Coffee on the Go
Guest Editor: Teryn Hartline
copyright 2020 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc
If you're reading this article, that probably means that you're an avid coffee drinker. If coffee is one of the best parts of your day, then coffee runs your life. I know from experience how much we rely on coffee. I drink coffee all day every day. Partly because I like the taste, but more so because I love caffeine. That's just the American way we love our coffee. The funny thing is that in America, we take our coffee very seriously. We pride ourselves on the amount of caffeine Americans drink per day and the different types of flavors that we have. In America, coffee is an essential part of most people's lives.
Whether it's making it at home, grabbing it in a drive thru, or making it at your office. Most American's drink coffee at least in the morning, if not throughout the day. We drink coffee in the morning, and then grab an iced latte at lunch, and then maybe some more on our way home from work. Most Americans consume coffee not because they love the flavor, but because they need that extra pick me up before their next meeting, or the family dinner they have to attend, or just plain old watching their kids. Americans love their coffee; we live for it. Americans believe that coffee is essential to being able to be a functional human being.
I love coffee. I drink it every morning and can't go without it. For me, coffee is a cup of energy every morning. I either drink it while working or on my way to work. When I finish with one cup, I go and get another. Americans love our coffee, and maybe because we do not drink black coffee. We have mocha lattes, caramel macchiatos, and pumpkin spice flavoring. They all taste more like candy and less like coffee, which is what Americans like most about our coffee. We don’t want to taste coffee.
The American way to drink coffee is to buy the largest size they have, put cream and sugar in it, and drink it. That is all while working, and if you run out, you go out and get another one. That is the American way, but can you believe that it is not many other countries' ways? Many other countries have different coffee cultures than we do. One of the countries that pride themselves on coffee, but are vastly different than us, is Italy. Italy is known for its coffee and the pleasure that it brings. I have done extensive research on Italy and its coffee culture and have found that many things that we Americans think of when dreaming about our cup of coffee are not something Italians do.
I found that to be fascinating that other countries, especially Italy, have different coffee cultures. So, I created a list of some of the differences between American and Italy's coffee Cultures.
American Coffee Culture Vs Italian Coffee Culture
American coffee culture is not like any other. We drink coffee because we can’t live without it. Some people believe that they cannot start their day without a cup of coffee. Italians coffee is widely different from Americans. America likes to add flavor, sugar, whipped cream to our coffee whereas Italians prefer it black and as an espresso. There are many differences between the way that we as Americans drink coffee and the ways that Italians drink coffee.
Sizes- When Americans go to a coffee shop and order a coffee, the smallest coffee usually available to us is 8oz, and it goes up from there. The sizes range from 8oz up to 32oz. That is because we like our coffee big so that we can get more caffeine and drink it throughout the day. America's caffeine consumption is much higher than in Italy. Italian coffee is served in 5oz cups, which is smaller than our smallest cup. They don’t want the coffee for the caffeine, but rather the taste of the actual drink. If an Italian later in the day wants another cup, they go out and get another 5oz.
Social Event- When is the last time you went to a cafe for something other than working on your laptop? It is so weird to think that other countries don’t sit around by themselves on their laptops. In America, the only reason we go to the cafe is to work while drinking coffee. We usually have headphones in, sitting in a corner so no one will disturb us. Have you ever heard the saying, “do not talk to me before I have had my coffee?" That is the phrase that Americans like to use best. This is because we believe that we need coffee to be social or even a tolerable human being. Well, Italians don’t believe in that. There is no anti-social behavior before they have had their coffee. Italians go to cafes to be social and drink their coffee while talking to others. That is such a foreign concept to Americans because we are so used to cafes being a home away from home where we can work and drink our coffee. In most situations, you will not see an Italian person with a laptop in a cafe. It also goes both ways; most of the time you won't see an American in a cafe without one.
Savoring- In America, we like to drink our coffee all day every day, making sure that we have a cup of coffee in our hands at all points during the day. We shop with coffee, walk our dogs, work, even get ready in the morning with a cup of coffee in hand. We are so used to having some sort of caffeine in our system. To have a cup of coffee while we do everything has become a daily habit. Italians don’t do that. They have their coffee down in one gulp and go on with the rest of their day. That is also due to the fact that their coffee is much different than ours, but also because they don’t treat coffee as an accessory, but rather a quick drink they have to catch up with friends.
Flavor- Like I said earlier, Americans don’t want to taste the actual coffee. We want the idea of coffee without the bitterness of the flavor of the coffee, so we add sugar. We add flavors and whipped cream to make it taste like anything but coffee. We even have a specific flavor for every season, Pumpkin spice for the fall, Peppermint for the winter, fruity for the spring and summer. The idea that anyone would drink coffee without some kind of flavor or sugar is strange to Americans. Who has a Starbucks or a Dunkin on every street corner? Not Italy, they have cafes. Italians keep it simple; they don’t add caramel or mocha to their lattes, and they do not have pumpkin spice. They drink their coffee because they love the taste of the bean. They also don’t have many coffee chains. They have cafes. Every cafe has a special blend, and people will only go to have their favorite coffee.
Quality- Italians will spend money and time so they can have a good cup of coffee. They will drive or walk to a coffee shop out of their way because the coffee tastes better. Italians would rather get their coffee and drink it in one sitting. This is because they want the best coffee, and it doesn't matter the cost or inconvenience. Americans would rather take the convenience and the less expensive option over quality. We go to the most convenient place to get coffee, it doesn't matter if that coffee is good or not, and we sip on that all day. Again, this is why there is a Starbucks and a Dunkin on every corner in America, convenience over quality.
The Ideal American coffee experience
All of these factors make for an interesting question. What is your ideal coffee experience? If you ask Americans what their perfect mornings would look like, many will probably say something that involved coffee. Coffee has become an essential part of our everyday lives, especially in the morning. Though we don't always get to enjoy our coffee and relax in the mornings. There are many Americans that would say that their ideal morning would be relaxing with their coffee.
For me, I could tell you without a doubt that my ideal morning would be to sit on the couch in my pajamas, drinking coffee, and watching tv. That would be my perfect morning. Though that's not for everyone, I bet that many would have a similar image in mind when I posed that question. There is just something about that first sip of coffee in the morning that makes the day all the better.
The fact of the matter is that the American ways are so different from the Italian way, but each has valid coffee cultures. Each has something that the other side might want. Italians talk and relax while drinking coffee in a cafe, while Americans work and listen to music silently. Both have valid points but have widely different outcomes.
So, I ask you to think about your daily coffee experience and culture. Do you have an ideal coffee experience? If so, what can you do to make that dream a reality? Americans have to stop living to work, but instead of working to live.
For more about coffee , get your copy of The Basic Art of Coffee
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