Coffee

A friend of mine came over for coffee recently.  When she arrived, I made a pot of coffee, pulled mugs out of the cupboard, and we sat in the living room with our feet up on the couch and had a chat, American style.  I didn’t even offer her a cookie.

It struck me then just how casual we Americans are with the whole coffee ritual, and I was glad I wasn’t in Norway at the time, because it’s a lot of work to have someone over for a cup of coffee in Norway.  Norwegians take their coffee, like many other things, very seriously.

“Coffee” at a Norwegian’s house, doesn’t look anything like the scene in my living room a few weeks ago.  A Norwegian’s house, for one thing, would be immaculate.  The coffee would already have been brewed and waiting in a carafe long before the guests arrived.  The coffee table would be covered in linen, set with fine china, delicate coffee cups, lit candles, and fancy napkins.

Food is always part of the coffee experience, so a bowl of candies or fruit would be on the table, with a tray of open-faced sandwiches and other baked goods waiting in the kitchen.  The food is decorated a little like we might do for tea parties.  The most common bread topping is meat and cheese, but my favorite is white cheese with a slice of red pepper on top.  Often they serve sliced eggs with caviar, or just brown goat cheese on bread, which tastes surprisingly good.

Sitting around the coffee table drinking coffee is quite the social event.  Norwegians rarely invite non-family members over for a meal, but inviting someone for “coffee” anytime of the day or night is common.  Everyone knows what to expect because they all do it the same way, and the more the merrier.  I’ve been around a coffee table in a home with 21 people circling it.  They like to be cozy when sipping the Java and everyone joins in on the conversation.

Some of my husband’s cousins often stop by after work to have coffee with their mother, but they always call her well in advance of their arrival so she has time to prepare everything.  Even for her own sons, the fine china is used and the candles are lit.  Tradition and conformity are key.

I’m thankful we can be so casual when friends come over for coffee in America, but when in Norway, we must do as the Norwegians do. I always pack several pounds of fresh roasted coffee to take with me to Norway though, because ironically, I think Norwegian coffee tastes terrible.