Posts Tagged ‘history’
The History Of Coffee Houses
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When you want to go to exchange news, share ideas and get advice, you go to a coffee shop. It has been that way for quite some time. Coffee shops had been places of learning; of making business deals; scientific, literary, political, philosophical, and economic discussions; and even the typical gossip.
In the earliest point of its history, coffee houses were already so popular that ideas born from there have been a source of political forums and discussions ever since. The inspiration of brilliant thinking is to the point that, at times, kings and nobility used it as a method of determining public opinion.
During the 17th century when coffee was introduced to Europe, the popularity of cafes followed the same pattern as most coffee houses around the world. It quickly became a venue for people to congregate, exchange views, write poems, plays, and political testaments, conduct business transactions, participate in cultural exchange and often relax with a good book. In those earlier days when were the were no postal addresses, the popularity of coffee shop had also served as a mailing address, because many people were regulars.
A typical coffeehouse shares a common characteristic with a bar or a restaurant. They differ in that a coffeehouse focuses on serving coffee, teas and snacks. In some countries, however, a coffeehouse does serve hot meals, deserts, sandwiches, soups, and alcohol, aside from bakery products.
Today, coffeehouses continue the tradition set by coffeehouses of the past. They still remain to be a very popular venue for people who would want relaxed and calm atmospheres where they can talk, read, catch up on the day's event, meet with people and have excellent quality coffee. This desire is evidenced by popular coffeehouses with franchises around the globe such as Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, Peet's, Cup O' Joe, The Second Cup and the Coffee Bean.
Depending on the country and region, coffeehouses have adopted variations. In the United States, coffeehouses or cafes may offer a variety of coffee styles, hot chocolate and teas served as well as light snacks while others serve full menus. Alcoholic beverages may also be offered.
Cafes in France almost always serve alcoholic drinks. Like most cafes anywhere in the world, they serve light snacks. Other coffeehouses may have a restaurant area where the guests could be served from the full menus. The popularity of cafes in France, especially Paris, gave way to subtle coffeehouse variations like the brasserie where single dish meals are typically served, and the bistro.
The cafe experience in Europe spawned other variations of coffeehouses around the world. These coffeehouses offer curb-side seating and other outdoor seating like the sidewalk, pavement or terraces. The seating is usually clustered along busy streets and operated by private local establishments that could very closely resemble parties, especially during weekends.
These patio coffeehouses provide more open public spaces commonly preferred by customers wanting an airy and very casual atmosphere for relaxation and conversation.
Recently, a new type of coffeehouse entered the industry: the Internet cafe. Internet cafes may not appear to be your typical coffeehouse like the bistro, brasserie, cafeteria and the coffee chain establishments but they certainly share the same basic characteristics. Coffee, tea and chocolate are served together with light snacks and chatter. The chatting, though, is done online.
It may or may not replace the traditional coffee shops, but nevertheless, Internet cafes are a hub for political exchange, learning, journalistic, literary and commercial enterprise. Only the styles of coffee shops have changed over the centuries, but in respect to why people frequent them, nothing has really changed.
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Christopher Anderson contributes to several web magazines, on shopping ideas and product tips issues.
Starbucks History Is Worth Repeating
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There's been a lot written lately about the downfall of Starbucks, the world's largest coffee retailer. Just a few years ago Starbucks coffee couldn't do anything wrong but today many think it has grown too fast and gotten too big. Overexpansion, oversaturation, dismembered product extensions have all made for the siren's fall from grace. Others might argue that the current CEO, Howard Schultz, took his eye off the ball by dabbling in too many extracurricular activities. For one, Mr. Schultz is currently considering suing the group of investors that purchased the Seattle Supersonics from the coffee billionaire and is now threatening to move the team to Oklahoma City.
During the company's stellar rise, Starbucks has bore the brunt of many jokes, but the company's ambitious growth model to cover the globe with 40,000 stores seems to be on hold presently as this has lead Starbucks to build stores fairly close to existing locations, prompting one comedian to exclaim "I saw Starbucks building a new store inside of a Starbucks." The latest controversy is the company's use of a bare-chested siren as its logo. However, this logo has been in place at the coffee giant's first location at Pike's Peak Market in downtown Seattle for almost 40 years. It's only after Starbucks adopted a "get back to its roots" campaign utilizing the logo has the company received strong opposition from religious groups.
