Gathering Grounds
Coffee Interview Guide BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR INTERVIEW:
Interviews typically take between 45-60 minutes. Ask your subject if they have an hour to set aside to talk with you.
For this project, home spaces are ideal interview sites, but you may conduct the interview at other sites if that is easier for your interview subject.
Test your recording device: is it fully charged? Is the volume set to appropriate levels?
Test your camera: is it fully charged? Are you comfortable taking photos with this device?
When you near the end of the questions, let your subject know you are almost finished.
TIP: During or after the interview, you might ask if your interview subject has džezve, fildžan, coffee packages, or photographs that they would like to show you. Take pictures of these! Use these objects as an opportunity to ask more questions!
Interview Partners:
Interviewee: ____________________________________________________________ Place and Date of Birth: __________________
Interviewer: ____________________________________________________________ Place and Date of Birth: __________________
Offer a Project Explanation, for example: “This interview is part of a project that records peo- ple’s stories and memories about Bosnian coffee. The interviews are available online so that people can learn about them.” Your own words are always the best.
So, I want to hear about some of your thoughts and memories about coffee. Would you tell me about:
1) When did you first learn to brew coffee? a. how old were you?
b. Where were you? [in what kind of room, space: home kitchen? kafana?] c. Did you drink it? How did it taste?
d. Did you eat anything with your coffee?
1 - GG Coffee Interview Guide. copyright A. Croegaert 2013
2) Who taught you?
a. Tell me about her/him....
b. How much did you have to practice?
3) From whom did you receive or purchase your first džezva and fildžan? a. How did you feel when you received it?
b. Can you tell me where you were when you received it?
4) Appliances and Beans:
a. When did you begin using electric appliances, like an electric grinder, or an electric
coffee maker?
b. Did you have a preference for certain kinds of appliances / Did you think some were better than others?
c. Where did you get your coffee beans from? Did you grind them at home, or buy them already ground?
d. Were you able to get coffee during the war? How did you get coffee then? Where do you get your coffee beans now?
e. What was your favorite coffee brand(s)? What did you like about this brand?
f. How do you prefer your coffee to taste? [foam, milk, sugar....]
5) Did you/do you drink coffee with coworkers?
Was there a regular coffee break/time at work? If yes, where was it, and who would prepare and serve the coffee?
6) Who was your favorite coffee-drinking partner? [maybe you had more than one] a. Tell me about her/him/them...
b. Tell me about some of the things you discussed over coffee...
7) Where was your favorite place to drink coffee?
a. Where would you most often drink coffee with her/him? Your home? Her home? b. Where in the home? In your building? Porch/balcony? Courtyard/patio?
c. Did you sometimes drink coffee at a kafe/kafana? Or mostly/only at home?
8) Did you bring your džezva with you to the U.S.?
a. Why did you choose to bring your džezva with you?
b. Who do you think you might give your džezva to?
c. Who have you taught to make coffee?
d. Do you prefer to drink Bosnian coffee, or to use an automatic coffeemaker/espresso machine?
9) Would you tell me about one of your coffee memories? 2 - GG Coffee Interview Guide. copyright A. Croegaert 2013