the only one he uses, the one that makes the best espresso, is the simple stove-top one.
> Mine cost 60p (about $1) and gets an occasional outing.


 
I have just seen the picture of the cafetiere, and it reminds me that I have one at home and use it in a totally crazy way : I make my coffee with my stove-top machine (which we Italians call "moka"), then I pour this coffee in the "cafetiere" and pump it with short quick movements in order to obtain an espresso-like foam. Well, I don't have the espresso machine, therefore I try to obtain a similar result with the tools I have.

Another thing to know is that the only thing we Italians call "espresso" is the coffee obtained from the bar-like machine. The coffee made with the stove-top machine is called "moka" (by the way, "mocha" doesn't meen anything in Italian), and the coffee made with the paper filter machine (is it called percolator?) or with the "cafetiere" is called "dirty water"


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## Outsider

There was a thread about this in the Portuguese forum, _Falemos do Café_.


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## Lavinia.dNP

ElaineG said:


> I have to share a sad story that goes back almost 20 years to my first summer backpacking in Europe. I spent several weeks in Scotland traveling around the highlands and islands, and in those days, that was hard core tea drinking territory. (Now there is a Starbucks in Inverness, but this was long ago...). Everywhere we went, the Scots were as nice as could be, and my friend and I were invited to tea, dinner, lunch and even breakfast at many wonderful peoples' homes. We soon learned to stop asking for coffee, though, either at homes or in the cheaper restaurants that we could afford, when offered a choice between coffee and tea, because the coffee was inevitably Nescafe and inevitably undrinkable.
> 
> One night, on a late night bus to Glasgow, I made the acquaintance of some very hip seeming art students. They invited me to come to their house the next day for "a coffee", and I accepted. When I went round to their flat, which was very chicly done up, I saw to my great joy that a cafetiere (French press style coffee maker) was sitting on the table. I started salivating as they set up lovely smoked salmon sandwiches and other delectables ... after 5 weeks, I was finally going to have a cup of coffee. They even made some remark about their hip coffee maker...
> 
> and then proceeded to fill it up with hot water and 7 heaping spoons of Nescafe.  It was all I could do not to cry.
> 
> That is why I believe that globalization is not all bad. Nowadays, you can get a latte on the Isle of Mull, and for a coffee addict like myself, that's a good thing.


 
Latte? is there supposed to be any coffee in something called latte?

Excuse my ignorance, but I don't know what "latte" means in the US. In Italian it means "milk", and plain milk with nothing added in it.


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## ElaineG

Lavinia.dNP said:


> Latte? is there supposed to be any coffee in something called latte?
> 
> Excuse my ignorance, but I don't know what "latte" means in the US. In Italian it means "milk", and plain milk with nothing added in it.


 
In the U.S. we use "latte" as a shorthand for "cafe latte", espresso with a lot of steamed milk.


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## cuchuflete

The coffee percolators formerly common in the US made/make horrible coffee because they boil they water, and then boil the coffee.  Here 

is a picture of one of the infernal devices.


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## JamesM

cuchuflete said:


> The coffee percolators formerly common in the US made/make horrible coffee because they boil they water, and then boil the coffee. Here
> 
> is a picture of one of the infernal devices.


 
As far as I know, these are all but gone from daily use, though.  The only place I see a percolator (non-electric) anymore is on a campstove in a campground.


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## Hakro

ElaineG said:


> In the U.S. we use "latte" as a shorthand for "cafe latte", espresso with a lot of steamed milk.


The same in Finland.

Besides, if I remember right, in French "crème" is used to mean "white coffee", coffee with cream.


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## JamesM

Hakro said:


> The same in Finland.
> 
> Besides, if I remember right, in French "crème" is used to mean "white coffee", coffee with cream.


 
Yes, and it's delicious, but it's very different from an American latte. A café crème is what Americans would call an espresso with just a bit of milk in it, served in an espresso-size cup. An American latte is a shot of espresso (a shot being about the size of a small cup of café in France) in a tall cup of steamed milk. It is mostly milk.

I have a friend who calls most Starbuck's-style drinks "coffe-flavored milk drinks."


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## Etcetera

ElaineG said:


> In the U.S. we use "latte" as a shorthand for "cafe latte", espresso with a lot of steamed milk.


Yes, it's the same in Russia. 
I strongly prefer this drink to what they may call "coffee" or "espresso". There's so many milk in latte that you can hardly smell any coffee, and in this case it's a real advantage.


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## emma42

"Latte" means the same thing in England.  Disgusting.  I agree with JamesM's friend.  It's a hot milkshake.


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## Tolovaj_Mataj

Nice topic!  

