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A History of Coffee Adoration in Recent Times

By Damian Papworth
Oct 25, 2009
Coffee certainly has enjoyed sustained success as the next big beverage for quite some time now. Move over, tea! You're only for Brits and people who need to calm down before going to bed on a chilly winter's evening. But a love for coffee isn't as simple as walking up to the counter at Starbucks and ordering whatever sounds the most Italian. No, it takes a little more work than that.

A lot of people who think they know a lot about coffee actually don't, really, because they assume that in cultures where coffee is consumed more, people know more about it. The fact of the matter is that just because a country drinks coffee every day, it doesn't mean that the people sitting in the cafes know any more or any less about it than your average Starbucks customer. It's just a part of the culture, and a huge part of socializing.

But for a little bit of history on coffee: not every country is capable of growing the beans, because they require weather conditions that are pretty precise. The most popular place that exports coffee is actually Columbia. And most important of all, espresso is not a variety of bean! This is the biggest beginner mistake that people seem to make. Espresso is just finely-packed coffee that is ground very, very small, making it more potent. The machines were only developed in northern Italy about a hundred years ago, so it doesn't even go back in history that far. It's just so great and potent that it took the coffee world by storm.

There's a lot to be said about developing a love for coffee at a younger age. Instead of just getting hopped up on caffeine and sugar, it's nice to practice drinking such a distinguished beverage. Because really, that's what coffee ultimately is: a more appropriate social drink that you can't get drunk on.

In fact, ordering coffee is one of the biggest parts of learning to drink it, and if you're going to be using coffee to socialize in new and exciting places, you should probably know what you're getting yourself into. Except early in the morning on the way to work, when you stand at the bar and do a shot of espresso, drinking coffee in Italy is going to set you back at least an afternoon. The same is true in France. Those are a couple of the only countries where you can order a shot of espresso and make it last for a couple of hours, so order accordingly.

But part of a love for coffee is appreciating all of the fun and fancy versions of drinks that have been developed, and trying them all out. Depending on where you are in the world, or the style of coffee you're sampling, a number of different things are used for flavor. Whether it's enjoying the taste of chocolate in a mocha or drizzling some sweet caramel-like sauce down in Argentina right into the coffee, it doesn't have to be a bitter-tasting drink experience.

One of the best parts about drinking coffee, especially socially, is the snacks! From Holland to Argentina, you can expect at least a couple of cookies and sometimes even a glass of orange juice, so there's always something to pick at while you're enjoying your coffee. It's also nice, if you haven't eaten, to put something in your stomach that isn't just a cup of caffeine.

And if it all seems like too much, just remember: a love for coffee is made, not born. You've got time to figure out which version is best for you.
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