In addition to a sluggish economy brought about by a miserable housing market, a severe credit crunch, and massive job losses Starbucks also finds itself battling it out for customers with an opponent almost 3 times its size in McDonald's. It was a few years ago when both companies decided to muscle in on each other's turf, Starbucks getting into the breakfast business, and McDonald's upgrading its coffee offering to steal consumers away from Starbucks. There doesn't appear to be a clear-cut winner in a coffee wars, but in less than a year Starbucks has retreated its lofty breakfast ambitions citing a desire to get back to the its roots. One of the things Mr. Schultz pointed out during his return as CEO is the retail locations have lost a bit of their soul and a lot of their smell, and he wants to make sure the company focuses on what he feels they do best, and that's make coffee.
Starbucks has always been known as a meeting place for business people, students, moms with kids, or just a place to get away at relax for a while. This atmosphere was created intentionally by what Mr. Schultz terms "the third place", or a place one could go between work and home. Of all the things that Starbucks corporate can focus on at the store level, it's making the customer feel welcome again.
One of the initiatives Starbucks is undertaking to achieve that goal is the rollout of free Wi-Fi in all of its locations. Starbucks has partnered in the past with T-Mobile but has opted out of that contract and has chosen at&t as its new partner. Starbucks is also scaling back its music offerings by giving up day-to-day control of its music division to another company, all in the hopes of being able to focus on its core business and get back some more of the 44 million people a week that used to pass through its doors. Mr. Schultz recently commented that that this is the worst economic environment the company has ever operated in and that the people who used to splurge on four dollar lattes are seriously feeling the pinch of four dollar a gallon gasoline.
But all is not lost, with over 16,000 stores worldwide Starbucks still commands a presence in any marketplace, and throws off significant cash from its operations. Don't be surprised if Mr. Schultz keeps one eye open to acquire weaker chains at home and abroad as buying earnings and revenue may be the only way to achieve the numbers Wall Street has come to expect from the company. There is no reason to believe that Starbucks and Mr. Schultz will pull themselves out of the current nosedive to once again reign supreme over the coffee world, one triple pump, non-fat, extra whip, latte at a time.
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Eric is the head blogger at http://thedripp.blogspot.com and has been a sales and marketing consultant for 20 years. He blogs about Starbucks as a way to share ideas and stimulate conversation about the worlds largest coffee retailer.
Coffee History
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Peet’s Coffee & Tea: A history in honor of its twenty-fifth birthday
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Peet's Coffee & Tea: A history in honor of its twenty-fifth birthday
Price:
Peet's Coffee & Tea: A history in honor of its twenty-fifth birthday
Peet's Coffee & Tea: A history in honor of its twenty-fifth birthday
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Peet's Coffee & Tea: A history in honor of its twenty-fifth birthday
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What is the known and factual history of coffee?
Please provide a source for every answer. As stated in my question, I would like fact-based responses. Thank you!
When\where\why\how was it:
Discovered
Brought into major\common use
Has it ever been used for something uncommon?
What area is the largest known export of coffee?
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History of the Coffee Bean
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Whether you call it java, mud or a shot in the arm, an estimated 2 billion cups are consumed every day around the world - making coffee the most popular drink in the world. Coffee today is produced in over 50 countries and is the second most valuable export after oil. And to many of us - it's simply what we need to get us started in the morning.
Coffee is older than most people think - archaeological evidence suggests that humans were enjoying the taste of the coffee berry around a hundred thousand years ago. One legend has it that a goat herder in Ethiopia observed his goats eating coffee berries and he decided to taste them himself - noting the stimulating effect. Shepherds consumed the coffee by grounding the beans and mixing them with animal fat.
By around 600 AD, the coffee bean had made its way to what is now the country of Yemen, where it has been cultivated ever since. From 1000 AD, Arabian traders grew and cultivated the coffee bean on plantations - they called their new concoction qahwa meaning "that which prevents sleep". Arabia controlled the coffee trade for many centuries as they introduced a law that prohibited the exporting of beans that could germinate.
Despite this restriction, the coffee bean somehow found its way throughout the Middle East - to Persia (now Iran), Egypt and parts of Northern Africa. Coffee beans also found their way to the Mysore area of India - where descendants of those original plants flourished until the early 20th century. In many cases, the beans were literally smuggled out of Arabia.
