You know that moment when you arrive in a new place and, suffering from journey fatigue, the first thing you crave is a coffee. And then you realise that you’ve no idea about what to order, how to order it and whether it’s going to knock us off our feet or not. You want to make a good first impression and not look like a total out of towner because you can’t even order a coffee. And yet you crumble and say a vague ‘kaffee’ sound and hope for the best. Understanding the coffee culture in any country is better than any stamp on a passport. Which is why we’ve been brewing thoughts on some coffee rituals around the world, so that you’re not ‘roasted’ the next time you capitulate and panic order a cappuccino. Bean there done that?
Morocco
Mint tea is the mother of all drinks in Morocco, and while on one of our privately-guided adventures you’ll be entertained by the pouring techniques of our local experts. However, coffee does exist, and it’s delicious too. It’s not a wakeup drink though, more of a meetup one, where socialising is very much part of the sipping experience. Cafes tend to be the domain of men, often crowding around a football match on the telly, but this is changing and shouldn’t put you off experiencing a Moroccan coffee.
The choice tends to be a cafe noir, or qahwa kahla in Arabic, or a charmingly named nous nous. The former is an espresso, and the latter is half warm milk and half espresso, which is why the name translates as half-half in Arabic. With a nous nous, the waiter may arrive with the hot milk and then pour in the desired amount of coffee into it from, if you’re lucky, a traditional coffee pot, called a dallah. Although more and more machines are used nowadays of course, they might not produce the traditional tastes of coffee and spices such as cardamom. A coffee to go is also an anathema to Moroccans. Why go when you can happily gather and gabble?
The Balkans
Unlike Morocco, coffee is a morning affair in most Balkan countries, but also a sociable one, with cafes a compulsory stop off after breakfast and before the working day begins. Introduced to the region by the Ottomans, it still has an eastern aesthetic if you go to a traditional coffee house – a kafana in Serbia, kavana in Croatia, or kavarna in Slovenia, to name but a few examples. Of course, in the large, cosmopolitan cities such as Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina, or Sofia in Bulgaria you have coffee chains and contemporary coffee houses with extensive menus. But if you want the traditional experience while hiking along more rural trails, such as the Peaks of the Balkans, seek out traditional cafes. Ones where you get coffee made in a džezva, a special long-handled pot which has gone through a complex heating and frothing process, with water added at the end of this. It’s often served with a sweet pastry or a jellied sweet called lokum in Bulgaria, rahat lokum in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and ratluk in Serbia (aka Turkish delight). In Bosnia-Herzegovina, the tradition is to serve coffee in a fildžan, or ceramic cup. This has a moon and star design on the bottom of it, which is used to show how strong the coffee is. If you can see the design, it’s tanka coffee, meaning it’s lighter, and if you can’t, you’ve got a full on jaka, or strong coffee. Either way, sip it slowly and don’t knock it back. Balkan coffee is for brewing ideas and thoughts over. Especially if you’re given a shot of rakija, rakia, rachiu, rakı or rakiya on the side, depending on the country that you’re visiting. As they’re all named differently, but all hit the same spot!
Greece
Although Greece is one of the Balkan countries, we’re giving it its own space here because, as well as the traditional Balkan style coffee, called ibrik in Greece, they have the famous freddo now too. This is an adaptation of the frappe that was introduced to Greece in the 1970s using instant coffee. The freddo is a bit more sophisticated, made with espresso (usually a double) and mixed with ice. This is called simply a fredo espresso, or with cold milk added, it’s a freddo cappuccino. If you want an old school cafe while hiking or cycling in some of our remote Greek holidays, then seek out a kafeneio, and for something more contemporary you have a kafeteria. They will often ask you if you want sugar while they’re making it, so that it dissolves properly while hot, rather than giving you a sachet afterwards. And even though it’s espresso style, it’s to be drunk siga, siga, or slowly slowly.
