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Coffee Culture in Argentina

  • March 16, 2011
  • Posted by: admin
  • Category: Culture
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In our spanish classes, and even in this elebaires blog, we detail the cultural significance of Mate, and its place in the homes of all Argentines. Many of you have tried this national beverage with varied results and you may have even purchased a mate gord during your stay. For those of you who didn’t take to Mate so well, you may have been pleased to discover the thriving café culture in Buenos Aires. But what is coffee’s place in this society?

Many people choose to flock to Buenos Aires for the city’s unique expression of European beautyand class with the Latino attitude of ease and an ability to enjoy. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the cafés scattered generously along its streets. As many of you may have noticed, in Buenos Aires it is not common place to see Porteños (the name given to locals of Buenos Aires) walking with coffees. Unlike many parts of the Western world where the daily commuters are often spotted with their styrofoam Starbuck’s cups in hand, the Porteños prefer to linger over their coffees. So the next time you are in a café, notice those locals next to you either pouring over a newspaper, catching up with friends or simply enjoying the moment with a cortado (espresso with a dash of milk) and medialuna (croissant). So what can you expect of the coffee here in a predominantly mate-drinking society?

Well thanks to the Italian immigrants who flocked to Argentina in the late 19th century, Argentina has enjoyed and sustained a coffee culture built on the espresso… you will be hard pressed to find filtered coffee here, or cafe americano as the locals aptly refer to it. What you will find however, are the delicious Italian coffee standards with some argentine flare. For your reference (and enjoyment) we have included a brief translation of coffees that you will see on an average menu:

Café* = espresso/ short black

Café en jarrito/ café doble = double espresso
Cortado* = macchiato/ espresso with a dash of milk (this is the most popular among the Porteños, be sure to give it a try while you’re here)
Americano = a shot of espresso diluted with hot water
Café con leche = latte/ flat white
Capuchino = cappuccino
Lagrima* = a lot of milk with a dash of coffee (depending on where you go, this could also be a latte)
Submarino = hot milk with a bar of melting chocolate that you drop in to create a hot chocolate to your liking

* These coffees can be made into doubles (cup size coffees) by adding a doble to the end of the name e.g. lagrima doble

Basically, whatever your coffee craving, this city can accommodate. So truly embrace the Porteño culture while in Buenos Aires, try a café and discover what kind of coffee experience you like. As a word of caution, be careful not to fall into the trap of accompanying every coffee with a delicious medialuna (croissant). They are sinfully addictive and too many may have adverse effects on your waistline (speaking as a former medialuna addict). We’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences and even recommendations. We’re always looking for an excuse to try another café! Share your thoughts on this blog or join us on facebook.

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