September 30th, 2012

Cafe Culture From Around the World

Over hundreds of years, in many different parts of the world, a culture has formed around the act of gathering for a coffee, and has become a ritual deeply entrenched in many societies. The following is a look at just a few examples of cafe culture from around the world.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

One part of the world that takes its cafe culture seriously is the Argentinean capital, Buenos Aires, with the oldest cafes in the city, Café Tortoni and Confiteria Ideal, dating back well over a hundred years. Italian and Spanish immigrants founded many of the oldest cafes in the city around the start of the 20th century, and 53 of these gorgeous old establishments have been declared protected by the Argentinean Government for their historical and cultural importance.

Only espresso coffee is used here, with filter coffee considered an absolute sacrilege, and your drink will usually come with a glass of juice or soda water, as well as a small baked treat. Cafes play a crucial role in Argentinean society as the places for not just socialising, but also often where job interviews and even business meetings take place. The cafe culture in Buenos Aires is so strong that a number of songs have been written in honour of the local cafes and the culture surrounding them.

Nordic Cafe culture

It makes sense that hot beverages would play important roles in cold countries, and coffee is a well-entrenched part of the way of life in a number of Nordic cultures, with Finnish people especially well known for being partial to a cup of good coffee. In Sweden the term ‘fika’ means to take a coffee break with friends, often served with cinnamon rolls. The Danish use the term ‘hygge’ to describe relaxing and getting comfortable with good friends and a good coffee, and in Norway the cafes commonly serve up homemade waffles to enjoy with your coffee.

Nordic coffee houses are also known for their creative style, with each individual cafe showcasing its own unique look by way of bar stools, art and ornately decorated cafe tables. If you like coffee, you will love Nordic countries.

North America

Coffee in the United States and Canada is viewed by a lot of the coffee-drinking world as being low quality and more of an addiction than an appreciation. While there are some cafes that have been able to create more of a community style culture to them and that serve coffee well worth slowly appreciating, these operations are massively overshadowed by fast-food-style coffee giants Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Second Cup and the like.

European Cafe culture

For hundreds of years, cafes have played an important role in European society, with the influence of places like Turkey, Spain, Italy and even North Africa playing a decisive role. The cafes of Paris, Vienna and Prague have become world leaders in cafe culture, and have for centuries provided not just a place to socialise, but also for widespread political movements to be organized, some of which went on to change the course of history.

Countries like Australia, with lots of European immigrants, have started to see a significant rise in European style cafe culture, with Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and even Adelaide all now boasting an impressive and thriving scene.