Which Haemus peninsula country has the best coffee culture?
Posted by xzxnz@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 132 comments
Posted by xzxnz@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 132 comments
0a_boy0@reddit
I live in a different country and I miss drinking Turkish coffee in random restaurants when I go.
backhand_english@reddit
I live in a part of Croatia influenced by Italy, and my life is espresso, macchiato and moka coffee. So I vote for us, as I cant vote for Italy. But if I could vote for Italy, I wouldn't, fuck them.
It's complicated
sta6gwraia@reddit
Mi amore, espresso macchiato por favore.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Try coffee in Kosove.
Starfalloss@reddit
Well Greece has the best cold coffee culture in the world and it’s not even close frappè, Freddo espresso and Freddo Cappuccino things that don’t traditionally exist outside Greece and Cyprus.
Elgecko123@reddit
Yup, I know I’m biased but I’ve also traveled to over 30 different countries including several that produce coffee beans. As far as iced coffee goes Greece is the top for me. Can’t beat a Freddo cap/esp in the heat of summer
greekhop@reddit
Went to Colombia for 5 weeks, even went specifically to the famous coffee growing regions, but when it came to any type of cold coffees it was a wasteland.
Have to agree that you can beat a freddo - which you can get anywhere easily in Greece - on a hot Greek summer day.
Elgecko123@reddit
Ya I was in Panama last year and they have some pretty highly regarded / award winning coffee variety (geisha coffee).. and honestly the best coffee I had there was at cafe opened by Greek immigrants called Athanasios
greekhop@reddit
Lol that's hilarious
BeeUnfair4086@reddit
yes
No-Platypus-5903@reddit
This is just the comment we all need
Talithea@reddit
ALL OF THEM. We are coffee lovers.
We will quarrel, but not before drinking coffee. That’s common courtesy.
Babuci97@reddit
Fix the map first and then ask again
Albenz_@reddit
Albania once again shadowed, it definitely has the best coffee culture, it has the highest number of coffee shops per capita. Second is definitely Greece.
Serdar_Janko@reddit
Don't Turks drink tea a lot more? I would say Serbia and Bosnia. We drink a lot of coffee and most of that is still traditional Turkish style.
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
Well, I think Turkish coffee and Turkish tea are consumed about equally by Turks.
But in Romania, on the island of Ada Kaleh, Turkish coffee was once known as "Turkish Delight."
So I would say coffee and tea are consumed about equally.
a11i9at0r@reddit
no.
neoberg@reddit
No one is drinking Turkish coffee all day everyday. Coffee is mostly a once a day thing.
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
Well, for us Turks, descendants of Ada Kaleh, it's different. Perhaps it stems from the fact that our ancestors from the flooded island of Ada Kaleh had a completely different connection to Turkish coffee.
So, we drink it up to three times a day. Many women read the coffee grounds to interpret the meaning.
And we make it very creamy, with a slight rosewater flavor. The recipe is different.
For each cup, you use about 2 teaspoons of extra-fine ground coffee and 1-1.5 teaspoons of sugar. Add spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, rosewater, cloves). The creamier, the better. Feedback geben
neoberg@reddit
I am Turkish. I grew up in Turkey until I was 25. No one drinks Turkish coffee 3 times a day. If they do, they're the exception.
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
Tamam biz Adakaleliiz ozaman farkliiz, hayret birsey ya ! ...
avitoxol@reddit
i guess im the only one drinking tea, and the amount of of tea i drink 250 litres per year > every other balkan country combined 😄, turkiye not even included
Environmental-Pea-97@reddit
That's the volume the average Turk drinks per month probably. I am a green tea man myself, I don't see the appeal in black tea.
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
KOSOVE, the one you left out of this map. Without a doubt!
P.s. am gonma report for agenda pushing any map that portrays Kosove as Serbia.
Background-Ad6454@reddit
Truth hurts
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Indeed. It hurts more the longer you deny it.
zargug2@reddit
🥱
xzxnz@reddit (OP)
Just downloaded the first map that was on Google. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Agreeable-Music-5103@reddit
Cry about it
KamboWest@reddit
Kosovo 🇽🇰
International_Arm223@reddit
I really like the word Heamus btw. Should be used more often.
xzxnz@reddit (OP)
It has great mythology behind it as well! Might make a post about it.
