Let’s face it, we love our coffee. Whether it’s a morning latte or an after-lunch flat white—we simply won’t settle for anything less than the best.

But for one Canadian expat, this dedication to good coffee had him completely up in arms.

Josiah Hein was on a domestic flight to the Gold Coast when he requested a coffee with ‘creamer’, only to be met with utter confusion from the flight attendant.

While the ‘usual’ for most Aussies is to receive a little packet of whole milk when they order coffee on flights, Josiah pointed out that in the United States, where he had recently been, people get something called 'creamer' instead.

In spite of its misleading name, ‘creamer’ is far from real cream. Instead, it's a substitute made out of evaporated milk solids, vegetable oil, corn syrup, and a mix of additives and preservatives.

'Flying back to Australia, and I ordered a coffee,' he said in his now-famous social media video from the plane.

Approximately 75 per cent of Australian adults enjoy a daily cup of coffee, and among them, 28% savour at least three cups daily. Image source: Pixabay

‘There’s no creamer, they offered me milk. A stark contrast between North America and Australia.’

‘They are literally just adding milk to their coffees. They don’t know what creamer is.’

‘I was trying to explain it to the stewardess, or cabin crew. Kind of wild.’

Many people in the comments were surprised at Josiah's reaction while pointing out that milk is a much healthier option.

‘In Australia, we don't need 'creamer,' because our coffee is actually good,’ one commented. ‘We know what 'creamer' is; we also know what it is made from.’

‘Coffee 'creamer' is poison,’ another wrote. ‘In Australia, we only put natural ingredients in our coffee, not chemicals.’

‘We know what it is, we just refuse to acknowledge it,’ another user said. ‘We don’t want everything to taste like diabetes.’

Upon reaching his destination, Josiah also observed how laid-back Australians were compared to Americans at the baggage carousel.

Josiah was taken aback when he received milk instead of 'creamer'. Video source: Social media (@josiahhein)​

‘Most of them are on the other side of the carousel. It’s a different vibe.’

‘I don’t think Australians care as much, a little bit less uptight up in here. That is my impression.’

His followers agreed, noting Australians' natural mindfulness.

'We Australians are more civilised and raised well,' one said.

'It’s not a lack of care, it’s an abundance of care,' another stressed. 'We care about being courteous and giving space.'

Key Takeaways

• A Canadian expat was surprised by Australians using milk instead of creamer in coffee.
• This happened on a domestic flight to the Gold Coast, confusing the flight attendant.
• On social media, many praised milk as a healthier choice and noted Australians' preference for natural ingredients in coffee.
• The Canadian also observed a cultural difference at baggage claim, with Australians being more relaxed and courteous compared to Americans.

Members, have you ever experienced culture shock while visiting another country? If so, what aspects of the culture surprised or intrigued you the most? Share your experiences with us below!

 

[Rob44]

Coffee in Australia is grossly over-rated. If you want to confuse an Australian, reply "Ordinary coffee" when asked by the service staff what you wish to drink; whatever the service staff becomes reconciled to bringing you, you can guarantee that it will taste burnt or badly scalded.

If in the USA ask for, "A cup of tea with milk".