Like Saint Ambrose used to say : « si fueris Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; si fueris alibī, vīvitō sicut ibi ».
When back in Ilulissat for my last day in Greenland, I ended is the same fantastic restaurant (see previous post on Mamartut). I had another whale Carpaccio and some very good Halibut). It was my chance to try a new “Greenlandic” tradition: the Greenlandic coffee, The famous taste from the top of the world, according to the kit you can buy in alcohol stores.
Of course, there is a nice story behind this drink recipe:
- 2cl of whisky, for the strength of single Greenlandic men
- 2 cl of kahlua, for the sweet and dark eyes of single Greenlandic girls
- They meet in the darkness of the night (1 dl of black coffee)
- Wiped cream for the icebergs
- And if they are lucky, they will see the northern light (2 cl of burning cointreau)
Then… good luck.
when in Rome, do as the Romans do
Right.
However, one can wonder how a mixture of coffee with an Irish whiskey, a Mexican liqueur and a French digestive can be the national drink of Greenland (easier to understand why Irish coffee is Irish, French coffee is French or Belgian coffee is Belgian).
When we asked about the origin of this “tradition” and when it started, we had no answer.
Anyway, after a couple of these, you do not bother about this, at all.
Oh no… it was… a tourist trap.