Italy
First things first, never order a Frappuccino in Italy or you’ll feel as crushed as the ice that you crave from the look given by the barista. The same goes for an americano, so go for a caffè lungo instead, which is an espresso with a splash of acqua. Secondly, if you ask for a caffè, you get one shot of espresso, served black. If you really need two shots, it’s a doppio. Don’t order a cappuccino or cafe latte if it’s after 11.00, as it’s a breakfast drink, and a macchiato is an afternoon wake-up drink. In traditional cafes, if you drink standing, or al banco, the coffee tends to be cheaper. But you won’t be standing for too long if you have a caffè corretto, which has a shot of grappa or various other spirits. Literally translated as a ‘corrected coffee’, see if you can stand corrected.
Spain
Similar to France and Italy, many Spanish people dive into the day with dairy, and a café con leche. Quick caffeine hits later in the day (and in Spain coffee is late into the day and night) include café solo for a traditional one shot of espresso, or a café cortado, which is ‘cut’ with a splash of milk. With Mediterranean culture at the heart of so much of Spain, a café con hielo, or a shot of espresso with ice, is a welcome treat, usually served in separate vessels. That way you can add sugar to the hot coffee so that it melts, and then you pour the sweet mix over the ice. If you want even more sugar to get a quick energy hit, a café bombón is an espresso with sweetened condensed milk. You’ll be able to fiesta all night after one of those.
France
A milky café au lait is how to start the day in France, served in a bowl so that you can dip your pastry or slice of baguette into it. After elevenses, you’re talking a straight forward café (an espresso) or a café crème, which has creamy milk added. You can stand to have it in a traditional tabac, or tobacco shop, or sip it slowly while watching the world go by on a café terrace. Where you will always pay more. If you want to avoid the cringe of an americano, go for a café allongé which is a much more French option – an espresso in a bigger cup, with hot water on the side so that you can dilute it to your taste. Iced coffee is less common in France, but déca has been around for years, meaning decaffeinated. If you want a double shot soy latte with syrup, bon courage.
Portugal
For a perfect Portuguese coffee experience, head to a pastelaria, which are coffee shops packed with pastries. Similar to other European countries, the focus is on a quick shot. If you order um café, you get a shot of espresso, the most common form of coffee. Just to complicate things, this is called a bica in Lisbon and a cimbalinho in Porto. For a bit more water, ask for um abatanado and for more milk, um café pingado is perfect. Again, the meia de leite or milky coffee is a breakfast drink that serves almost as a meal. For a milky mid-afternoon moment, opt for a um galão, which is a glass of milk with a hit of coffee to keep you going. And usually served with a lot of pastries, the most famous being a pastel de nata.
Turkey
Just think of the traveller’s story who asked for milk with their coffee in Turkey and the waiter responded, ‘only babies have milk in their coffee’, and you get the picture. That’s the traditional way, of course, although like many countries, coffee is changing in Turkey as they move towards more European epicurean ways. However, we highly recommend you experience the ancient art of coffee making while in Turkey. It’s rude not to, given that traditional Turkish coffee is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, and still one of the most famous coffee rituals around the world.
Start off by ordering a Türk kahvesi, and then, if you’re in the right type of cafe, you can watch the ritual unfold. This involves brewing the coffee in a metal pot, called a cezve, until a thick foam covers the surface. Sometimes it’s even heated in hot sand on the ground or in a large dish. When it’s served, in a glass or ceramic cup, you leave it for a while to let the coffee grounds settle, and then sip slowly. You may also have it flavoured with hazelnut or cardamom which softens the blow a little. To sweeten it, you often get some lokum, or Turkish delight on the side, and a glass of water comes with the coffee, which you drink first. And milk? Don’t be a turkey.
If you need another caffeine hit, you may enjoy our blog on our Favourite cycling cafes, and for other foodie fun, check out the following: Food festivals to include on your adventure holidays, Food in the Balkans, Best food in Scotland and Best markets in France.
