Blog #6

In my Tica family coffee is drank in the morning with breakfast. I know there are some families that have coffee in the afternoon with breakfast and others that also drink coffee throughout the day with lunch and or during breaks at work. At Colegio St. Francis (my education practicum) the primary school has three 15 minute recesses. During those recesses the teachers get to go to the lounge and, especially for the morning recess, coffee is a part of the conversation and mini-break. At the coffee plantation we learned that Ticos pride themselves on the quality of their coffee beans. The coffee shops that I have been to in San Jose all have incredible coffee and it seems that coffee is a staple on every menu. It is often offered with dessert in restaurants and in the workplace, the coffeemaker is an ideal spot for gossip and daily banter.
According to my Tica mom, Ticos begin drinking coffee in their teenage years because this is normally when they start craving that caffeine boost in the morning. Even so my 5 year old sister has tried the bitter drink and loves it. The precedence of coffee culture here is very obvious. There are a ton of small coffee shops, no chains like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts and many people get up in the morning to fresh brewed coffee.
In the US coffee is a means energy. It is a staple for the exhausted 7am-6pm worker. It is a necessity to get through the day. In Costa Rica, coffee is a symbol of pride. It represents how Ticos find value in their food, how the provide valued goods to other places and how a food can bring people together. Families and friends drink coffee together and it is a staple that represents both a successful country and the community that makes Costa Rica one country. Coffee in Costa Rica is a true life example of Barthes' article on how food is more than nutrition. Coffee is a means of communication among people; it is a strong piece of Tican culture. Coffee is a staple in Costa Rica because although it is a source of energy (as it is in the US) it also has significantly more meaning to the people and creates a community through its commonality through a country which is separated by geographic challenges. It unifies a country that struggles in other places and gives Costa Rica a sense of pride in their production.

Coffee with breakfast, typical Tico meal