Coffee is the talk of the town with different workshops on coffee culture and the nuances of the business of coffee being discussed at the ‘India International Coffee Festival 2014’ at The Lalit Ashok. While coffee is perceived as an energy shot for many, it is a medium to spend time on, for others.

Metrolife interacted with international participants and delegates at the festival about the perception of coffee in their respective countries. Carlos Henrique Jorge Brando from Brazil says that being the second largest consumer of coffee in the world, Brazil has always seen coffee as a tradition.

“Coffee is so important to us that even five to six-year-olds drink coffee in our country. In our country, children eat what adults eat and we as youngsters felt proud to drink coffee at such a young age,” says Carlos. “Of course, coffee is mixed with milk and given to children,” he adds.

Sandy Cameron, who hails from Scotland, says that in Scotland, coffee ‘is not a necessity drink’.

“Being the land of whiskey, there are not many connoisseurs in the coffee industry there. But there are varieties of coffee available from Guatemala, Brazil, Colombo and India in the supermarkets,” details Sandy. He adds that the regular chains like Costa Coffee and Starbucks are available in Scotland like anywhere else in the world though.
“In a country like the United Kingdom, where tea is more traditionally consumed, coffee is the fad now,” says Simon Green from the UK. He says that people understand coffee much better there, compared to earlier, and the crowd is experimenting with different flavours and blends now.

“There’s still a section of people who do not drink coffee, but it is a way of life for many now. There are people who drink coffee through the day, and it’s now a ritual,” he says. Simon adds that people still drink mostly tea at home, but when they are outside, they like to be at a cafe, relaxing and sipping coffee.

Lina Chiodo, who hails from Canada, says that most Canadians drink filter coffee. “While many would believe that it is a saturated market, it is not. We have a very multi-ethnic coffee culture where there is a broad array of coffee types available, varying from Ethiopian coffee to classic espresso from Italy,” says Lina. But something very noticeable about Canadians is that they are very specific about the brands they like.

“A fan of Tim Hortons would never drink coffee at a Starbucks coffee house, and vice-versa. The coffee lovers are very educated and have a clear idea about what they want,” shares Lina. In Italy, coffee is a very serious business. “Coffee with different syrups or flavours is usually consumed only as a pre-dinner drink.

Otherwise, Italians are used to going to a counter, ordering a coffee and gulping it down at one go. The maximum that one would talk about is exchanging a few quick words about football or politics,” says Flavio Urizzi from Italy. He adds that it’s usually the ladies who hang out after shopping around a cup of coffee. “Coffee is a routine drink for us,” he wraps up.