Patår, Tretår, Krusetår: The Swedish Words for More and More Coffee
Coffee bans, King's interesting coffee experiment on guilty twins, fortunetelling over coffee residue
Scandinavia is one of the most heavily coffee-consuming regions in the world. It’s proven by numbers. I also have witnessed this reality as a frequent visitor to the region. In Stockholm, there is a coffee shop on almost every street corner. Similarly, coffee is always consumed in business and social life during fikas.
In particular, the history of coffee in Sweden is remarkable. Coffee debuted in Sweden in about 1674, and it has been prohibited multiple times since then due to health concerns. Coffee, on the other hand, never lost appeal, and after the laws were abolished, it became the dominating beverage in Sweden.
The coffee experiment on twins requested by the Swedish king is also quite interesting. King Gustav III ordered an experiment to prove coffee's life-shortening effects. As human subjects, identical twin brothers sentenced to death were chosen. Their death sentences were converted to life sentences on the condition that one consumed three cups of coffee and the other three cups of tea per day.
Indeed, the brothers drank their coffee and tea just as they had been ordered their entire lives. The outcome is somewhat shocking. The coffee drinker was the last of the experiment's participants to die. First, the king was assassinated, and the brother who drank tea with the two doctors died before those who drank coffee. Finally, the coffee revealed its innocence. This trial is also often regarded as Sweden's first clinical trial.
Of course, a country with such a rich history of coffee must have its own terminology for it. Inevitably, the Swedish language contains words for drinks, particularly coffee refills.
Patår denotes the first refill and the second cup of coffee. Tretår refers to the second or third cup of coffee. Krusetår is also the third refill, or fourth cup. I don't think we need to know what happens next to avoid coffee intoxication.
I've had the best coffee I've ever tasted in Switzerland, but I don’t think the Swiss have a notion like a coffee refill. The worldwide Swedish chain IKEA's food section sells cups along with drinks, which you may refill as many times as you want. It’s the same with coffee. To be honest, I've never seen coffee served like it before.
Coffee is also a very significant cultural object in Turkey. We have coffee presentations, which are similar to Japanese tea ceremonies. Coffee is served in miniature Turkish coffee cups with a tiny glass of water, Turkish delight, and occasionally liqueur. Coffee also implies socialization. You frequently drink Turkish coffee with a friend.
Another characteristic of Turkish coffee that comes to mind is fortune telling over the coffee cup. After you finish your coffee, a residue remains at the bottom of the cup. The cup is then placed on the lower plate and turned upside down. When the cup is lifted after a while, the coffee residue is dumped onto the plate by gravity, and you can see various shapes when you look inside the cup.
These shapes contain fantastic stories for imaginative people, and you can learn them through fortunetelling. A fortune teller, who is also your coffee mate, looks at your cup and predicts what will most likely happen in your life in the near future. These stories contain a great deal of information, such as prospective trips, people you will meet soon, the intentions of those around you, and how your plans and projects will progress.
Even those who don't believe in fortune telling can't help but turn the cup upside down if a Turkish coffee has been drunk and there is someone who knows how to read fortune telling.
I can hear the question in your head right now.
So, how often do these coffee fortunes and forecasts come true? Is it just an entertaining activity?
I'll admit that, despite the fact that it's largely for fun, I've seen some coffee fortunes come true. There are even individuals who make a living off of it.
In Turkish, there is a proverb that goes, "Don't believe in fortune telling, but don't avoid it either."