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“Blümchenkaffee” (花ちゃんコーヒー)  Sven Jensen (From Germany)

On the left the Japanese coffee cups and on the right the German coffee cup with the visible flower design through the weak coffee.

The moment I saw the beautifully ornate coffee cups, I stepped on my toes to see the bottom of the cups. To my surprise there was no adornment inside the cup, just outside. In Germany, the traditional coffee cups usually have a flower at the bottom of the cup. This is also how a humorous description of weak coffee has derived “Blümchenkaffee” (花ちゃんコーヒー). It is used when the coffee is so weak, that you can see the flower design through it.

Nowadays these cups are not that common anymore, or are used for more special occasions. Seeing these kinds of cups reminds me of being at my grandparents house over coffee and cake with the whole family.

For innovation I clearly suggest to include nostalgia to trigger emotions. People love to talk about nostalgic moments and have many stories about this to share. In an international context, this is also a wonderful opportunity to compare different cultures and see the similarities.