Cafe Culture

This topic is one that I've kept in my back pocket until I could fully wrap my mind around it. Coffee, the magical bean that keeps the world running, the elixir of boundless energy, the beautiful and delicious beverage handed down to us from our ancestors. Without it the world might actually stop spinning. Civilization as we know it might collapse. And all of those statements are exaggerations. What I'm trying to say is, coffee is very important to both Americans and Greeks. But the cafe or coffee culture here is so much different than in the States. Dunkin Donuts claims that "America runs on Dunkin", but to say that Greece runs on coffee would be an understatement. It is so much more than just energy. It isn't simply a means to an end. It isn't just used to increase productivity. Coffee is cultural. 

Any Greek you talk to will tell you about their coffee culture. As an American it is hard to explain. I've only been immersed in the culture for so long. But sitting in coffee shops here compared to sitting in coffee shops in the States is like comparing apples to oranges. Americans are always on the run. We swoop into Starbucks, tap our feet impatiently if our coffee takes longer than a minute to magically appear, and jet back out the door as soon as the cup slaps against our palm.

Greeks do have promotions for "take away" coffee, but the majority of the time they will go to a cafe and sit. Most may only order one coffee, and they may not even finish it. And that's the secret to Greek coffee culture: going to get coffee isn't about the coffee. When you ask somebody to get coffee here, you usually go with the expectation of sitting in that cafe for a minimum of two hours. It isn't about getting coffee, it's about the social interaction. Sit in a cafe here for an hour and you may be the first person to leave. Sit in a cafe in America for an hour and you may be the only one there that long. It's such a difficult concept for us to wrap our minds around. Sitting in one spot for two hours? Only drinking one cup of coffee in TWO hours? Going to get coffee has little to do with coffee?? What is this thing you speak of???

I don't want to totally downplay the significance of coffee here though. Most Greeks are on their second cup before I even get up in the morning. Just about everybody has a cup in their hand in the morning. They need coffee just about as badly as Americans do.

But the main difference lies in their use of cafes as a hub for social interaction. I've taken a liking to it. I think the Greeks are on to something. Sitting with a cappuccino freddo (freddo=cold) and lightly sipping on it while conversing with friends just feels right. It feels natural and relaxed. It's the way coffee should be enjoyed. And it becomes more than just a drink. It becomes an experience. If only I could bring that experience home with me...