Hold a cup of aromatic coffee and you’ll be holding colonial history in your hands.

The habit of drinking coffee was developed in the Arab culture.  At first the coffee was known only for its stimulant properties.  The fruit was eaten fresh and was used to feed and stimulate the herds on the road.  Over time, the coffee began to be mashed and mixed with animal fat to facilitate consumption while traveling.

In Brazil, cafézinho is part of the culture, so much so, that the minute you arrive at someone’s house they will ask you:  “aceita um cafézinho?” (want a coffee?) and sometimes they will just bring it to you without even asking.
The size of the coffee cup is very small compared to North America.  If you go to the bank, gas stations, offices, there is cafézinho ready for you with sugar added (usually too much sugar for the North American taste) and it is free of charge.  So no one is surprised if while someone brings a tray and serves you a cafézinho in the middle of a business meeting.  And at that point in the conversation, the topic becomes more personal and friendly where you find out about each others families, likes and dislikes, sometimes exchange cell numbers and even book a follow up meeting (at a bar or restaurant) for further friendship.