Love may be a universal language, but the ways in which we enjoy our coffee are not. TikTok has become flooded with travel influencers sharing their most surprising culture shocks when compared to customs in the United States, and a surprising topic is coffee. While coffee itself is beloved, how we enjoy it is another story. Home to the infamous Starbucks, America is completely unhinged when it comes to the serving size of coffee, and the most popular cafes are the ones with comfy couches and free Wi-Fi.

Americans directly associate their coffee experiences with their work. Starbucks even created its branding around this concept — they provide us coffee and alternative workspace, because we rely on double espressos to fuel our ubiquitous work ethic.

But, as we know, there are countless nuances among cultures around the world… and how people enjoy their coffee is definitely one of them.

Some Like It Hot

In Italy, people drink espresso and knock it back at the bar on their way to work. There’s no extra-large cup that you bring to your desk — you drink it immediately. The biggest shock, however, is that Italy typically doesn’t do iced coffee (although it does exist, albeit rare, according to one TikToker).

Catrin, an American living in Italy, shares a fascinating contrast in coffee culture. Even during the summer, she opts for a hot espresso at the coffee bar, a practice that might seem unusual to an American accustomed to iced coffee. If you attempt to get a coffee to go, you might get something different than you think, further highlighting the unique Italian coffee culture.

If you order an iced coffee in Israel, they will hand you a frappuccino. (OK, love that.)

Caffeine and Convo

The good news is that most travelers admit that while they miss their giant pumpkin-spiced iced lattes, the quality of the espresso in Italy is top-tier. Italians commonly make their coffee at home or have a quick espresso at their local coffee bar.

The experience of drinking it at the bar, often accompanied by lively conversations and friendly banter, adds a unique social dimension to the coffee culture in Italy.

The Early Bird Gets the… Coffee

When it comes to coffee etiquette in Italy, they typically only drink cappuccinos on or before 11 a.m. Word on the street is that if you order a cappuccino after this time, everyone will know you’re a tourist!

Nadia Caterina Munno, also known as “The Pasta Queen” to her 2 million plus followers, was beside herself when a friend ordered a cappuccino at lunch. Even her followers understood how serious this decision was, with one user saying, “My Italian friends say the three sins of [an] American traveler [are]: tipping, asking for take-out box, and cappuccino after breakfast.”

While restaurants will service you the cappuccino after 11 a.m., be prepared for the servers to be openly offended by your choice.

Oat Couture

In Spain, the coffee culture is a reflection of their love for both tradition and innovation. Like in Italy, they have coffee bars, but they also embrace the trend of “specialty stores” that offer fancy coffees like lattes and cappuccinos.

Interestingly, for them, a coffee with almond milk is a specialty in its own right. A regular coffee is usually an espresso, and it’s worth noting that most cafes in Spain prefer to serve oat milk.

Cheap & Easy

The real to-go coffee win is the coffee and hot chocolate vending machines, which you can find pretty much everywhere in Eastern Europe.  “The Sharkstead Shorts” on TikTok shared a video of his experience getting a hot coffee in a random building in Bulgaria for less than a dollar.

Cheap and accessible right off the street, they can actually be quite good. When one follower insinuated that the coffee looked like “brown water,” he responded, “Think we got lucky ☺️ The hot chocolate actually tastes like chocolate 😂😂.”

Got Any Sand On Hand?

The coolest culture shock, in my eyes, is in Turkey. They heat their coffee in hot sand!

Excuse me while I impulsively add a sandpit to my home coffee bar.

With over two million likes and 10,000 comments, this brewing technique has the world shook. In a video shared by “FoodBeast,” a man prepares coffee by gliding a small ladle in hot sand, adding milk and sugar while it comes to a boil, before serving it in the most beautiful golden tea cup (Adding that to my long list of unnecessary things on my Amazon storefront!)

However, commenters shared that due to its highly concentrated preparation, it’s incredibly strong. “And you will never fall asleep again for the rest of your life,” one follower joked. Another shared, “You will hate the first cup. Second also, but you will love the third cup [for the] rest of your life. Best with dates.”

This sounds perfect for a mom with a toddler — I’m in.

So, the good news is that you can get coffee anywhere you go. Fair warning, though: It might not be iced, and it might keep you up for three days straight.