Coffee Culture in Germany and Spain: Nube, Carajillo and Filterkaffee

One of the characteristic sounds you hear upon entering a Spanish cafeteria or coffee shop is a loud banging. It's repeated frequently and comes from the hissing coffee machines. After each freshly prepared cup, the coffee grounds are emptied out by banging the content on the rim of a wooden drawer underneath the machine. Coffee shops use sophisticated coffee makers in their establishments, but at home, Spanish coffee is prepared in the traditional cafetera.

Spanish coffee is made from bottom to top, so to speak. Water fills the bottom half of the cafetera, the very finely ground powder is spooned into a small receptacle, and then the top half of the cafetera is tightly screwed on. The entire contraption is put onto a low flame and the coffee rises slowly into the upper half.

In Germany, coffee is prepared the other way around. The ground powder is spooned into the paper lined filter which sits atop the coffeepot and boiling water is slowly poured into the filter, with the coffee gathering in the pot below. Many Germans still use the old fashioned way of pouring the hot water directly onto the coffee powder without the use of a filter or percolator. To enjoy the drink, a sieve is needed to retain the grounds.

In Germany, coffee is served in much larger cups than in Spain. The drink is not as concentrated as the coffee prepared in Spain and it's consumed either black, with milk (hot or cold) and/or sugar. Coffee is much favored to complement cake or gateau. In fact, a favorite "meal" is the afternoon "Kaffee und Kuchen", a tradition which serves as social gathering at home or is enjoyed in a Café. Austria in particular has a long tradition of coffee houses as meeting points for intellectuals and artists. There is even such a thing as "coffee house philosophy." The size of the cup the coffee and the amount of milk added determine its name: one of the best known being the "Wiener Melange", which is by no means restricted to Austria.

The day starts with a café solo, a small cup of very strong and concentrated black coffee accompanied by a piece of pastry. In colder regions and for early morning workers, the black coffee is frequently flavored with a dash of cognac. That's referred to as "carajillo", carajo being a Spanish slang word for penis. Presumably, starting your day with a shot of strong alcohol and caffeine gives you strength.

Coffee is consumed throughout the day and particularly to finish off a meal. Depending on the amount of milk added, the drink has different names. Café con leche is served in a bigger cup with hot milk added: until the customer shouts: stop! Café nube has just a dash of hot or cold milk, enough to develop a "cloud" in the black liquid. And "lagrima" describes an even smaller amount of milk, just a tear drop to give the coffee color and to soften the strong, bitter taste.