Card coffee pack, c. 1900–1910
Antonio Donghi, Cocottina, 1927. Private collection
Top: Woman drinking coffee, 18th century, detail
Coffee drinking is something of a ritual in Europe and elsewhere. Sugar is one of the most popular accompaniments, whether beet or cane sugar, white or brown. Other commonplace additions to coffee are milk or liquid cream, served in small separate containers. If the coffee is strong and concentrated, in the Turkish or Italian style, it is routinely accompanied by a separate glass of cold water to rinse the mouth.
The habit of placing a square or piece of chocolate on the saucer comes from Switzerland and Belgium, and an alternative could be sophisticated dark chocolate-coated coffee beans. A biscuit, often flavoured with ginger, cinnamon or mint, is a tradition of the English-speaking world. On great occasions, coffee is accompanied by a tray of sweet delicacies, each no larger than a mouthful, including chocolates and small pastries often coated in chocolate.
