05.12.2016, CCrosian cafe culure- 25 sacred and secret mearings travel wisdom walks ~~ one hour fromzagreb —zagreb 101 A Croat’s sense of coffee - 25 sacred and secret meanings 20/11/2015 By Andrea Pisac — 15 Comments ©] 4s )[F [30x] (9 woot) [P] 28] fm] 3s [a] 2 ) Imagine landing into a vast snow-driven wilderness of Alaska or Greenland. Whiteness everywhere. As your eye meets the horizon, there’s only one word to describe this beauty: snow. It’s the same in Croatia. Moments after you arrive, the intoxicating sweetness of cafe culture washes over you. Life slows down and you click back into the here and now. There’s only one word to describe such zeal: coffee. But let’s not fool ourselves. ‘Snow’ wouldn’t get you far in the Inuit language. There are at least 50 words for snow, describing subtle differences in colour and quality of what only appears as white expanse. Language always reflects what is most important in the lives of its speakers. Snow for the Inuit; coffee for the Croats. The all-embracing Croatian cafe culture is more than loafing around at sun-lit terraces — a familiar image of Zagreb, Split, Zadar or Dubrovnik. htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 120os 122016 Cree cafe cuir 25 secre and secret meanings This fragrant dark liquid is the lifeblood with which we measure our time, quality of life and soundness of our social ties. Just ‘coffee’ won’t get you far in Croatia. It’s time you learn the whole cosmology. AlL-embracing Croatian cafe culture. Photo by Sanjin Kaitelan Croatian cafe culture connects people #1 Ajmo na kavu [let’s go for coffee] is the most widespread invitation to socialize. It may sound innocuous, but if you’ve never had coffee with a Croat, you need to branch out from the usual image of chit-chatting over coffee. #2 Croats meet for coffee at various occasions and with different agendas. Sometimes it’s as plain as catching up with friends. There’s nothing sweeter than grabbing coffee after food or clothes shopping, with bags resting by your legs. But the informal cafe setting is also perfect for closing htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 270os 122016 Cree cafe cuir 25 secre and secret meanings business deals and discussing ‘terms and conditions’ that escape both large and small print. #3 Going for coffee doesn’t stop Croats from exchanging espresso for an alcoholic drink. Even an afternoon session may turn into an inebriated frolic with coffee only as last orders to sober everyone up. #4 Saturday morning coffee rounds fall into a special category. In Zagreb this is called Spica and it means being where the action is. Coffee on Spica is all about seeing the world and being seen, so heartfelt bonding takes the backseat to strutting around. Croatian cafe culture opens doors to people’s homes #5 Dodi na kavu [come round for coffee] is a genuine invitation to visit someone’s home. It’s not mere courtesy like the English equivalent ‘you must come round for dinner’. When a Croat invites you to their home, they mean it, so you should follow through. #6 Close friends announce their impromptu visit with pristavi kavu [put the coffee on], especially when they’re just around the corner. This welcoming cup of coffee is sometimes called kava doéekusa [coffee for greeting guests]. But there’s also kava sikterusa [coffee to get rid of the guests]. We serve you this coffee after a long meal to signal it’s time to pack up and go. #7 While espresso may be the coffee of choice in a cafe, at home, we still htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! a005.12.2016, CCrosian cafe culure- 25 sacred and secret mearings s instant coffee on the home like to brew Turkish coffee. Sometimes thei menu. But generally we don’t give guests much choice — apart from milk on the side - and as guests we never discuss the quality of coffee we’re served. #8 In fact, we complain only if the coffee is terribly weak and sweet. This one is called kava proserusa [coffee that gives you diarrhea] and will immediately send you to the toilet. No need to tell your host coffee was terrible — they noticed why you left the table. We complain to others as we recount the story. Strangely enough, we’re happy to make proseruga for ourselves every morning to get a healthy start of the day! Croatian cafe culture makes things happen #9 Coffee makes a perfect gift when you visit someone’s home. For ages, a