Coffee Breaks Around the World
Our editorial team shares their most memorable coffee breaks around the world. From the United States to Sweden, swinging by Spain, Colombia, and Greece, the team explains the typical rituals around coffee in these countries.
Benoit
Sweden – Fika
Fika is a way of life for the Swedish people. It refers to a coffee break that is more about socializing than drinking coffee and usually involves snacking on something sweet, often a cinnamon-flavoured pastry called kanelbulle. I remember fika being one of the first words I learnt after arriving in Stockholm and asked why every store had a bowl full of gingerbread cookies next to the register, no matter what they were selling.
Leslie
Spain – Cortado
Without a doubt my go-to order for coffee. It’s also the least consistent from café to café and between baristas. The name comes from the Spanish verb ‘cortar’ meaning ‘to cut,’ in reference to the small amount of milk used to cut the espresso. I love sipping on a coffee but I hate having it diluted with too much milk, like you’d find in a latte. The cortado is perfect for a quick break from your day without committing to too much downtime.
Celia
USA – Filtered
Becky’s Diner on Hobson’s Wharf in Portland, Maine, provided the backdrop for my most memorable coffee moment. Open from 4AM, the cozy coastal diner starts its day off welcoming a wave of fisherman before the families and tourists roll in. We arrived right in the midst of this tidal change. I remember sipping on a filter coffee and forking my lobster omelet while watching the bustle, thinking to myself that I could do with a boat.
Lindsay
Greece – Frappé
When I first landed in Greece my bags were packed and my iPhone was full of bookmarked must-sees and lists of local delicacies to try; I still dream of freshly made loukoumades. One thing that wasn’t on my list, but that I came to love, was the Frappé, Greece’s local coffee specialty. It sounds like a drink you’d order at McDonald’s, and when I found out it’s made using Nescafé instant coffee I became skeptical, to say the least. In truth, the Frappé is the perfect mid-morning or afternoon treat to help you cool down on those 30°C Greek summer days.
Sarah
Colombia – Tinto
Colombia is known to produce the highest quality coffee in the world. It’s no surprise then that Colombians have made a ritual out of drinking the hot beverage. In a country infamous for growing all kinds of stimulants (ahem…), black coffee (or a “tinto” as the locals say) is what brings people together. No coffee I’ve ever had tasted as good as the one I shared with locals on an organic coffee plantation in the middle of the Zona Cafetera, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Our editorial team shares their most memorable coffee breaks around the world. From the United States to Sweden, swinging by Spain, Colombia, and Greece, the team explains the typical rituals around coffee in these countries.
Benoit
Sweden - Fika
Fika is a way of life for the Swedish people. It refers to a coffee break that is more about socializing than drinking coffee and usually involves snacking on something sweet, often a cinnamon-flavoured pastry called kanelbulle. I remember fika being one of the first words I learnt after arriving in Stockholm and asked why every store had a bowl full of gingerbread cookies next to the register, no matter what they were selling.
Leslie
Spain - Cortado
Without a doubt my go-to order for coffee. It’s also the least consistent from café to café and between baristas. The name comes from the Spanish verb ‘cortar’ meaning ‘to cut,’ in reference to the small amount of milk used to cut the espresso. I love sipping on a coffee but I hate having it diluted with too much milk, like you’d find in a latte. The cortado is perfect for a quick break from your day without committing to too much downtime.
Celia
USA - Filtered
Becky’s Diner on Hobson’s Wharf in Portland, Maine, provided the backdrop for my most memorable coffee moment. Open from 4AM, the cozy coastal diner starts its day off welcoming a wave of fisherman before the families and tourists roll in. We arrived right in the midst of this tidal change. I remember sipping on a filter coffee and forking my lobster omelet while watching the bustle, thinking to myself that I could do with a boat.
Lindsay
Greece - Frappé
When I first landed in Greece my bags were packed and my iPhone was full of bookmarked must-sees and lists of local delicacies to try; I still dream of freshly made loukoumades. One thing that wasn’t on my list, but that I came to love, was the Frappé, Greece’s local coffee specialty. It sounds like a drink you’d order at McDonald’s, and when I found out it’s made using Nescafé instant coffee I became skeptical, to say the least. In truth, the Frappé is the perfect mid-morning or afternoon treat to help you cool down on those 30°C Greek summer days.
Sarah
Colombia - Tinto
Colombia is known to produce the highest quality coffee in the world. It’s no surprise then that Colombians have made a ritual out of drinking the hot beverage. In a country infamous for growing all kinds of stimulants (ahem…), black coffee (or a “tinto” as the locals say) is what brings people together. No coffee I’ve ever had tasted as good as the one I shared with locals on an organic coffee plantation in the middle of the Zona Cafetera, a UNESCO World Heritage site.