I’d like a coffee please

Photo taken in Poland - April 2007

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Here’s something I’ve been meaning to blog about for while. Coffee!

Making my way to the office kitchen, eyes half-open, I reach out for an individual dose of Nescafé instant coffee. And every morning somebody asks me whether I’d like some milk. I politely refuse, and whoever is in the kitchen looks at me as if I come from planet Mars.  

Well I am certainly not from Mars but I am French – and the French do not put milk in their coffee! And they prefer fresh cafetière coffee to instant coffee. 

During my recent Italian trip, my friend made me some coffee for breakfast. I was expecting a nice large cup of Italian coffee but he gave me a small espresso cup… I should have known better!  

In a nutshell:

  • If you ask for a coffee in England, people will most of the time add some milk 

  •  If you ask for a coffee (un café) in France you’ll get a large black Americano 

  •  If you ask for a coffee (un caffè) in Italy you’ll get an espresso

Understanding different cultures is an art… so is coffee making! 

 How do you take your coffee? ;)

3 Responses to “I’d like a coffee please”

  1. Happy Blog Birthday Lolly!!

    In the United States coffee orders vary too.
    If you ask for a regular coffee in Ohio, you get a black medium sized coffee.
    If you ask for a regular coffee in Rhode Island, you’ll get milk and it has nothing to do with the size.

    Happy Blog Birthday Lolly!!

  2. Drinking tea is no where near as complicated. ;)

  3. Just try and order a “long black” or a “flat white” in America’s southern states.

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