Coffee Culture Around the World
What would you call a morning that doesn’t involve coffee? That’s definitely not a good day! Coffee has been an essential part of our start to the day. Not only that, coffee is a drink that remains popular at all times and among all age groups. Nowadays, different coffee shops and even online tea shops are increasing the culture of coffee and tea. Tea, coffee and other blooming beverages have become a part of our lives and no one is new to them. Coffee shops are no longer just for coffee. Different cafes and bistros around the block are meeting points and a place to share the latest gossip with your friends.
Coffee culture is basically a media term that is most popularly used for a social place that is surrounded by an atmosphere of coffee and tea around it. Due to the worldwide popularity, there are different forms and different rituals around coffee everywhere.
In Asia, people generally like to drink lighter and sweeter coffee compared to other Western countries. Cafes are often meeting places and social gatherings. Most preferred is Cappuccino. In Northern Europe, coffee is served at parties with homemade cakes, pastries and cookies. Coffee in Turkey gets slightly different. The beans are fine, and the water is boiled about three times and then placed in a long-handled brass pot. Sometimes cardamom or sugar is also added. The French usually drink coffee at the beginning of the day, and for the Germans it is a drink for social gatherings.
There are also religious limits associated with coffee and tea. Different religions have different things to say about coffee. In Islam, tea and coffee are prohibited only at the time of fasting. The fast lasts from dawn to dusk and all eatables, including water, are prohibited at that time.
Coffee is forbidden for Mormons. Also known as the Latter Day Saints, followers of this religion ban coffee because they believe it blocks their spiritual connections. According to the Words of Wisdom, it says, “Hot drinks are not for the body or for the belly” (D&C 89:9). It is interpreted that Joseph Smith actually meant tea and coffee because they were the only hot beverages available at the time.
According to Seventh-day Adventists, opinions about coffee are somewhat mixed. Previously, they banned it because they heavily emphasize a healthy diet. Therefore, they were banned as it contains caffeine. However, this view is somewhat deprecated now and is no longer implemented. Still, it’s supposed to be avoided.
In Judaism, there is really no problem with coffee. There are problems with kosher. Kosher issues arise from both tea and coffee. Flavored coffee can use different flavorings, flavored beans, and syrups that do not answer all kosher issues. The same goes for decaffeinated coffee as it contains ethyl acetate.
Rastafarians are quite similar to Seventh-day Adventists and generally emphasize a healthy diet. This genre prohibits the use of tobacco, alcohol, salt, coffee, meat, and other processed foods. Their diet depends mainly on cereals, fruits and vegetables.