Coffee is generally regarded as a simple beverage, mainly for the mornings. Most people don’t know its origin or where it came from. Most coffee blogs like coffee commitment are here to tell that coffee could have “waves.” Know the history of instant coffee and where the famous drink comes from through this post.
In Search of Black Gold
The origins of coffee were traced back to an Ethiopian farmer who discovered coffee beans and wondered why the goats he encountered were upset. Coffee was supposedly discovered around 1000 BC, according to legend. Before the 15th century, it became popular in Arabian countries.
Coffee first arrived in Europe after traveling from Egypt to the United Kingdom. Coffee has grown throughout the tropics, but Brazil is closing up on monopoly status. South America currently produces about half of the world’s coffee.
The First Wave of Coffee: Instant Coffee and the Cold War
Coffee’s transformation from an exclusive product for the wealthy to a popular beverage for the masses was slow. Coffee was becoming more widespread and accessible. Instant coffee was invented in 1903 for everyday use. At the time, the United States purchased approximately 70% of all coffee on the global market. Anyone could enjoy coffee made at home.
As a result, coffee exports had to be safeguarded. During the Cuban crisis, Hubert Humphrey told the United States Congress that keeping decent coffee buying-in prices was “a question of life and death.” As a result, in 1962, the International Coffee Agreement was established, which regulated and maintained high coffee prices while maintaining strong demand. It had a direct impact.
The Second Wave
Coffee chains first appeared in the early 1970s. The first Starbucks opened in Seattle on March 30th, 1971. People did not have to drink coffee at home anymore. The popular network gradually grew across the United States, followed by Europe. Followers sprout like mushrooms in cities. It’s the so-called “second wave” in coffee’s history. Standards are controlled. Everyone purchases coffee. People are carrying it in paper to-go cups on Los Angeles to London streets. Coffee is a pastime as well as a product. Sitting in cafés is more than a way of life; it has become more than just a way to get a caffeine fix.
The Third Wave
The third wave was all about shifting the center of gravity away from giant corporations and toward the customers. Transparency is emphasized in the third wave. People’s visits to cafés aren’t just for the “golden cup” – a well-brewed, balanced beverage. They look for information about what they consume while drinking coffee and the fragrances that people dream about at night.
Specialty coffee accounted for around 10% of the market in the United States toward the end of the 1990s. Local roasters, which are no longer so local, now control around 30% of the coffee market.
What Comes Next? Is the Fourth Wave Just Around the Corner?
The way coffee is sold has changed majorly. Most blogs like Coffee Commitment talk about how café owners and baristas now have complete control. They must smile, be willing to converse, and offer assistance. The shift has made cafés more than what they used to be. They now offer more than just a good coffee – it is more about creating an experience for the customer and selling quality products.
With such gradual shifts, it can only be assumed that there will be more changes in the coming times. What matters the most is serving delicious coffee and having amicable people on both sides of the counter to make it a pleasurable experience for everyone.
