In Seoul, you can throw a stone and it is likely to hit two things. The first would be a Korean whose surname is Kim. The second is probably the window of a coffeeshop or its barista.

I used to hate coffee. I saw it as a bourgeoisie habit, addiction. These days I gladly pour and sip warm to hot cups of this beverage. In Korea, it’s ubiquitous and often pretty cheap to buy a cup of Jo. I prefer less sugar and no milk in my cup. Although I used to enjoy lattes and frappuccinos, these days I ask for an Americano. I’m an American after all. Haha!

Curiousity led me to begin drinking Americanos. Being that the drink is popular in Korea, I would often hear Koreans order this beverage. I thought it was out of some affinity for American culture that they chose it. As I later found it is a healthier choice compared to the highly sweetened drinks also available. An Americano is just an espresso with more water added. No sugar. No milk. And that’s the way I like it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caff%C3%A8_Americano