Coffee and cake at 3 in the afternoon
Kaffee und Kuchen
On weekends, many German families meet around 3 or 4 p.m. for coffee and homemade cake.
Kaffee und Kuchen is a small afternoon meal, especially on Sundays and birthdays. There is filter coffee and one or two cakes, often homemade: apple cake, plum cake, cheesecake (Käsekuchen) or a cream cake.
If you are invited "zum Kaffee", it means this meal, not just one cup of coffee. Do not eat a big lunch before.
Bringing flowers or a small box of chocolates is a nice gesture. Germans also love to be asked for the recipe.
You may hear
Möchtest du noch ein Stück Kuchen?Would you like another piece of cake?
India and Germany
It is a bit like evening chai with snacks, but sweet, a little earlier, and with coffee. Tea drinkers are welcome too.
German words for this
- der Kuchen · cake
- die Torte · layered cream cake
- ein Stück · a piece
- die Sahne · cream
This is a custom, not a rule: families and regions differ.
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