For the Love of the Good Bean: Celebrating International Coffee Day
Coffee is a pretty popular beverage. In fact, global consumption of the good stuff is only rivaled by water and tea.
So valuable is coffee to our everyday lives that it’s been granted its own special day, with October 1st being labelled International Coffee Day.
It is believed the first coffee plant was discovered in Ethiopia in the early 15th century although the first cup of coffee actually brewed was in Yemen.
Today, the globe is peppered with coffee plantations – from Colombia to Vietnam, Brazil to Honduras. But it’s the Nordic states of Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Denmark that consume a greater part of the world’s coffee – in fact more coffee than the entire continent of Africa drinks.
That said, the Nords pay a few decent bucks for their coffee. In Denmark, a cappuccino goes for around $8, while in Iceland a cup of frothy milk and coffee costs $7.50.
In Qatar in the Middle East, a cappuccino costs around $9 – the highest price for a cuppa in the world, and all which makes the $4 average cost of a cup of coffee in Australia seem pretty fair, after all.
These days, you don’t just go out and expect a plain cup of coffee when you ask for a cappuccino, mocha or latte. You expect a work of art.
Baristas have been trained to not only create the perfect cup of liquid caffeine but to present it splendidly. That’s probably where the price sneaks up and you’re likely to pay anything between $4.50 and $5.50 compared to a long black which averages at $3.50.
Once upon a time, Melbourne was considered the coffee capital of Australia, and Victoria the state that most celebrated café culture, but now Perth is giving Melbournians a run for their lattes.
Nespresso’s Coffee Compendium recently revealed that folks in the west coast, in particular the people of Perth, are most likely to know where their coffee originates from (over 50% of those surveyed). In comparison, less than half of all Australians (49%) know where their comes from, which is surprising for a nation of coffee lovers – and amid all the current eco-fuss we’re currently making over consumerist habits.
The brand’s findings were released in celebration of its Master Origin range, which boasts coffees from six different regions: Indonesia, Colombia, Mexico, Ethiopia, Nicaragua and India. The range is inspired by some of the world’s most exotic coffee sourcing regions – all with sustainable farming practices.
So, the next time you’re drinking a cup of quality brew, be it at a cool little café like Milkd, Sayers, Leaf and Bean, or even concocted on your coffee machine at home, have a wonder about where that coffee came from. You’ll be in awe at the places it’ll take your mind to.
Lisa Andrews
CREAM MAGAZINE 
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