How The West Stole Coffee From The East
A theft involving caffeine and the world was never the same
There are certain things we take for granted in our everyday lives — things we just imagine have always been there.
We flip a switch without a care and things turn on. We expect hot water when we turn a lever. We expect to have easy access to coffee everywhere we go — even across the globe.
It’s just that way and it always has been.
You can see the brand names wherever you travel: Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Costa, and Peet’s. There’s a whole aisle dedicated to it at the supermarket. It ranges from the mediocre to high end espresso and latte. It’s become part of our culture and rituals. It’s even used as a color on automobiles — my car happens be that color.
The “coffee break” is part of our lexicon. We meet up with new acquaintances and best friends over a cup of coffee. Speaking of ritual, Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts conducted a global survey in 2013 which showed 78% of respondents would rather give up social media, alcohol, or sex for a year than give up coffee for the same time period. A bean holds that much sway over people’s lives.
As strange as this is going to sound, coffee hasn’t always been with us. According to research, the first well…
