In the Dominican Republic, coffee has never been just coffee. It’s an invitation disguised as a drink. A small ritual that serves to start conversations, solve problems, receive visitors or simply accompany comfortable silences between people who feel in trust.
Nobody here says “let’s have a deep conversation.” Here they say “come and have a coffee” and you already know that behind that phrase can come advice, gossip, family reconciliations or even business proposals.
Dominican coffee appears in all possible scenarios. It is in the offices early in the morning, in the galleries at dusk, at wakes, at family gatherings and even in homes where perhaps anything else is missing, except coffee.
The word coffee comes from the Arabic qahwah, which originally meant “vigor” or “strength.”
The funny thing is that many times the quality of the coffee doesn’t even matter that much. The important thing is the act of sharing it.
There are people who prepare a small fret and still offer it with pride as if they were serving something luxurious, because the value is not in the cup, but in the intention.
Before, conversations lasted longer. People sat without constantly looking at their watches or cell phones.
A coffee could easily turn into a two-hour talk where they talked about politics, neighbors, old memories and family situations that needed relief.
Today we still retain part of that custom, although the modern pace has greatly changed the way we interact, even in hurried offices, just listen: do you want coffee? to understand that someone is trying to create a moment of closeness.
Perhaps that is why Dominicans who live outside the country talk so much about coffee as a symbol of home. Because they don’t just miss the flavor, they miss everything that happened around that small, hot cup.
Phrases
“Life begins after coffee.” “All you need is love and a hot cup of coffee.” “Coffee is the fuel for good ideas.” “A yawn is a silent cry that screams for coffee.”
The word coffee comes from the Arabic qahwah, which originally meant “vigor” or “strength”, a perfect description for those who feel like having the first cup of the day!