Here in Slovenia we drink a lot of coffee as it has a status of the second most important social beverage - after beer I'm afraid.
Maybe we don't consume the biggest quantities of coffee but we like it strong. Anyway... our country is located next to Italy, therefore we had good teachers.

In a coffee shop / bar we drink:
ekspreso - expresso 
podaljšana kava - long expresso
machiato - expresso with a few drops of milk
kava s smetano - expresso with a spoon of whipped cream
kava z mlekom - expresso with milk
capučino - cappuccino ie. expresso with a foamed milk and should be strewn with cocoa powder
bela kava - white coffee ie half coffee, half hot milk

At home:
turška kava - Turkish coffee
coffee prepared in an Italian style caffetiera
filter coffee
expresso if you have that domestic version of the huge expresso machine

At work:
Turkish coffee
that brown coloured water from a machine



Starbuck? Not here. I don't miss it and any other of that kind. I hate, but really hate drinking coffee from a plastic or paper cup. A cup must be made of china or ceramics.


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## Etcetera

Tolovaj_Mataj said:


> Starbuck? Not here. I don't miss it and any other of that kind. I hate, but really hate drinking coffee from a plastic or paper cup. A cup must be made of china or ceramics.


If the coffee is in a plastic/paper cup, then it simply couldn't be coffee!


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## Bonjules

Chepin said:


> As for tasty coffee, there is a wonderful café Puertorriqueño, called Café Madre Isla, from the mountains of Adjuntas in central Puerto Rico.


 
That is true. there grows the best coffe here all over the place (like
right outside the door) not only in Adjuntas, in almost all the 'mountain' towns- it must have to do with the rich soil. To process it is not that hard -except separating the shell from the bean if you dont have machines. Unfortunately right here almost all goes to waste, since I don't drink that much (prefer tea) and don't have time to even harvest it.
Naturally, it has to be prepared the local way - no 'coffe makers',
but the 'colador'. The result is the best coffe I ever tasted.


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## zerduja

20 ounce cup 1/3 cream  1/3 instant capucciono    1/3 purcolated   amd I am good for the morning(I don t eat eat breakfast)


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## Hakro

The real coffee drinkers in Finland have classified the different coffee qualities in three grades:

_café normal_ = coffee with cognac
_café brutal_ = coffee without cognac
_café royal_ = cognac without coffee


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## mplsray

cuchuflete said:


> Acorns should be reserved, along with instant coffee, for porcine creatures used to hunt for truffles.
> 
> Does anyone still drink that vile stuff? When my college roommate, in a non-cafeinated condition, threw a ski pole at our dorm room door, creating a nice clean puncture wound, we found a good use for instant coffee. A spoonful, mixed with just a few drops of warm water, created a thick paste that filled the hole, matched the color of the wood, and saved us from a substantial fine.


 
The one type of coffee-substitute I have drunk is Postum, a drink made from roasted grain. It's OK for a hot, decaffeinated drink, but it's quite different from coffee.


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## Tochi

In Costa Rica, drinking coffee has been a tradition that started almost 200 
years ago and has been like the wine in Europe. Even the children drink coffee.
I recall the way my mother used to prepare it when I was a child...ooohhhh! I 
never could make it taste the same way myself. Generally Costa Ricans like to
drink it weak or with milk and accompanied with some kind of bread or pastry. 
I really hate the machines to prepare it, it ends with a car radiator water
flavor. I'm sure the way for a good flavor is to let the water boils for some
minutes before it touches the coffee, the 'crude' water easily ruins the whole
thing. Percolators and coffee makers really stink, in the coffee maker is easier
to surpass more or less the problem just letting it work without the coffee and
putting the warm water back to the tank a couple of times until the water is hot
enough.


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## CarolMamkny

O.K let me start by saying I am Colombian and in my family we grow, roast and drink our own coffee. I’ve been drinking coffee for as long as I can remember! I moved to NYC ten years ago and while I was in college I picked up the habit (what some call a nasty habit) of drinking at least 3 cups of coffee a day.  I believe the vast majority of New Yorkers need to drink coffee to start their days. I recently spent my summer in Rome, Italy and could not believe how important coffee was in their culture. Is coffee an important part of your culture? What is considered a “good” cup of coffee in your country?


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## cuchuflete

We have had another long discussion on this topic:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=270990

*Coffee drinking habits*


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## LA_Andaluza

Hola
I'm from Spain. I must admit I'm hooked on coffee. It keeps me awake, but more importantly, we use it as an excuse in our social life all the time. We like to spend our time with friends while having a coffee.
For example: 
'ven a casa y te tomas un cafe'
'te invito a un cafe'
Coffee is good, coffee is great!


