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The French Coffee Ritual Says Much Of The Delightful French Culture! Experience It!
Americans love their morning cup of Java, as do the French. However, that's where the similarity ends. Americans tend to grab that cup and gulp it down as they open their eyes. Another cup is poured as you dash out the door. You may also frequent your neighborhood coffee house, again on the fly, a take-out to drink on the way back to the office. The French coffee ritual is treated as an occasion, more like an event than a caffeine fix. This makes the drinking of the coffee a necessary and proper beginning to the French day.
Here in America, we are chastised by the health police on the merits of a good breakfast, yet who takes the time? We do certainly get our coffee. For most of us, it would be unthinkable to leave the house without at least one or two cups. In France, people are not so stressed over the good breakfast part, but do religiously spend at least a half hour, often more, enjoying a large, strong cup of Arabica along with a pastry baked an hour ago at the local bakery. In any French city or town, you are never more than a two minute walk to a bistro or bakery. Bakeries have the most delicious assortment of fruit filled tarts, croissants and other breakfast delectables to accompany a cup of French coffee. The bistros won't often have the largest assortment, but they are sure to have customer favorites on hand.
So what's the French coffee ritual? Whether you partake at home or go out, your cup is large, much like a soup bowl with a handle. You'll not find a weak or tepid cup of coffee anywhere. Quality is imperative. Arabica beans are the standard, providing a full-bodied, flavorful cup. You choose a pastry, a sandwich or a plain roll as your French coffee's supporting cast. You can chat with your neighbor at the next table, or read the morning news. Your coffee is to be savored with a relish equal to that of lunch or dinner. You don't rush. You sit and sort out your thoughts, plan your day, enjoy a little conversation and relax! If the half hour runs into an hour, it's no big deal. The French coffee ritual requires that you build in sufficient time to enjoy that all important morning starter. It's an event, not a fire drill.
So maybe we should all take a page from the French and slow down enough to enjoy the little things in life. In the French culture, they have not lost that ability to savor each moment of life. Americans suffer from way too much stress and hectic scheduling. While we in America may not have the luxury of a bakery on every corner, we do have access to many fine baked goods in the supermarket freezer. Give the French coffee ritual a try, if only for a day. Believe me, it will soon be hard to break yourself of this delightful, relaxing start to your day.
Summary
You don't rush. You sit and sort out your thoughts, plan your day, enjoy a little conversation and relax! If the half hour runs into an hour, it's no big deal. The French coffee ritual requires that you build in sufficient time to enjoy that all important morning starter. It's an event, not a fire drill. So maybe we should all take a page from the French and slow down enough to enjoy the little things in life.
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