UEFA European Championship – Group B and their coffee
Group B is the very same group that two of the three home nations competing in France are placed within. England and Wales will be fighting it out for a place in the latter stages of the tournament, alongside minnows Slovakia and the relatively average Russia, at least for a nation of their size and pedigree.
With the tournament offering the young English side an opportunity to really make a name for themselves on the world stage, it is our coffee that is coming under scrutiny today.
Wales will be looking to give a good account of themselves, having not played in a major football tournament since 1958, Gareth Bale and co will be looking to leave a lasting impression on the millions of fans watching around the world.
Group B
England – ‘coffee’
England’s history with coffee is almost 500 years old, with the British East India Company being responsible for the major imports of coffee beans into the island during the early 16th century.
Claiming to have the oldest coffee house in Europe, England will be lacking this experience advantage in footballing terms over the opposition in the coming weeks.
The ‘white coffee’ is the preferred form of English coffee, with hot coffee – usually freeze dried – being the convenient and preferential form in which it is consumed, and served with cold milk.
Simple and unrefined, it is very much unlike the many more ‘European-style’ coffees available.
Very much like the national team then…
Russia – кофе/kofe
The powerhouse that is Russia is not quite the same on the pitch as it is off the pitch.
A sleeping giant in world footballing terms, the Russian coffee of choice is known as The Raf – not to be confused with the Royal Air Force.
The Raf is a relatively new drink to the Russian coffee scene, with it’s roots in the mid ’90s.
A mixed shot of espresso, cream and sugar all steamed together is all it takes to make ‘The Raf’, which takes it’s name from the man who ordered it – not the actual creator! – a one Rafael Timerbaev.
Sweet and sugary, which is more than can be said of the Russian chances of lifting the European Cup this summer…
Wales – ‘Coffi’
Wales has been waiting for a crop of superstars to emerge from ‘The Valleys’ to take them on an international footballing adventure, and in Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey they have a squad capable of asking the ‘big boys’ questions.
But in coffee terms, it’s actually the Italians who have given coffee to the sheep-rearing nation.
A large influx of Italian immigrants changed the view of coffee within the nation, with some 4000 Italian families migrate to Wales from 1821 to 1851.
From the 1890’s the Italian contingent opening cafes, ice cream parlours and fish and chip shops.
And as we know, the spiritual owners of the cafe culture, the Italian’s know how to make coffee.
But even with all this influence, we have no exclusively Welsh coffee.
Maybe we’ll see a Welsh brand of football that leaves a mark in France this summer?…
Slovakia – ‘káva’
The Slovaks took their coffee culture from Turkey, where they serve from a copper cezve much like many of those who have taken their coffee habits from the Turkish empire.
Like many nations that made up the old Eastern block, the cafe culture remains, with people taking time to drink coffee in cafes and bars around the country.
With a population of just under 5.5 million, the small nation will no doubt look to be a surprise package at the tournament, piggy-backing their way into the latter stages in France.