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## TraductoraPobleSec

Hi Carol, what an interesting thread! Thanks for the great idea!

I am a coffe lover and addict and would never think that drinking coffee is a nasty habit! If I don't have a good shot of coffee first thing in the morning, I suffer from withdrawal...

Spaniards are coffee drinkers but coffee here is not half as nice as in Italy. THAT IS COFFEE!!! I find I don't like Spanish brands because they don't roast coffee strong enough, so I buy Italian coffee all the time. In fact, I travel to Sardinia at least twice a year and there I buy local coffee from a maker in Cagliari, which is excellent. Neapolitan coffee is also out of this world. I also use Italian _caffetiere_. When it comes to coffee, the ITALIAN IN ME COMES OUT!!!!!!!!!!

By the way, I lived in Seattle some years ago, in my early twenties, and I liked the much appreciated Seattle coffee/espresso. However, now I find it tastes really bad compared to Italian coffee.

On the whole, I'd say that never mind if coffee is good or bad, Spaniards on the whole cannot do without it.


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## TraductoraPobleSec

LA_Andaluza said:


> Hola
> I'm from Spain. I must admit I'm hooked on coffee. It keeps me awake, but more importantly, we use it as an excuse in our social life all the time. We like to spend our time with friends while having a coffee.
> For example:
> 'ven a casa y te tomas un cafe'
> 'te invito a un cafe'
> Coffee is good, coffee is great!


 
I totally agree. Coffee brings people together and, if you're by yourself, it makes life less lonely.

Un gran beso a Andalucía


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## cuchuflete

This most recent thread has been merged with the previously combined three threads about coffee and its importance, drinking habits, social significance, and other coffee-related subjects.


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## Athaulf

CarolMamkny said:


> O.K let me start by saying I am Colombian and in my family we grow, roast and drink our own coffee. I’ve been drinking coffee for as long as I can remember! I moved to NYC ten years ago and while I was in college I picked up the habit (what some call a nasty habit) of drinking at least 3 cups of coffee a day.  I believe the vast majority of New Yorkers need to drink coffee to start their days. I recently spent my summer in Rome, Italy and could not believe how important coffee was in their culture. Is coffee an important part of your culture? What is considered a “good” cup of coffee in your country?



In Bosnia, where I was born and spend my childhood, the cultural and social significance of coffee cannot be overstated.  Over there, the most popular traditional variant is Turkish coffee. Drinking coffee is generally seen as a highly relaxing activity and an important opportunity for socializing with friends and neighbors. There are even some coffee-related terms in various Bosnian dialects that can't be properly translated into any other languages I know. For example, the verb _kafendisati_ means roughly _to drink coffee_, but its full meaning can't be expressed in English easily -- it has additional implications of calm, relaxed, stress-free environment and a friendly, fun conversation with the people around you. You couldn't use this word for drinking a cup from Starbucks on the way to work. 

Being myself from Bosnia, I hope I'll be allowed to tell the following joke I heard once:

Q: How can you recognize a Bosnian woman on the beach?
A: She has a bruise from the coffee grinder on her stomach. 

(A traditional coffee grinder, such as the ones in the pictures above, is commonly used by pressing it against one's belly with one hand and turning the handle with the other. Traditionally, the coffee is ground on a daily basis, immediately before brewing, in order to maximize freshness.)


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## CarolMamkny

Well... In my case I make my own espresso at home in the morning. Then I make a quick run a buy a "latte" around 10 a.m. However, when I run out of time I have to stop at "THE COFFEE ROOM"  in my office and help myself to an awful tasting cup of coffee (it usually tastes so bad because it's been re-heated multiple times during the day)  Do you have such "rooms" at work in Bosnia?


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## elizabeth_b

I simply love coffee.  My dad is brazilian so we always enjoy the coffee time... which was practically all the day    At home we always drink Brazilian coffee, Colombian coffe and mexican coffee from Veracruz.  And usually I like it expresso.  I bought my Italian caffetiere and I do it myself.  
I don't use sugar nor milk or any of it's substitutes.
But  sometimes I also enjoy a good cappuchino.  I enjoy tasting it's diferent combinations.  The one I have liked the most was the Cappuchino with Roses.  It's the most delicious variety of cappuchino I've ever tasted.


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## avok

oscarlami said:


> Coffee was introduced in Europe by the Arabs. The first Europeans to have contact with the product were those in the areas they conquered in Southern Europe, parts of Spain, Italy and Turkish territories fundamentally.
> 
> It was seen as an infidel beverage used by Muslims, but in the 17th Century Pope Clement VIII baptized it


 
Hi Oscarlami (if you are still there!!) But coffee must have been introduced to Europe by Turks during the Siege of Vienna. 

