Coffee Culture A habit as strong as the brew since the 15th century
By Alison Elsner For DMHN Many of us wouldn’t dream of starting our day without a steaming hot (or iced) cup of coffee. This curious little beverage is both soothing and stimulating at the same time. Actually, there’s nothing little about it. Coffee production and consumption is responsible for approximately $48 billion in business annually in the U.S., where 64 percent of people say they drink one or
more cups a day, according to Gallup. Americans older than 55 are the biggest coffee consumers, drinking an average of four cups a day. Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, which are the seeds of berries from the Coffea plant. The mere utterance of the word “coffee” carries a plethora of cultural connotations, from romantic first dates to convivial office meetings to sophisticated European getaways. The allure has been drawing people in since
coffee cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen. By the 15th century, coffee was being grown in the Yemeni district of Arabia, and by the 16th century it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey. Coffee was not only served in homes, but also in many public coffee houses called qahveh khaneh which began to appear in cities across the Near East. The appreciation of coffee houses grew, and people frequented them for all kinds of social activity.
By the 17th century, coffee had made its way to Europe and caught on across the continent. Coffee houses were quickly becoming centers of social activity and communication in major cities throughout England, Austria, France, Germany and Holland. In England, “penny universities” sprang up, because for the price of a penny one could purchase a cup of coffee and engage in stimulating conversation. Coffee began to replace the common breakfast drink beverages of the time Continues on page 6 >>
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