Egypt: The Fortune-Telling Coffee
Additional coffee info: In Egypt, the coffee should absolutely come with a layer of foam on the top. They even say that the girl who is unable to prepare it with a foam, is not eligible for marriage :) And as sugar is diluted while preparing the coffee on the stove, you should specify in advance whether you need your coffee 'Sada = without sugar, 'mazbout' = medium amount of sugar or 'ziada' = very sugary). Fortune telling is not only limited to Egypt, but could be found also in Turkey and Lebanon.
Lebanon: The Musical Coffee
Additional coffee info: Unlike Egypt, it is considered unskillful for Lebanese to prepare the coffee with the foam layer and they add cardamom on it. Also if you wonder who invented this weird drink called White Coffee/ Café Blanc, which is basically an infusion of herbs and orange flower with No Coffee at all? Well the Lebanese did !
Turkey: The Future Husband's Coffee
Additional coffee info: Coffee drinking and coffeehouses were banned by the Ottoman rulers in the 17th century. Who would imagine that today Turkish coffee will become a protected heritage of the country. Things change !
France: The Gluttonous Coffee (Café Gourmand)
Additional coffee info: If you happen to be in France and someone order une noisette after their meal, don't laugh! They don't mean one hazelnut in that case. Noisette is an espresso with few drops of milk :)
Sweden: The Social Coffee (Fika)
Swedes however prefer not to translate this precious word, since Swedish Fika is not merely about having a coffee break; it's a way of life, a social phenomenon more than just coffee drinking. Swedes have a reputation for being a bit reserved and not easy to approach. And as a way to loosen the grip and open up, especially with people they barely know and work colleagues, they invented the Fika as a way to get to know each other and have light and informal discussions. At work places, Fika is taken at least twice a day (around 10 am and 3 pm), where even top managers would join their employees. But Fika could also take place with anyone and at anytime of the day, be it family members or friends. If one day you go for Fika with a friend, don't ever mention the word to an Italian. The word apparently has obscene connotations in Italian language. And this brings me to the last country in this article: Italy!
Italy: The Hurly-Burly Coffee
Additional coffee info: Don't freak out, as a tourist you can still be served a cappuccino after 11am and enjoy it in one of the street cafes in the tourist areas of the city. However, while in Italy, don't ever make the mistake to order a Latte or you will end up with a glass of hot milk in your hand. Instead, be precise and ask for a Caffe Latte.
By Ingy Sedky