Here’s why the water is obtained with coffee: At first she wasn’t for a drink
Although the informal drinking of coffee appeared in the 16th century, first in the Ottoman Empire, where it was quickly accepted by the Turks and Greeks, in Western Europe this social custom became popular only at the end of the 19th century. The coffee was then slowly transitioning from luxury into everyday pleasure, and the cafes were turning into an important gathering place for social and cultural elites.
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coffee coffee in Zagreb
Interestingly, a glass of water traditionally served with coffee was not originally intended for drinking, but had a completely different function. At that time, many ladies complained that they had problems with a spoon that had mixed sugar in coffee – the foam at the top of the beverage would dirty a teaspoon, and they did not want to put such a sticky spoon on the edge of the plate or tray, which was considered messy and inappropriate for the then Eti -Bonton norms.
Therefore, a glass of water served as a kind of « spoon ». This detail, although often forgotten or understood today, has been an important part of the coffee drinking ritual, especially in classy European salons and coffee culture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today, serving a glass of water with coffee is considered a sign of quality service and careful catering. Although many cafes and restaurants around the world have accepted this practice as standard, it should be noted that there are still places where the water will not be offered automatically, unless you explicitly ask for it.
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