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I have had similar conversations with Italians about food or coffee. They're very passionate about both and - at least when it comes to coffee - will also get i

I have had similar conversations with Italians about food or coffee. They're very passionate about both and - at least when it comes to coffee - will also get into heated discussions over it with other Italians, not just foreigners. I think it's just the culture.

plafl 6y ago
I'm Spanish, not Italian, but we also talk quite loud. Maybe all discussions look heated to foreigners.
- Sharlin 6y ago
  Italian discussions literally look very heated to, say, Northern Europeans, due to the very animated body language.
- andrepd 6y ago
  In Portugal there's a saying: "he/she shouts like a Spaniard". Then again who are we of all people to judge?
zwaps 6y ago
I have a different story. I come from a Northern country where there was no "good" coffee for decades, just regular filter coffee, usually too strong. We accept our inferiority in this regard. When I was in Italy or France, I took a liking to their coffee. Sure, seems complicated for home use, but nice in a cafe or bar. To me, living in Paris, this was (at the time) good coffee. So then I met an American, and when I related the above, I was told that the coffee wasn't actually that good at all, and I should try some real artisanal coffee like they do in New York. Luckily, this was getting popular in Europe as well. So, I tagged along to a new and hip coffee place and found, to my surprise, that the mysterious espresso machines had been replaced by good old filters, but with a very arcane and complex production process. The other difference was that the coffee was weak and tasted more like tea than coffee. I did not like it at all, as I wanted a coffee and not some weak watery tea. I like all sorts of coffees - from espresso to filter to Nescafe - for their own unique taste, except this one. Anyway, my point is that I found American coffee snobs to be more snobby than French or Italian ones.

plafl 6y ago

I'm Spanish, not Italian, but we also talk quite loud. Maybe all discussions look heated to foreigners.

Sharlin 6y ago
Italian discussions literally look very heated to, say, Northern Europeans, due to the very animated body language.
andrepd 6y ago
In Portugal there's a saying: "he/she shouts like a Spaniard". Then again who are we of all people to judge?

zwaps 6y ago

I have a different story. I come from a Northern country where there was no "good" coffee for decades, just regular filter coffee, usually too strong. We accept our inferiority in this regard. When I was in Italy or France, I took a liking to their coffee. Sure, seems complicated for home use, but nice in a cafe or bar. To me, living in Paris, this was (at the time) good coffee. So then I met an American, and when I related the above, I was told that the coffee wasn't actually that good at all, and I should try some real artisanal coffee like they do in New York. Luckily, this was getting popular in Europe as well. So, I tagged along to a new and hip coffee place and found, to my surprise, that the mysterious espresso machines had been replaced by good old filters, but with a very arcane and complex production process. The other difference was that the coffee was weak and tasted more like tea than coffee. I did not like it at all, as I wanted a coffee and not some weak watery tea. I like all sorts of coffees - from espresso to filter to Nescafe - for their own unique taste, except this one. Anyway, my point is that I found American coffee snobs to be more snobby than French or Italian ones.