Academic-Pride2162@reddit
I've had black coffee in most of these countries. Each country names the coffee by its own name. I mean: in Greece you'd call it Greek coffee, in Macedonia you'll call it Macedonian coffee and so on.
Dizzy_Arachnid4292@reddit
Well we call it turska kava for a reason I suppose
SituationRoyal6535@reddit
What we make is actually Serbian coffee. Turks make it differently.
Dizzy_Arachnid4292@reddit
I had a college professor that ranted how what we call Turkish coffe isn't actually real Turkish coffee. Regardless, I just call every coffe made with a džezva Turkish lol
Happy-Hour88@reddit
When I think about coffee and Balkans I picture Serbian kafana or Turkish coffee. I haven't been to those two countries yet, but I associate them with coffee the most.
Round_Web_2272@reddit
The so-called coffee culture of the Balkans is forever haunted by the foul stench of tobacco culture—and what is even more tragic is that the problem is only growing worse.
Doesn’t it strike you that a single cappuccino simply demands to be paired with an e-cigarette thick with the cloying sweetness of guava?
deathflowerprincess@reddit
Tirana has the highest density coffee shops so I vote for my motherland
AdamBerner2002@reddit
Turkey I feel like
Familiar_Anywhere815@reddit
Realistically, Greece. But I will give Bitola, my hometown, an honorable mention. We have a main street (Shirok sokak) where it's an EXTREMELY big deal to sit down and slurp on a coffee for hours, people-watching and gossiping and shit. It's the only city I've seen that has an annual slow coffee drinking competition. The guy who won last year lasted 25 hours with a single macchiato.
Elgecko123@reddit
Things like “slow coffee drinking competition” restore my love for humanity
Usual-Trouble-2357@reddit
In terms of having a lot of high quality coffee - probably Romania. We have one of the highest numbers of specialty cafes per capita and we also spend more than most other Europeans on coffee per capita.
AnalkinSkyfuker@reddit
I think we spend more in alcohol the coffee, every man I know have 2 closets full of alcohol from beer to high stuf.
pdonchev@reddit
Probably Greece, but that's a kow bar. When we say "coffee culture" it is funny to point at drinking bitter supermarket crap and instant coffee, and concentrate on how long we take to drink it.
Specialty coffee is relatively easy to find in Sofia downtown. In Ljubljana I managed to find one street booth. In Belgrade I didn't manage to find good coffee, but to be fair I didn't have time to search thoroughly. Not much luck.in Thessaloniki. Weirdly, for now Sofia is leading on the ease of finding good coffee, but it's far from "culture".
For comparison, in Italy even the street bitter crap is far less crappy than in other countries.
neckke@reddit
Bosnian coffe for me 1#
neckke@reddit
But here in my region (Sandzak/Rasko-limska oblast) we call it turkish coffe🙃🙃
neckke@reddit
Very much.
SuedeJacketMonster@reddit
Everyone outside if Italy sucks. Sorry, drinking a tea cup of coffee for hours, smoking like a chimney and complaining about life doesn't cut it for me.
Fancy_Ad_53@reddit
Greece and Turkey
PersimmonTall8157@reddit
I love Turkish coffee, but when I go there everyone is drinking tea
YuvieNN@reddit
Turkish coffee has a more significant part in turkish culture its why people usually drink it on special occassions whereas tea is basically what half the population runs on instead of blood
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
you from usa isnt it?
PersimmonTall8157@reddit
Im born and raised in former Yugoslavia. Turkish coffee is a popular here in my area, more popular than what it is in Turkey.
VVest_VVind@reddit
Only visited Istanbul so far, so I can't speak for the country on the whole, but in Istanbul I never had difficulty getting excellent Turkish coffee. Wherever I ordered it, it was top notch. Idk if this is also your experience, but in cafes across ex-Yu, it's sometimes so watered down that I end up wishing I had ordered a double espresso instead. Presuming they wouldn't have made it like the French do, which is also watered down.
PersimmonTall8157@reddit
Yes you can get good Turkish coffee in Turkey, but everyone will drink tea in social situations. The tea culture is way stronger than the coffee one. While in former Yugoslavia so is coffee the absolute dominant one.
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
ee dobre, no da ...Yes, Stambul. I think they drink a lot of Turkish coffee there too. But in Trakija, in the countryside, people still drink both: Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, and also Nescafé.