golden standard has been bringing Franck cigla [a brick] — a brick-shaped 250 grams vacuum-packed coffee of the Franck brand (Croatia’s oldest coffee roaster). While bringing a bottle of wine is a newly acquired act of good manners, showing up with a brick is a foolproof choice. #10 In Croatia, the old saying ‘you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours’ is often done via coffee. If someone does a favour for you or gives you a gift you can’t repay straight away, you can treat them with coffee. When someone does you a favour in #Croatia - treat them with #coffee! #travelskills CLICK TO TWEET htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 40os 122016 Cree cafe cuir 25 secre and secret meanings Plaéam kavu [coffee is on me] usually seals the deal and leaves both parties content. The favour could be worth much more than the price of coffee, but ‘coffee on you’ is a way to acknowledge you owe one now. It’s a currency with the highest exchange rate. #1 We never ever go Dutch with coffee. It’s preposterous to let a friend scrabble for coins to contribute to the bill. Somehow we keep the score and take turns in treating each other with coffee. No one knows if the score is correct or not, but that’s of little importance. We believe coffee always finds its way into divine balance. Croatian coffee is the measure of value #12 The world could be falling apart but as long as there is coffee, a Croat will survive. We measure our quality of life with coffee. If times are hard and the money is short, we'll express it in the coffee currency: Nemam ni zakavu [I don’t even have money for coffee]. #13 For a Croat, a sign of good life is to have easy access to coffee. If you think of coffee drinking as a ritual that makes things happen between people, imagine how traumatic coffee scarcity can be. It happened in the last decade of socialism, when I was a preschool child. People queued for limited rations of coffee. This ‘degradation’ of the quality of life lives on as a collective memory. I myself can’t conjure up images of coffee lines, but I know very well that life without coffee isn’t a decent one. #14 Croats found imaginative ways to fight coffee scarcity. The collective memory has it that people travelled to Italy and Austria and smuggled back countless kilos of the venerated coffee bean. Lorry drivers en route htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 520os s22016. (Crain cafe cure 25 sacred ac secret ering from Austria to Greece had drop off points where they sold Minas brand to the deprived coffee drinkers. Thank goodness those days are gone! #15 Today we use the price of coffee to gauge how good the times are. As the sine qua non of a respectable life, an expensive coffee causes outrage. We will say kava je tamo 25 kuna!!! [they charge 25 Kuna for coffee there!!!] And when we say there, we mean trendy destinations like Dubrovnik or Hvar. Some Croats refuse to visit places which charge a bomb for the primary requirement of happiness. Nagi Zeon Stn al 8 oa 8 (aye Payne nan! Y Zagreb oldest cafe Pod starim krovovima serves the cheapest coffee in town (5 KN) Croatian coffee is the measure of time htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura!0.12208 Croatian cae culuce- 25 sacred and secret mesrngs #16 We're back full circle to the familiar scene of everyone loafing around at cafe terraces. Sharing coffee with friends is the most basic particle of our sense of time. If we can’t make time for coffee, we're seriously out of whack. It’s why we scold our friends for neglecting us with nemas vremena ni za kavu [you don’t even have time to meet me for coffee]. #17 A healthy rhythm is the one that allows us both planned and ad hoc coffee dates. Being available to loaf around at coffees signals a good life- work balance. We'll strive to achieve it even if work is the one that suffers. That’s the crux of the Croatian cafe culture, the reason why it’s one of our most raved about tourist attractions, and why as a visitor you feel so attracted to our lifestyle. Having time for #coffee signals a good work- life balance. #lovecroatia #lovezagreb CLICK TO TWEET #18 There’s a flip side to this, of course. If you try to get straight down to business with a Croat, cafe culture could become an obstacle. You expect a sense of urgency, but all we want is to finish our coffee. Try and get some sense from us in the