Coffee is an integral part of Turkish life, I am a coffee addict too, I can't imagine my life without coffee. 

My favourite coffee is, of course, Turkish coffee which is sooo strong and bitter _ the way I like it  Turkish coffee is the bitter/dark chocolate of the coffe world. Unfortunately it is hard to prepare Turkish coffee. First of all, Turkish coffee has to be boiled in a pot called "cezve". But it is not that easy, one needs time and experience for that. 

Most women also use coffee for fortune telling. The coffee has to be served in a special cup called "fincan". The coffee is drunk and at the bottom of the fincan, we can always see coffee grounds. People use these coffee grounds to "read the future", mystic....

But I can barely say "no" to a hot cup of coffee at Starbucks. Less mystic but practical 

By the way, I usually prefer coffee along with some cinnamon, if it Starbucks-kind-of-coffe.


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## Maeskizzle

tvdxer said:


> Do they [cafes] play an important rule in your local or national culture?



They can play a nice part.  When I was home for Christmas, we went to the local coffeehouse to see some talented home-town musicians play, and to my surprise the place was absolutely packed.  Turns out they were having a meeting to organize a protest against a coal-gasification power plant that Excelsior Energy, Inc. wants to put in Northern Minnesota.  For now, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has decided it is not in public interest to continue with the project.  Good news for the time being.

As far as my coffee drinking habits, I like my Italian percolator.  When I grind the coffee beans, I throw in a couple cardamom pods and a little bit of cinnamin for a spiced cup with a bit of raw sugar and cream or milk.  I also have an occasional Nescafe.  It's part of the culture here in Chile and I've assimilated. 

One coffee peculiarity that I noticed after living for a year in Spain and drinking innumerous cups of café con leche, is that the cafe lattes in the States seem to have a burnt flavor.  Anyone else noticed this?


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## alexacohen

Maeskizzle said:


> .
> One coffee peculiarity that I noticed after living for a year in Spain and drinking innumerous cups of café con leche, is that the cafe lattes in the States seem to have a burnt flavor. Anyone else noticed this?


Yes. Every Spaniard who has been to the States and had tried to drink one of them.
They don't taste the same.
Here is usually café con leche for breakfast, and café solo after lunch. The midmorning coffee and the mid afternoon coffee may be café con leche or solo. 
But it has to be fresh coffee, if it tastes as if it has been burned then it's not coffee, it's petroleum.


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## TraductoraPobleSec

Maeskizzle said:


> One coffee peculiarity that I noticed after living for a year in Spain and drinking innumerous cups of café con leche, is that the cafe lattes in the States seem to have a burnt flavor. Anyone else noticed this?


 
Lattes in the US taste like *candy* to me . I used to love them when I lived there, but now that I am back to "my Mediterranean self" and being too hooked on Italian coffee, I very much doubt I would enjoy them again.


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## JamesM

Maeskizzle said:


> One coffee peculiarity that I noticed after living for a year in Spain and drinking innumerous cups of café con leche, is that the cafe lattes in the States seem to have a burnt flavor. Anyone else noticed this?


 
Many of them do. Yes, I've noticed that, too. Starbuck's has both a slight burnt taste and an acidic tang to it that is not found in other coffee shops. I do know what you mean, though. In some places it is so noticeable that I don't return there.

Someone mentioned coffee at work.  It's strange. I'm very particular about coffee if I'm going out for coffee, but I just chug down the "brew" called coffee that's served at work and don't think about how unpleasant it is compared to a nice cup of coffee in a coffee shop.  It's free at all places I work and the caffeine helps me keep going through the day.  It's more like taking medicine than enjoying a cup of coffee.


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## alexacohen

JamesM said:


> I'm very particular about coffee if I'm going out for coffee, but I just chug down the "brew" called coffee that's served at work and don't think about how unpleasant it is compared to a nice cup of coffee in a coffee shop. It's free at all places I work and the caffeine helps me keep going through the day. It's more like taking medicine than enjoying a cup of coffee.


 
It is taking medicine! A vile stuff everywhere but it helps you stay awake.


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## Chaska Ñawi

When this thread was started in 2005, the rules of Wordreference were somewhat more relaxed.  Now, however, this thread falls outside the Cultura guidelines, since it leads to large doses of chat and personal opinion.

We had left it alone for a few days after its resurrection, but since many of the more recent posts have fallen into the chat/personal opinion category, this thread has retired to sit under a jacaranda and enjoy a quiet cup of Bolivian free trade coffee.


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