Do you like coffee as much as the Norwegians?Coffee life in Norway.

Did you know that coffee culture in Norway is quite strong? According to the International Coffee Organization, when it comes to world’s biggest coffee consumption per capita, Norway ranks second place, with 9,9kg yearly, per inhabitant. They’re only behind Finland (12kg). I got this message from my friend Katia, from Brazil. I don’t know why but I wasn’t surprised. Every house I have visited in Norway for the past seven and a half years, I was offered coffee. It’s super popular. If you visit Stavanger on a Saturday, you’ll see Cafes on every corner, full of people. Check my list of 9 best Cafes in Stavanger here.

Possible reasons for the coffee boom in Norway.

Temperature. It may be due to the cold weather, as drinking a hot beverage like coffee warms us and is cozy. Just the act of holding a warm mug is cozy in itself. Coming inside after a walk in the rain or snow, first thing you want to do is grab a cup of coffee and sit by the fireplace. At work, coffee makes the meeting better.

It’s cheap when compared to liquor.

It’s accessible and easy to make.

Thermos with coffee has become part of hiking and camping equipment in Norway.

Caffeine gives us energy to work, study, to keep going.

Most of the coffee we find at regular Norwegian supermarkets come from Africa and Central America. It’s possible to find Colombian too.

Tips on good coffee to buy in Norway. Here in Norway, I have found coffee from Brazil from an importer but the prices are astronomic. As we always had Brazilian coffee at home, it was a crisis when we ran out of it. I asked my readers for tips on good coffee to buy at local shops. Here are the winners: IKEA coffee, Coop coffee (the blue package), L’Or coffee (pink package), Colombian coffee from Meny. I’m so lucky to have the best readers ever. Thanks again.

The difference between Brazilian and Norwegian way to drink coffee.

Brazil is the world’s biggest coffee producer (and 14th place in consumption) while Norway is the second biggest coffee consumer. That’s intriguing. I find Brazilian coffee much stronger than those we buy in Norway. Maybe that’s why we consume more coffee in Norway and other Scandinavian countries. In Brazil, I use three table spoons to make half a liter coffee. In Norway, I use 6 or 7 table spoons for the same half a liter.

• In Brazil, we make much stronger coffee and we drink in small cups. You can choose between espresso (stronger) and carioca (normal, from the filter). Most people add sugar to their coffee.
• In Norway, it’s like a get cozy drink, served in big cups, weaker, brighter, made to last long. It suits well the cold weather, as you warm your hands while holding the mug. No sugar allowed.

Similarities: Both Brazilians and Norwegians drink coffee all day long, for breakfast, as dessert after lunch, during meetings, when a guest comes to your house, to keep you awake to study at night, at parties. That’s why I felt so at home here. Sitting by the table with friends, enjoying cake and coffee is one of my coziest moments ever.

Most common ways to make coffee in Norway:

French Press. This is the one I see the most in Norwegian homes. The ground coffee is put in the carafe. Then you add boiling water. Stir so that all the ground coffee is mixed into the water. Wait like five minutes. You can have the lid on, but don’t press down the plunger yet. After those minutes, gently press down the lock until it reaches the bottom. The ground coffee will remain deposited under the plunger. Serve.

The pour over. This is the way I used to make coffee in Brazil and we still do that in Norway at home. It’s the classical way. All you need is a vessel, a cone and coffee paper filter. Vessel is usually made of glass. Cone can be plastic, ceramic (more elegant), glass.

First set them together. Then pour coffee ground. 6 or 7 table spoons if it’s not Brazilian coffee (Brazilian: 3 will do it). Then gently pour boiling water in it. Make sure the water reaches all the grounds. That’s it. Coffee will come to the vessel. remove the cone and serve.

At work, we have a pour over machine. It keeps the coffee warm if you wanna save some for later.

Machines.

We prefer to buy the beans and roast them. I bought a coffee grinder machine for my husband on Valentine’s Day, like this one. My Brazilian friend who lives in Norway has a machine like this one.

History. There’s a theory that explains why coffee became so popular in Norway. It seems like coffee was brought to Norway in the 1800’s. Liquor was too expensive, so coffee became popular. Another theory says that priests encouraged people to choose coffee instead of alcoholic drinks.

Do you like coffee? What’s your favorite brand? How do you make it?

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