morning and we'll say nisam jo§ ni kavu popila [1 haven't even had my coffee yet). #19 Even Croats complain of Croats — stalno kafenisu [they’re doing nothing but drink coffee] — we say for the layabouts. But really, there’s no need to rush. Everything always gets done, and it’s usually via, over and because of the coffee. Croatian coffee is subversive htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 720os 122016 Cree cafe cuir 25 secre and secret meanings #20 Such a simple drink, but made in Croatia, coffee can resist or break deeply entrenched rules. And because coffee is just coffee, no one will mind. This makes it a powerful agent of social life. #21 If you eavesdropped on a Croat’s phone conversation — the word coffee would signal a behind-the-scenes part is coming. Serious, confidential and emotionally loaded stuff is rarely discussed in a regular phone catch-up. There'll be a few basic pieces of information, followed by ispriéat cu ti sve na kavi [I'll tell you all over coffee]. That ‘all’ might mean many things: a heartfelt outpouring, missing juicy details or the real version of events. #22 Coffee is one of the main reasons why Croatian cafes are still smokers- friendly. Coffee and cigarettes is the deeply ingrained match that will never get unhinged. Smokers use coffee as an excuse to never quit: kako éu piti kavu bez cigareta [how will] enjoy my coffee without cigarettes]. Even non-smokers rarely complain of a smoky cafe atmosphere, showing tolerance for everyone's right to have coffee their own way. htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! a005.12.2016, CCrosian cafe culure- 25 sacred and secret mearings ge Ty Coffee and cigarettes — A Croatian match made in heaven #23 In Croatia, you can use coffee to undermine the corporate money- grabbing culture. While elsewhere in the world you'll be rushed to leave a cafe once you finish a drink, no waiter in Croatia will give you a look if you sit for hours with an empty coffee cup. Coffee always trumps profit! #24 Actually, with any other drink, you would go on a bar crawl, but with coffee, you stay true to one place. This cafe monogamy allows your waiter to really learn how you like your coffee. After a while, the arrangement exhibits familiar signs of a long marriage: with little being said, you cup of pleasure materializes before you even order it. #25 Finally, coffee is even able to shake the remaining patriarchal stereotypes. Traditional Croatian men never cook. They don’t know how to and can even brag about never setting foot in the kitchen. We often say htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 0os 122016 Cree cafe cuir 25 secre and secret meanings on ti nista ne zna skuhati, osim kave [he can’t cook anything, but he knows how to make coffee]. Coffee allows even the proudest patriarchal man to get comfortable by the stove while still keeping his manliness. The power of coffee in Croatia is limitless. It’s as beautiful and as complex as the Inuit snow. So take the first sip and learn the rest as you loaf around over a cup. a Filed Under: Travel wisdom @ Tagged With: coffee culture, Croatian mentality <<— Have I lost my way migrating back to —»> Christmas countdown: Croatian tricks Croatia? for guilt-free feasting Fancy something similar? " nS [stay Christmas oe Rn a ty countdown ~ Damas os Zagreb coffee culture — Christmas countdown: Have I lost my way migrating behind the buzzword Croatian tricks for guilt-free back to Croatia? feasting Always adjust to local time- Christmas in Croatia —the Getting things done the case of Zagreb ultimate A-Z guide Croatian way — 5 essential principles htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 102005.12.2016, CCrosian cafe culure- 25 sacred and secret mearings Comments ana says 23/11/2015 at 9:34 am. avrednovanje muskarca ako donese “kavicu u krevet"??? sve je istina i prekrasno... Reply | Andrea Pisac says 23/11/2015 at 9:40 am ito se raéuna naravno, ali to nije tipiéno samo za Hrvatsku @ Reply Chuck says 25/11/2015 at 9:23 am. Great stuff... however, you’ve missed the #26 ~ Depressive sunday coffee (DNK — Depresivna Nedjeljna Kava). Itis customary to meet up with friends for coffee in the sunday afternoon/evening. A good DNK is a delicate balance of: 1) Complaining about the impending doom (also known as monday); 2) Offering each other support and understanding regarding 1); 3) Squeezing