¡Coffe Break!

As usual, my tico family's responses were not typical. My mother said that most ticos drink coffee with their breakfast (like Americans do) and in the afternoon (like afternoon tea in the UK). In regards to preparing coffee, my family has a fancier coffee maker than I do in the US. However, my mother said that many ticos still prefer the older methods of preparing coffee i.e. the chorreador, which I saw in action in Cartago. According to my mother, ticos take their coffee black - no sugar or cream. So, obviously the purity of flavors is more important here than in other cultures. However, what I found interesting is that my host brothers do not drink coffee, which seems to be an integral part of Costa Rican identity. However, again, I don't have the typical family. My mother did say that she knows many families give their children coffee at an early age. But her mother-in-law (they have so much influence, don't they?) told her that it was bad for children's development. Therefore, my host brothers never developed a taste for coffee.

The above photos were taken at two separate locations. The first, at Cartago where I saw first-hand the traditional way ticos prepare coffee. Here, the waitress prepared the coffee at the table for me, one cup at a time. I also had to ask for cream and sugar. This obviously reflects the culture because it was assumed that I took my coffee black - like a tico. The next photo was taken at Kaldi, the local coffee house in Sabanilla. Here, the coffee was prepared differently - more Starbucks style, I suppose. However, the waitress brought the cup and small pot of coffee to the table for me. Like we learned in the readings about coffee, particularly in "The Coffee Book" the Arabs took their coffee very seriously and I feel that this is reflected in a much less extreme way in Costa Rica. Also, Costa Rica is a coffee producing country (thanks, Spain and global demand) so they are much more directly connected to the coffee making process when compared to the States. So, there are some key differences when compared to the coffee consumption habits of the US. First, I feel that the coffee culture is much more "elitist' in the US. If you are an important person, let's say a business tycoon, you don't get your coffee from the office break room. You order a double-decaf latte with a double shot of expresso from Starbucks. Here, coffee is a social event - a family gathering. In effect, coffee reflects the individualistic consumerism that dominates American culture and the community-oriented nature of Costa Ricans.