At first, coffee was not enjoyed for its taste, but more as a supplement or source of nutrition. When the coffee bean found its way to Turkey, the Turks began to drink it for its flavor - frequently adding such things as cinnamon or anise. The Turks were also the first to roast the beans over fires and boil the crushed beans in water. And what is generally considered to be the world's first coffee shop was opened in Istanbul - known as Constantinople at the time - in the 15th century.
The Dutch were the first to transport and cultivate coffee beans on a commercial basis. With coffee beans smuggled out of Arabia, they established plantations in Ceylon and one of their colonies - Java. Today, Indonesia is the world's third largest producer of coffee.
The coffee bean was introduced to Europe during the 17th century. At one point, the beverage was more popular than tea in England and was used as an antidote to the widespread alcoholism of the time. Coffee houses sprang up in such places as Vienna, Paris and London, frequented by the wealthy and fashionable. The Austrians are credited with the practice of adding milk and sugar to coffee.
In France, Louis XIV built greenhouses to protect his precious coffee beans from frost. And in the New World, coffee was also a popular drink - the newly formed American colonies declared coffee to be the national drink. Not everybody approved; the Catholics declared coffee should be banned - despite the Pope confessing to being an avid coffee drinker.
Today, there are actually more than 60 varieties of coffee in the world, although the beans used for coffee are one of two types - Robusta and Arabica. Around 75% of coffee beans produced are Arabica and are cultivated in Brazil and Central America. Robusta beans produce a stronger blend of coffee and are cultivated in parts of Asia and Africa as well as Brazil.
Chances are high that your coffee beans come from Brazil, the world's largest producer of coffee. Brazil produces almost 30% of the world's coffee and also has some of the most advanced processing techniques in the world. In 2006, the gross value of coffee production in Brazil was almost 5 billion dollars and the industry employs several million workers.
Coffee isn't usually associated with Asia, but several Asian countries have started to cultivate the coffee bean. In recent years, Vietnam has become a large producer and some of the African coffee producing countries still produce excellent coffee - in particular Kenya and Tanzania
Some countries have also started to cultivate specialized coffee beans - Kenya produces a fruity coffee and Indonesia produces the Kopi Luwak - a coffee bean that has been passed through the digestive system of a civet. And Ethiopia - where the coffee bean was perhaps first discovered - is home to a bean that produces a coffee flavored with chocolate, ginger and orange.
So whether you prefer your coffee beans with milk, with sugar, strong or with no caffeine - take a moment and enjoy a cup of the world's most popular drink.
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About Author:
Grant Eckert is a freelance writer who writes about topics pertaining to the food and beverage industry such as Coffee | Coffee Beans
Puerto Rico Coffee Industry History and Current Status
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Check out this cool video about coffee history - have a look:
This short video present a summary of the history of coffee cultivation in Puerto Rico. You are starting a journey that will take you back almost 300 years to Spanish colonial Puerto Rico where the smell of lush tropical forests combined with the captivating coffee aroma, framed the development of an industry that was not always fair to the laborers and the ecosystems. Yet, today it presents one of the best opportunities to develop a prosperous, sustainable standard of living for many coffee zone residents through the strengthening of specialty coffee production and exports, agro tourism, and the preservation of the historical and natural heritage. Take a look! You can get more information at www.GoodDogCoffee.com & www.caficulturapr.org
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The History of Organic Coffee
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When thinking of coffee beans and the environment they grow in, most people automatically think of sprawling, commercial coffee crop plantations in the middle of nowhere. They may believe sunlight is the main nutrient for all types of coffee. However, different coffee crops share different growth and harvesting procedures. The two main types of coffee growth: shade grown (organic coffee) and direct sunlight (traditional coffee) are on the opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to production.
In the past, all coffee was shade grown and bore some resemblance to organic coffee. Most kinds of coffee refuse to sprout majestically under direct sunlight and thrive best under sun blocking trees. Shade grown coffee benefited from fallen leaves which help to mulch the soil to retain moisture. In addition, shade trees provide homes for birds, which act as pest control. With few fertilizers and pesticides used as recently as 30 years ago, coffee was a hallmark of healthy production.
