on Tiktok, American tourists stunned by French habits around coffee

There are some culture shocks that are more surprising than others. For Americans, it would be the coffee drinking habits of Europeans. At least, according to tourists who complained about it on the social network Tiktok. On May 25, Sarah Tonen, an American on vacation “in Europe” (as evasive as that may be), addressed her followers to denounce the opening hours of cafes. At dawn (in other words, in the middle of the night), while the baristas were still in the arms of Morpheus, the young traveler was surprised to see no one running the coffee machine at her hotel: “I was very confused. It’s so weird.” A cultural gap based on drastically different consumption habits, and which is enough to amuse Europeans.

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The art of drinking coffee

Showing a touch of naivety, the video immediately sparked a reaction among French Internet users: “It’s 6:45 a.m., make your own coffee,” commented one. “They like to spend 10 euros too much in low-end cafes,” says another. It must be said that our morning rituals are very different. For many of us Europeans, the reassuring hum of the coffee machine and its warm smell provide motivation to get out of bed each morning. On the side of the Americans, followers of fast life, it’s a run to Starbucks, Dunkin Donut’s, or the local independent coffee shop that punctuates their morning before heading to work. No need to get out of the car, once the order is placed at a terminal, the drinks magically appear through the slot in the franchise establishment. And this, from the first hours of the day. A habit that weighs heavily on the wallet, but which many find difficult to break away from.

“I get told all the time, ‘to save money, make your own coffee,’ but I love getting in my car, putting on some music, and going for a coffee. It’s an activity, a ‘festivity,’ it carries me through the long winter months. I can’t get rid of it,” defends @taylordonoghue on TikTok. A habit that some also choose to parody with self-deprecation on social media. “I stress about money so I’ll spend $9 on a frozen coffee,” quips one user as she films herself with her iced beverage.

Not the same coffee

The beverage that flows into American cups is also very different. Still on Tiktok, we discover a multitude of videos of tourists giving tutorials on how to order an “American-style” coffee in Europe. Indeed, espresso, long coffee and café crème, great classics of our terraces, would seem too rustic for Americans who favorice coffee in summer time – iced coffee in French. A trend from the USA that is becoming more popular in Europe, but not enough to appeal to establishments that are still in their original state, typically French, Italian or Spanish. Result? Tourists are served an espresso with ice cubes and are forced to prepare it themselves, like user @itsfernandadiaz on TikTok: “My two neurons trying to make an iced coffee in Europe,” she comments.

It must be said that on the other side of the Atlantic, the homeland of the giant Starbucks, the menus display a vast choice of drinks with eccentric names, topped with whipped cream or displaying artificial colors. Like the Starbucks Choco Chip Frappuccino, composed of “chocolate-flavored sauce and Frappuccino chocolate chips combined with coffee-flavored syrup and milk, mixed with crushed ice, garnished with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate-flavored syrup,” we can read on the chain’s website.

Creations that come out to the rhythm of the seasons, unleashing trends among young people who share the latest must-try drinks on social networks. We remember, for example, the pumpkin spice latte, which set the Internet ablaze in the 2000s. An autumn-flavored drink from Starbucks, composed of coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg and whipped cream. Enough to no longer know what a simple coffee looks like.