Coffee and Society
Coffee is second only to oil as the most traded commodity in the world. Coffee stimulates the cerebral movement of people in the world. Coffee consumption is continuous, from first thing in the morning to often late in the evening. People drink coffee to wake up, keep focused during the day, as a social beverage with friends and colleagues, and to help sharpen the mind for work or study.
Coffee improves disposition, enhances concentration, reduces fatigue, improves memory and recognition, and improves human capability to cope with and enjoy life. It has shown to help counteract mental lethargy often brought on by working at repetitive and/or prolonged tasks. Coffee is also perceived as a natural product which promotes a higher quality of living and socializing, without the undesirable effects associated with other stimulants such as alcohol.
Drinking coffee as a social event is known to have started in the 14th century. Arabians would go to public places created chiefly for coffee drinking. These became the first coffee houses and were called 'kaveh kanes'. Their popularity quickly extended throughout the Arab world. They became places where people would enjoy a variety of social events including lively discussions, playing music, singing, and dancing. Often games such as backgammon were played by friends while they enjoyed a cup of coffee. There had never been anything like a coffee house before, and they continue to be very popular today.
The first place in Europe to experience a coffee obsession was England in the 17th-century. Thousands of coffee shops sprung up everywhere and for the first time the upper and working classes mixed together socially in the same public establishments.
The United States is the largest marketplace for coffee, with Germany close behind. Finland drinks the most coffee per person, consuming an average of four to five cups per day. Coffee consumption is increasing world-wide every year. This popularity of coffee has resulted in specialized coffeehouses springing up everywhere. Most cafés also serve teas, juices, carbonated beverages, and light foods
Cafés now offer wireless Internet connections for their patrons. This allows a mix of working customers, students, and vacationers to surf the web while enjoying a nice up of coffee and a snack away from the office, home, or hotel.
Cafes are today’s modern “kaveh kanes” – places to meet friends and colleagues, socialize, and start or end the day.