a few last minute laughs into a weekend before it is gone. htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 2005.12.2016, CCrosian cafe culure- 25 sacred and secret mearings Reply Andrea Pisac says 25/11/2015 at 11:27 am Thanks for this wonderful inclusion, Chuck. | couldn’t agree more. We all hate the Sunday blues... © 25/11/2015 at 12:34 pm 6K . . ° \laty well written text. Congrats on writing skill. Your last name serves f ight! G& We Andrea Pisac says 25/11/2015 at 12:43 pm vy “hank you, Bodidar! I try my best to do right by my surname © P = \eply Marko says 25/11/2015 at 12:58 pm htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura!0.12208 Croatian cae culuce- 25 sacred and secret mesrngs Super tekst, istinit, duhovit... a rekao bih da zbog takvog znaéaja kave nadim Ijudima gotovo je nemoguée u kafiéima popiti logu kavu... éak iu nekoj birtiji na kraju grada ili usputnoj autobuskoj stanici ili benzinskoj pumpi... svim ugostiteljima je stalo da kava bude dobra. PS: ja jo’ uvijek jedanput-dvaput godisnje na povratku iz Trsta, Solunai slignih destinacija redovito dolazim sa par cigli ili kantica kave... Reply Andrea Pisac says 25/11/2015 at 1:07 pm Marko, hahaha — bai si me nasmijao svojim komentarom o kupovini kave u inozemstvu. Eto, pa éak i sad kad viSe ne moramo, ostalo je to negdje u nama da je dobro donijeti kavu doma i imati nepresu’ne zalihe. Hvala ti za komentar! Reply Bunjevac says 25/11/2015 at 6:33 pm Now keep in mind all said here can also be said about beer. Reply htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 1320os s22016 Croatian cafe culure- 25 sacred and secret earings Andrea Pisac says 25/11/2015 at 7:55 pm Agree! Reply Iva says 26/11/2015 at 1:17 am Odliéan tekst! Duhovit, zanimljiv i prije svega isitnit © Reply Andrea Pisac says 26/11/2015 at 5:22 pm Hvala Iva © Reply @ @ Frank says 03/12/2015 at 7:46 am Love the way you write Andrea. I didn’t know coffee culture ran that deep in Croatia. During our 2 months in Split we’d go to the cafe on almost a daily basis, usually having a beer or htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 920os s22016 Croatian cafe culure- 25 sacred and secret earings two and finishing off with a coffee. Remembering back, Croatians would often sit down with their kids and have a coffee while the kids would have an ice cream. We'll be back in Croatia sometime this spring or summer and keep our eyes out. We'll especially try to stay away from diarrhea coffee. Frank (bbqboy) Reply Andrea Pisac says 03/12/2015 at 8:06 am Thank you, Frank! Yes, coffee is deeply rooted in Croatia. You learn that over time when almost every conversation hinges around some coffee expression. So, next time you're in Zagreb, give me a shout! It'd be great to meet you. Reply frankaboutcroatia says 05/12/2015 at 10:42 am. Super funny post, Andrea! I’ve always found friends coming to my in- laws’ house with a brick of coffee completely weird, and funny. And I still do (regardless of how many times my wife tried to explain to me a genesis of this habit). On another note, I think I’ve changed all links to your new domain, but do let me know if you noticed any old still live. Reply htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura!05.12.2016, CCrosian cafe culure- 25 sacred and secret mearings Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Name * Email * Website Comment htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! 1872005.12.2016, htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! CCrosian cafe culure- 25 sacred and secret mearings Wouldn’t you like to know quirky tidbits about Croatian mentality, drink coffee like a pro, or track down the best grub? Now you can! Start off your Croatia adventure with the free gift: The foolproof guide for first-time Croatia travellers E-Mail Address fs Ginepy Andrea Pisac is a fiction writer and cultural anthropologist. She writes about everyday ordinary life in Croatia from an extraordinary perspective. Read More. premmemy Have | lost my way migrating back to Croatia? 2005,122016, htpstravethonestycomleretlancate-cutura! Croatian cafe culure- 25 sacred and secret mearings Master Croatian small talk without speaking the language Getting things done Croatian way - 5 essential principles Who else wants a selfie with a dead Croatian writer? Meet Zagreb immortals. 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