In the 1970’s, new hybrids of coffee crop began to sprout. Farmers began to learn new ways of producing more coffee beans, slowing down the harvesting rate, and use direct sunlight to raise crops. In order to make room for non-organic coffee, many farmers even chopped down their trees to create plantation room. In the United States, approximately 2 million acres of lands dedicated to organic and non-organic coffee had its shade trees removed. The only farmers who spared their shade trees for organic coffee were the ones too poor to afford fertilizers and pesticides needed for production.
With the transition from organic coffee to ‘sun coffee’ growing coffee began to sacrifice the environment. Soil erosion and nutrient depletion became the norm as more chemical fertilizers were sprayed onto the ground. In addition, producers were adamant at removing rainforest land in the search for non-organic coffee soil. Today, there are only a few countries that are making the switch to producing full time organic coffee, including Ethiopia, Panama, Mexico, and El Salvador. Bigger countries like Costa Rica and Brazil continue to be mainly non-organic coffee producers. All in all, organic coffee has derived its history from the spoiled environment its non-organic counterpart specializes in creating.
For more information on organic coffee or for organic coffee recipes
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Scott Wilson has been a importer and roaster of organic coffee for over a decade. He is also the owner of Stonehill Manor Organic Coffee
Coffee History, Grinders and Mills
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Coffee drink goes back in the 19th century. Nowadays, are more advanced ways of preparing your favorite coffee, using coffee grinders and mills.
Coffee is a very popular caffeine-based drink prepared from roasted seeds, usually called coffee beans. It was first discovered in the 19th century in the Ethiopia highlands. It then spread to Yemen and Egypt. Soon enough, it became popular throughout the world.
Coffee plant is native to Southern Asia and subtropical Africa. It belongs to a genus of 10 species of flowering plants. Coffee is a small tree or evergreen shrub that can grow about 5 meters long and 6 centimeters wide. It produces a cluster of fragrant and white flowers that bloom simultaneously.
Coffee is commonly propagated by seeds. The usual method of planting coffee is to place 20 seeds in each hole at the beginning of the rainy season. Coffee is frequently intercropped with food harvests like beans, rice or corn during the first few years of cultivations.
There are two main cultivated species of coffee plants - Coffee Arabica and Coffee Canephora. Arabica coffee is more suitable than Robusta because Robusta coffee tends to taste more bitter. The cultivation of Arabica coffee accounts to about three quarters of coffee cultivations globally.
Most of the Arabica coffee beans originated from Eastern Africa, Latin America, Asia or Arabia. Robusta coffee beans, on the other hand, are grown in Central and Western Africa, all over Southeast Asia and in some parts of Brazil.
Coffee beans are brewed or grounded in making coffee. Roasting the grounded coffee beans can be done at home, in a roastery or in the grocery store. Coffee beans can be grounded in many ways. It can be steeped, pressured or boiled. The earliest method of brewing coffee was boiling. In fact, Turkish coffee uses this method.
Coffee grinders and coffee mills are two advanced means of making coffee nowadays. It comes in different models, and some of these are discussed below.
The Ascaso M.101 Anthracite Grinder Color Coffee provides commercial quality grinding with more than 9lbs of production per hour. It has a 700 rpm motor, optional electronic timer, built-in MRS or Micrometric Regulation System, and 250 watts of power. The large 600 gram hopper of this coffee grinder helps position the nozzle, for simple pouring of the grounded coffee.
The Black and Decker SmartGrind Deluxe Bean Burr Mill features removable beans and a coffee container. It crushes beans rather than grinding it to preserve the aroma and flavor of the coffee. The bean container can hold more than 20 cups of coffee. The settings can be adjusted to make espressos, medium drips and coarse percolators.
The Bosch Blade Coffee Grinder is easy to operate, even by left-handers. Its housing is made of durable shock-resistant plastic. It can also be used for grinding shelled nuts and certain types of spices. The slant basket and special beater blade system produce consistent and uniform grinding.
The Bodum C-Mill Blade Coffee Grinder has a very precise and strong motor. The C-Mill blade is not only used in grinding coffee, it can also be used in grinding shelled nuts and other types of spices. It has a convenient cord storage, and safety on and off switch.
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For more information on Coffee Accessories and Coffee Grinders & Mills please visit our website.
Coffee History
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