"Corner View" Coffee in Germany

In 1773, exactly 200 years before I was born, colonists in Boston threw entire shipments of tea overboard in protest against high taxes that the British government had imposed on the tea. Some say that those events at the Boston Tea Party catapulted Americans into finding an alternative... coffee.

I would generally say that coffee is an equally as loved beverage in Germany as it is the U.S., but it seems to be incorporated into the culture quite differently. Traditional "coffee and cake" time in Deutschland is a far cry from the stryrofoam cups, travel mugs, and Starbucks "I'll-take-it-on-the-go"concept that seems to dominate the lives of coffee drinkers in the States.

In the summer, the cafe's in Germany are filled with people sitting outside enjoying coffee in every possible way... cappuccino, latte, espresso, regular... you name it. What strikes me as interesting is that most often coffee would be served in regular china or porcelain rather than styrofoam. This is not just at cafes, but also at bratwurst kiosks and even at carnival stands... for two reasons: Germans are very green and they also just like to drink out of regular cups.

At family gatherings, afternoon weddings, or parties one would expect that "coffee and cake" time would be observed. It is not so much that it is a specific time or an everyday thing, but many enjoy the afternoon pause of relaxation, enjoyment, and social time. I can remember my first such family gathering, I was so fascinated by the sweet little sugar cubes decorating the table that I could only reminisce about movies I had seen where the proper English lady hostess would offer her guests "one lump or two".

Should one ever travel to Germany, you would have the luck that most Germans are quite fluent in English, so ordering your favorite beverage would be no problem (unless you can't speak English) But if you would prefer to do it like the locals, the proper way to order two coffees with milk would be... "ich möchte gerne zwei kaffe's mit Milch, bitte"

... So how do I take my coffee?....









...I'll have just the cup and saucer (minus the coffee) since I am a tea drinker and do not partake of this morning pick-me-upper drink... but I do have a thing for the beautiful cups, especially espresso is served in.

Funniest conversation over coffee.... ... "so tell me again, why do you have the mocha cup (and spoon) in front of you if you aren't going to drink any coffee?"... for more conversations over coffee visit Jane at Spain Daily.