This awesome tradition has its origin in the Stone community, Wisconsin, the US. It dates back to the late XIX century. Wives of Norwegian immigrants were the first to arrange a coffee break. The Stoughton Coffee Break festival was launched by the locals in the community in 1880s. It has been held annually since then. American businessmen adopted the idea of having a coffee break during negotiations in 1936. Later on, people in Europe gladly borrowed the tradition. In Russia, a coffee pause during a workday became popular in the late 1990s.
Sweden
Fika is a mandatory part of daily life in Sweden. Coffee breaks are arranged at offices, universities, schools at least twice a day for 10-30 minutes each. This is a long-lasting tradition in Sweden, though coffee is optional. Usually, coffee is complemented with a cake, a cinnamon bun, chocolate cookies, and neutral appetizers. Alcohol is a common ingredient in the drink.
Fika makes a break special as it encourages creativity, social skills, promotes the sense of belonging, prevents solitude, eliminates barriers at work, and cures mental fatigue. So, people think they do not need long rest.
US
Unlike Sweden, a coffee break is intended in the US for improving work efficiency. When labor unions received permission to include time for employees’ rest in the daily routine, coffee breaks were warmly welcomed across the country. At present, people find it appropriate to take a coffee pause every 1 – 1.5 hours because a schedule does not have a fixed break. Americans have snacks and coffee from freshly ground beans in cardboard cups. Curiously, they do not interrupt work or negotiations during coffee drinking.
Turkey
The nationals of this hot country still enjoy the special recipe of coffee called the secret of the old moor. It combines incompatible ingredients. Apart from replacing sugar with honey, a clove of garlic is added into steaming hot drink. The Turks prefer to sip a delicious beverage in a nice company. A lively discussion will follow for sure.
Vietnam
The beverage brewed according to the Vietnamese recipe looks like a coffee-flavored dessert. An egg yolk, sugar, and condensed milk create the thick texture, sweetness, and cream flavor.
Finland
No matter where you take a coffee break – at home or on a journey. You will be certainly pleased to sip the drink and dessert in one cup. The secret ingredient is Lapland cheese that is poured on by piping hot coffee. When cheese melts, it gives the nice creamy flavor to the beverage. It is up to you to vary the amount of cheese.
Austria and Germany
During the second breakfast from 10 until 11 am, local people prefer natural coffee which goes with a variety of appetizers served on separate plates. The Austrians drink strong coffee with cream slowly, chatting with friends or reading newspapers. At the same time, there is always a glass of water and a croissant on the table.
The Germans arrange short coffee breaks. They take a 5-10-minute break twice a workday. As a rule, employees have a cup of coffee during their routine. They relax during a lunch break.
Latin America
A break in the second half of the day during which people drink coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and even alcohol is called merienda in the Latin American countries. In the summer, hot drinks are replaced with cocktails and juice. As a snack between the substantial lunch and dinner, guests are offered sliced fruit, cookies, and yogurt.
People in Argentina and Paraguay drink mate tea or herbal tea with toasts, buns, and a cake. They always serve the table with honey, butter, and jam. Traditionally, they enjoy latte with a lot of milk. They whip hot milk until thick foam and mix it with a small amount of coffee. As a result, they drink coffee with a mild taste.
New Zealand
A coffee pause is called smoko here. Employees have the right to take a break 1-2 times a day depending on their workload and drink a cup of tea or coffee chatting with fellow workers. New Zealanders often smoke a cigarette in parallel. Remarkably, a coffee cup is edible!
Ethiopia
The Ethiopians indulge in long coffee breaks and do not restrict themselves by 1 cup. Their coffee breaks are called buna tetu arranged 3 times a day that all in all last almost 3 hours. A hostess is serious about brewing and drinking this delicious beverage that is a mark of respect and hospitality for guests. At homes in Ethiopia, guests are offered coffee of various strength which is poured into cups without arms made of bamboo, ceramics, or porcelain.
Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, people drink an unusual beverage consisting of tea, coffee, and milk. These are the ingredients of the national popular drink. To make it even more exquisite, people add a pinch of pepper and a couple of spoons of condensed milk.
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