Hey by the way you bulgarians come to visit this place:
https://www.dailysabah.com/travel/2016/07/22/igneada-the-black-seas-best-kept-secret
VVest_VVind@reddit
Looks beautiful, tnx for sharing. Especially curious about those ruins, caves and old homes. I'm from a small town that basically only has nature to offer tho, so camping would be a harder sell. 😅
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
Many Pomaks live there, and they still speak Pomak.
For example, look at this old woman talking to a Bulgarian tourist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3muNiIC8cs
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
eee dobre... That's what I mean. This sub is about Balkans.
I only know Balkan Turks; we drink tea and coffee equally. Turkish Mocha has a very special meaning. If a family comes and asks for the hand of the daughter of the house, and she serves the mocha but doesn't make it creamy, it means she doesn't want the man.
DefendYogurt@reddit
Basicly same thing...
VVest_VVind@reddit
I learned my lesson not to ask for a Turkish coffee in a Greek café after the dirty look and correction I received from a waiter once. I'm sure not all waiter are like that, though. Maybe the guy thought I was a Turkish nationalist there to provoke him or something. And ppl will chose to get offended with a coffee order like that in Serbia and Bosnia too sometimes.
LaVeriteEstDansLeVin@reddit
If you call it turkish coffee in Greece it's like referring to serbian as croatian in Serbia.
VVest_VVind@reddit
No doubt. I'd personally chuckle if you managed to upset Serbian nationalists tho.
DefendYogurt@reddit
As a Turkish nationalist, first of all i have to say no need hate such as topic like coffee name. We have lived long times together. Sharing food names is so normal.
However, I pay attention to say just coffee instead of Turkish coffee in Greece. Provoking people is unnecessary.
VVest_VVind@reddit
Definitely. Look at the menu and order exactly what it says there or even point at it has been my strategy lately.
Fancy_Ad_53@reddit
I'm not looking to start a war but,yeah somewhat(excluding ones like freddo) 😭
I_Run_For_Pizza@reddit
Through my travels around the world i have come to appreciate the Greek coffee culture. I don't live in Greece anymore but every time I go back for vacation I am pleasantly surprised.
insanebison@reddit
The sitting at a cafe for hours and talking or playing backgammon is something I miss from Greece. Been living in Canada for 20 years now and it's not even close.
I_Run_For_Pizza@reddit
Btw backgammon at cafes is less common nowadays than it was 20 years ago. Last time I went to a cafe and asked for a board They looked at me like I'm an alien
OTePliJa7@reddit
As a Greek, that is true. backgammon is not the norm now.
insanebison@reddit
That's sad to me
Archaeopteryx111@reddit
The older generation does this in Romania. Long coffee outings.
danieljamesgillen@reddit
I don’t like sitting for hours. A few minutes at most. But I’ve never had coffee anywhere as good as Greece. I must try Italy though.
Familiar_Anywhere815@reddit
You will love the Italian coffee culture then. Italians almost never spend more than 5 minutes drinking coffee, unless it's coffee after a meal or something. But for the most part, it's an espresso on the run kind of thing.
insanebison@reddit
I found Costa Rica and Mexico better than Greece. Italy is comparable but often better depending on location in my experience.
Best coffee I've ever had was Colombian beans served to me in Mexico city.
I_Run_For_Pizza@reddit
That was hot coffee right? Which I really love. I think Greeks excel for anything cold and iced.
insanebison@reddit
Yeah it was hot...they cant do cold to Dave their asslol
xzxnz@reddit (OP)
That's blasphemy to Greeks. We literally spend hours drinking coffee. Literally leasing the table for a couple of hours.
Particular-Highway89@reddit
Croatia coffe is a huge part of culture. All people do all day every day is drink coffee
OTePliJa7@reddit
Dont know about the rest of the Balkans, but in Greek culture coffee plays a major role. It is paired with work, hanging out with friends and even with just chilling by yourself minding your business. Nothing beats a (cold) freddo espresso under the sun. It is even considered a typical breakfast here. Fun fact: before freddo espresso's invasion into Greek everyday life, instant coffee was the go to.
Dear-Interaction-210@reddit
r/MapsWithoutKosovo
Tandfeen_dk22@reddit
I believe that if you take Romania into the Balkans you have ti take Hungary as well, otherwise is doesn’t make too much sense
zargug2@reddit
Hungary isn't in the balkans.
