Cafe

I am fascinated by the difference in coffee rituals here. As I mentioned before, coffees "to go" are very rare. You sit down and drink your coffee leisurely over conversation; no one is running around with cardboard cups! In the photo are my morning coffee prep items: the water heater, the instant coffee (yes, instant - what everyone uses here!), and my very favorite thing - the Pez-dispenser-like thing that drops a little pellet of "azucar" or "sacarina" in your cup with just a squeeze! I remember these dispensers from Europe, and I loved them then. No messy packets to deal with; no stray bits of paper. I don't recall ever seeing these in the U.S., and I don't know why. If anyone knows where to get them, let me know! What's funny about the instant coffee here is that it's better than instant coffee at home. You can even see that it doesn't look the same in terms of texture. Yet it's all made by Nescafe. It's interesting how the same company obviously produces different items according to the needs and preferences of the culture.