Coffee as we know it today dates back to the 13th century where Sufi monks would roast the beans and consume it for its stimulant effects.  The coffee bean however was originated in Ethiopia.  It is thought that the coffee tree did not exist outside Arabia or Africa tell the 1600s.  The drink reached Europe in the mid 1600s and immediately became popular in cafes.  Coffee didn’t reach America tell the late 1700s and wasn’t very popular tell after the Boston Tea Party (1773.)  From that moment on it became patriotic to not drink tea: so though America was slower to get the commodity, it took off just as fast as everywhere else.  By the late 1800s coffee was an item traded worldwide.  In 1864 the Arbuckle brothers started roasting and selling pre packaged pounds of coffee to the general public.  As the industrial Revolution started to kick into gear factory workers would survive mainly on coffee and bread.  Coffee would provide an illusion of nutrition and would be used as a substitute for food.  They also used the stimulant effect of the coffee to become used to the fast paced new city lifestyle.     

Written by Alex. (Sources cited on Bibliography page.)

 

 

It is known that coffee grows 25 degrees north and south of the equator, slightly similar to that of cacao and many other crops. This area is susceptible to many different climate hazards, as discussed by Abir during lecture. A few key examples are that prolonged rain can reduce flowering, affect fruit set, and lower photosynthesis. The opposite of that would be prolonged drought; which causes weaker trees, wilting, and increased mortality of young trees. In the journal article cited below,  Robinson points out how drought can create a build up of nitrate-N in the first six inches of soil, since heavy rainfall is not leaching it out. Ammonia-N will also build up in the soil in dry times. When it rains, these substance are essentially ‘flushed’ out of the soil, so a fertilizer is recommended during the heavy and short rain times in order to help coffee grow in the soil. “The sharp peak and rapid decline in the rate of coffee growth during the Long Rains period coincides with very low soil nitrate-N values although climatologically conditions for continued growth are still excellent. This suggests that low available soil nitrate -N may be at least partially responsible for this early and rapid decline in the growth rate.” (Robinson)

J. B. D. Robinson (1960). Nitrogen studies in a coffee soil I. Seasonal trends of natural soil nitrate and ammonia in relation to crop growth, soil moisture and rainfall. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 55, pp 333-338. doi:10.1017/S0021859600023200.

19th century Coffee house in Vienna

It is well understood that coffee houses around the globe serve as a social hub through the consumption of wonderfully caffeinated beverages. In many ways coffee proves to have similarities to the social culture that revolves around alcohol consumption. It alters our state of mind and is very much a ticket to initiate conversation with others. During the seventeenth century, coffee was introduced to England and the Netherlands, then quickly gained popularity in Northern Europe and North America. Coffee shops were then a direct product of this movement and became important public institutions for the consumption of coffee and the gathering of people. It is largely argued that during prohibition times coffee consumption spiked. In a article titled, ” Coffee as a Social Drug”, Topik (the author) argues that, “coffee cultivation and trading have motivated empires, fueled armies, and provoked revolutions.” He claims that coffee was well suited as a commodity to inspire capitalism. Topik also addresses the dichotomy  that exists between illiterate plantation slaves who provided the coffee and coffee drinking intellectuals. Francis Bacon believed that coffee was similar to the consumption of opiates, however rarely was it outlawed as an intoxicating substance. In some cases, coffee consumption was considered a subversive behavior by rulers for it potentially created passionate discussion that revolved around overthrowing hierarchies. Today we have many means through which we can consume stimulating products such as energy drinks, sugary delicacies, etc, but the alkaloid, caffeine which is naturally present in the coffee bean is so full of conversational power we may just underestimate it’s potential to spark a revolution the next time we meet up with a friend over a cup of joe.

Written by Valerie. Edited by Ashley.

 

 

 

“Studying cultural change”  Jstor

“Coffee as a social drug”

image : history.org