Tandfeen_dk22@reddit
Neither is Romania …
One_more_drink_@reddit
A part of Romania is South of the Danube, if that's the Northern limit we are using.
Tandfeen_dk22@reddit
Yes, true. Still it’s a strech just like Turkey
zargug2@reddit
Part of it is.
rafinator27@reddit
Not to brag about my shithole but we invented the frappé and freddo espresso ✌️🙂↕️
PlayfulMountain6@reddit
Nothing beats Albania in coffee culture...
zargug2@reddit
Tbh serbia, greece are by far a bigger consumer.
KlejdiV@reddit
Coffee culture is not the same thing as coffee consumption
zargug2@reddit
True, but those who consume the most tend to have most culture, and from my experience, greeks have the most, after that serbia, after that kosovo.
holyrs90@reddit
Brother nordic countries consume the most, would you say they have good coffe culture?
zargug2@reddit
Have you been there? Cuz they sure have some good coffee culture.
holyrs90@reddit
No, but i have seen what they call "coffe" its garbage trash
zargug2@reddit
Coming from somone who's been there, been in both albania and nordic countries, they're there and their coffee is good aswell. Regardless of that i said my opinion, greek has the best coffee culture period.
holyrs90@reddit
I can agree with that
Additional-Gur7915@reddit
Kosove does. Except for Tirane (some places), your coffee sucks. Sorry
PlayfulMountain6@reddit
Your personal opinion
Martha_Fockers@reddit
Americans go we have Starbucks in every corner
Oh yes we have multiple cafes at every corner my friend lmao
holyrs90@reddit
There is one country in here that has the highest coffeshops/capita in the world ❤️
Typical-Farmer-1462@reddit
honestly greece
turkey is more of a tea country while greeks drink lots of coffee. also it's the birthplace of frappe and freddo espresso/cappuccino
DefendYogurt@reddit
Tea became popular after the Republic. There was not even significant amount tea production before. Türkiye was a coffee country in ottoman era.
Equivalent_Bag_3634@reddit
I see a man of culture I upvote.
Local_Collection_612@reddit
Greece even the Freddo Espresso at an gas station on the motoway was excelllent
RedditAnonDude@reddit
Culture, I would say Croatia, because coffee lasts all day. But I had some really tasty coffee in Greece. Haven’t been to Turkey yet.
EdgyNationMemes@reddit
Greece
(I am greek and I don't like coffee)
saleomkd_@reddit
Greece
This_Music682@reddit
Balkan Coffee -> Random Dudes having a good time :D
ShqiptarInMukhmas@reddit
Turkey and Orthodox turkey (Greece)
Illustrious-Gold-267@reddit
Grabs popcorn 😆
Realy all of them have similar coffe that is good.
Now if you want to start a reddit war... what is the coffe called. Turkish, greak, bosnian...etc. oh tje wonder 😆
Fancy_Ad_53@reddit
"if i speak I'm dead" ahh
Organic_Refuse4209@reddit
Türkiye
blendorana@reddit
Fuck u and this map Kosovo is not serbia
zargug2@reddit
Greeks i guess.
tejanaqkilica@reddit
They're all horrible.
Ok-Avocado7473@reddit
Croatia, has the best of both worlds. Italian style or Turkish style. Stick to coastal areas. Much better coffee.
Turnip8742@reddit
I think its Bulgaria. There are a lot of specialty coffees and blends and people tend to cherish good coffee.
streetlamp10000@reddit
Obviously Montenegro and I wont elaborate on that
EconomicsOk7643@reddit
I’m sick of the termen of “Balkan Peninsula” it doesn’t exist such thing. Peninsula is only Greece. 😂. These are my thoughts. 🤷🏻♂️
Efficient_Finance935@reddit
The only country that's not on the map.
TerribleTerribleToad@reddit
Portugal?
KappaKing69420@reddit
r/MapsWithoutNZ
mojokotso@reddit
Freddo Espresso > Everything else
thanasis87kav@reddit
The one that actually consumes the most of it
narisha_dogho@reddit
Greece by far
Zeonist-@reddit
Albania
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
Türkiye
PieBright8211@reddit
Ottoman
mikewazoski59@reddit
Ottoman
Miserable-Ground-379@reddit
Greece