Costa Rican Coffee Culture

Coffee is important in Costa Rica because it unifies people and families. Children grow up drinking coffee, and is always present in households. It represents family and togetherness, which is something that is truly relished in Costa Rica. It also signifies pride. When someone is invited over for coffee, it means that the person inviting the guest wants them to be in their home and comfortable. Going out for coffee, which is very common in the United States, is offensive here. Going out for coffee means that you are not good enough for the coffee that your host brews. In the US, coffee does not have this level of significance. Going out for coffee symbolizes money and status and that being in public with you in a good idea. In my house in the US, when we invite people for coffee it is for a similar reason that Costa Ricans do. We invite people over because we care about them and want to spend time with them in a comfortable environment. Our coffee may not be as good, but it still symbolizes the same thing. In the US there seems to be almost counter cultures, while in Costa Rica it's clear that coffee has significance in family life, which is crucial to Costa Rican culture. 

Coffee and politics have an interesting relationship. Because coffee is so closely tied with the Costa Rican economy, it obviously has a place in Costa Rican politics. As we read in the "Silver to Cocaine" coffee reading, we see that coffee had a huge impact in past Costa Rican politics. Who they traded with and how  coffee was used as a pawn in the Cold War are serious political connections with coffee. Today, many Costa Ricans do not associate coffee with politics. Despite this, without coffee, the Costa Rican political history would have been very different, altering Costa Rica and the aspects of the country its citizens find important. 

Now I know I used these photos last week, but I think they are still relevant. The first photo was from a restaurant in Monteverde and Jessica ordered coffee with dessert. It was served on an interesting platter that took up the entire place setting. The second photo is of coffee drinks from a coffee shop in Monteverde right outside of town. It was a frothy drink that resembled more of a milkshake than coffee. In the first photo, coffee is the main focus when ordered. Even thought it was a part of dessert, it still received special attention and was a fair competition for our lovely bananas foster. In the second photo, coffee was less of the focus. The drink was very elaborate and tasted like its own dessert. The focus here was on elegance and was absolutely geared towards tourists. Ticans take their coffee very seriously (picture one). Tourists, on the other hand, prefer the fancy drinks that taste like desserts. This further proves the significance of coffee in Costa Rican culture.