Coffee Rituals Around the World

Coffee is everywhere, but it is not the same everywhere. In some places people drink it in one minute, standing at a counter; in others a whole family sits around a charcoal stove for over an hour. Below are seven well-known ways of drinking it, described from general observation. Each place has many variations, so treat this as a broad picture rather than hard rules.

Italy: espresso at the counter

In many Italian cafés, people step up to the bar, order a small espresso, drink it hot within minutes and carry on. There is no elaborate equipment and no lingering; the pace is quick and neat, and part of the morning. Milk coffees such as cappuccino are typically ordered in the morning, while after a meal many people choose espresso. For brewing techniques, see How the World Enjoys Coffee.

Turkey: the cezve and the small cup

Coffee is ground to a powder-like fineness and simmered with water (sugar optional) in a small long-handled pot called a cezve (or ibrik), heated gently until a foam forms. It is poured into a small cup and the grounds settle at the bottom. People sip slowly and do not drink the last of the grounds. It is an old method, usually served with a small sweet and conversation.

Ethiopia: the buna ceremony

Ethiopia is often named as the home of the coffee plant. Here buna (coffee) is not just a drink but a ceremony of hospitality. The host roasts green beans in front of the guests, filling the room with aroma, grinds or pounds them, then brews the coffee in a clay pot called a jebena. It is poured in several rounds (often three) into small cups. The whole ceremony can last quite a while and is a chance for the community to sit together.

Sweden: fika

Fika is a deliberate break: make coffee, have a pastry (a cinnamon bun, for example) and chat with colleagues, friends or family. Many workplaces have a set fika time. Coffee is the excuse to stop; what matters is the time together.

Colombia: tinto

Tinto is the common Colombian word for a small cup of black coffee, usually lighter than espresso and often drunk sweetened. Street vendors push carts and pour from thermoses; in cafés, offices and markets, tinto is the everyday cup. Colombia is also a well-known coffee-growing country, so coffee is part of daily life as a matter of course.

Southeast Asia: kopi

In Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, kopi is typically dark-roasted, sometimes roasted with butter or sugar, then filtered through a cloth bag (often called a "sock"). It is usually made with condensed milk or sugar under many local names, hot or iced. Kopitiam and warung are morning meeting places where a cup comes with toast or a light snack.

Vietnam: the phin and the wait

Vietnamese people brew with a phin: hot water dripping slowly through the grounds into the glass. The coffee is usually strong, often Robusta, drunk black and hot, or with condensed milk over ice. Waiting for each drop is part of the ritual, often on the pavement, amid traffic and chatter. Read more in The Phin Filter — Icon of Vietnamese Coffee and Vietnamese Iced Milk Coffee — the Nation's Favourite.

Quick comparison

What they share

Methods differ from place to place, yet one thing is common: coffee is an excuse for people to meet, pause or start the day. Whether you use a phin, a cezve or an espresso machine, a cup brewed from fresh beans and drunk slowly keeps that ritual alive.