Traveling Ninja Notes: Coffee

I have never been a coffee drinker but after living in New Zealand I have come to appreciate the culture of drinking coffee. I do really enjoy the smell, but I just do not like the taste. And those who know me well will also know that I can be quite sensitive to caffeine so really you would not want me to be caffeinated every day, as I would eventually drive everyone around me nuts.

Unlike me, however, Kiwis love coffee. There are coffee shops everywhere you go, most of them far superior to Starbucks, although you can find a few of those here as well. I have mentioned before that breaks are an important part of the work day. We start the day with a cup of coffee while we get things organized for the day. Mid-way through the morning we take a break for a cup of tea or coffee, and again mid-way through the afternoon. It is common practice for the employer to provide teabags, coffee grounds, milk, and sugar for these breaks. Outside of work, if you are out about town and need to kill time, you go get a coffee. If you want to catch up with a friend, you schedule a coffee date. If you need to have a meeting with someone but it does not necessarily have to be at an office, you meet for a coffee and talk through your business. If you are tired or stressed or grumpy, you have a coffee.

I never spent a lot of time in coffee shops in the US, but it seems that the coffee shop menu is a bit different here. You have your standard hot chocolate, mocha, cappuccino, and tea. Tea options will be Earl Gray, English Breakfast, and several herbal options, not limited to, but including: peppermint, green tea, and something fruity. If you just want a black coffee, you order an Americano or Long Black (name varies shop to shop). If you want something fancier, you can get a latte or a flat white. The lattes generally have flavor options, such as vanilla, caramel, mint chocolate, double fudge mocha, and I’m sure many others. A flat white is not something I have ever tasted, but from what I can tell it is a combination of a cappuccino and an un-flavored latte. I am probably not entirely right on that, and my flat-mate who manages a restaurant and makes the best hot chocolate in town would probably roll her eyes at me for not figuring it out yet, especially since I used to work at a coffee shop J

There is a bit of a science to ordering your coffee here. Do you want to have it in shop or take away? If you are getting a cappuccino, do you want cinnamon or chocolate sprinkled on top? If you are having a hot chocolate or mocha, do you want marshmallows? Marshmallows in the drink or on the side? If you are ordering a hot chocolate for your children, would you prefer a fluffy? (A fluffy is a warm hot chocolate). You can also specify if you prefer regular milk, skim milk, or soy milk. Also, as a general rule, all coffees are double shots. That means TWO shots of Espresso. Yikes! says those of us who are not tolerant of caffeine! If you do not want so much caffeine, you can request half strength, quarter strength, whatever strength you prefer. You can also get extra shots, but I cannot imagine who would want to haha. The best customers are the one who have an order such as “I would like a soy cappuccino with cinnamon on top to have here.” Easy enough, they know what they want, and you do not have to ask twenty questions when taking their order t to make sure you get it right. The scary ones are those who come up to the counter and say “Can I get….”. If they pause, you know you need a pen and paper because their order will end up being something like a quarter strength, trim, Soy, half vanilla, half caramel, extra-hot latte with cinnamon on top and a marshmallow on the side.

Some coffee/cafe pictures which have made me smile: