Week 6-coffee!

Since being in Costa Rica I have come to understand the importance of coffee to not only the culture but the people as well. I have witnessed my Tica family drinking coffee throughout the day. My Tica Mom always has a pot full of coffee. So it wasn't a surprise to me when she said that Costa Ricans drink coffee all day. My Mom said that depending on the time of day depends on the type of coffee she will drink. In the morning she has a full cup and she adds milk to it. However, in the afternoon she drinks a mequata, which is a small cup of espresso coffee. But she also said that coffee can be served with or without milk and sugar, it can be hot or cold, and there are flavorings that can be added like carmel, mocha, and vanilla. My Tica Mom was taught how to make coffee from her Mom and Grandma, which makes it evident how important Costa Ricans value coffee as a part of their everyday lives. However, my Mom usually makes her coffee in a pot she sometimes uses a chorrar, which from her explanation sounds like what we had our coffee in at the buffet last weekend (see picture). In Costa Rica coffee is served to children at a very young age. My Tica Mom explained to me that in other countries children are asked if they want a snack but in Costa Rica they are asked if they want some coffee. In my house my brothers were exposed to coffee at a young age but didn't start drinking it until they got older. My 16 year old Tica Brother still doesn't like coffee that much and only drinks in on occasion.

Last week, Linelle, Caroline, Johanna, Liv, Mackenzie, and I went to downtown San Jose for the day. Later in the afternoon we decided that we wanted to get some coffee. We started walking up and down different streets looking for a place we could go. It didn't hit me until that moment when we were searching for somewhere that we could get some coffee that we weren't going to find a coffeehouse or a place that primarily sells coffee, like Starbucks. We had to go into a restaurant and order it off of the menu. The coffee that I have been served was given to me in an individual pot with a cup and small serving of milk. I have also had coffee served to me in the stand with hot water poured into the coffee grinds and then the coffee drains into the cup (picture). The coffee is served in a personal serving size which is unlike some restaurants in the United States where they are constantly refilling your glass. While the six of us were searching for a coffee last week we struggled to find a place to go because there weren't any advertisements. And now that I really think about it, I don't believe that I have seen any coffee advertisements since being in Costa Rica. I believe that is because coffee is so embedded into the culture of Costa Rica that it doesn't need advertisement. Coffee in Costa Rica doesn't have the hype that it does in the United States.

In Costa Rica, drinking coffee is more of a social activity. People get together and sit down to drink a cup of coffee and socialize. This is very uncommon in the United States. Coffee in the US is more of a grab and go concept. It is not unlikely to see people in the morning with their coffee mugs or Starbucks going to work or class. People in the US use coffee more as a necessity used for the caffeine. Whenever I go into Starbucks there is always a line and if there are people sitting at the tables it's because they are waiting for their coffee to be ready not because they are their to sit and enjoy their coffee. I believe there are two other major factors that contribute to to the grab and go mentality. The first is the fact that all Starbucks drinks are served in to go mugs and the second is that most Starbucks now have drive throughs. People literally don't have to get out of their cars to get a cup of coffee.

This topic made me think a lot about how I use coffee. At home I usually have at least one cup every morning. I had the mindset that I needed to have it in order for me to start my day. Generally when I go to Starbucks it's as a special treat and I usually order a special drink-not just straight coffee. However, I know plenty of people who go to Starbucks daily for their coffee. Since being in Costa Rica I have learned to appreciate it because I know how important it is to the people and their culture. I have started to enjoy my coffee and value where it came from and the history behind the crop.

This is how the coffee was served at the buffet we visited a few weekends ago. I had never seen coffee made this way and now I must have one to take back home with me. I feel like making my coffee this way will help me to appreciate the flavor more and really enjoy my coffee. This cup of coffee, that I had at the buffet, was one of the most flavorful cups of coffee I have ever had.