http://blog.evenues.com/2012/02/07/a-brief-history-of-coffee-houses-as-meeting-places/
In
class last week we discussed a number of ways that food, and our consumption of
it, is imbedded within an interflowing web of cultural, political, and
ecological ideas. I believe this attached blog post regarding the history of
coffee is a great example of how food can change the way we think and exchange
ideas, inevitably allowing for intellectual and political revolution.
The
linked blog post describes the emergence of coffee in Europe as "an alternative
to the perpetual drunken haze." Because water was generally unsafe to
drink, most 17th century Europeans began their day with beer, continued their
day with beer, then ended their day with wine or gin. Such tendencies were
hardly conducive to high productivity (or good liver health). With the introduction
of coffeehouses, people began their day stimulated and refreshed, rather than
relaxed and inebriated. Not only did coffeehouses diminish the drunken stupor
of the European population, but they served as a place for individuals to
discuss poetry, science, politics, philosophy, etc. One could argue that
the European enlightenment was sparked by the introduction of the
coffeehouse.
Another
thing I find remarkable about coffee is that its influence has hardly
diminished in the centuries since the first coffeehouses. To this day, coffee
is the universal means of getting people out of bed in the morning and keeping
our fast paced world ticking. It is not merely accepted by most cultures, but
worshipped as a means of initiating productivity. From the savannahs of Ethiopia,
to the jungles of Vietnam, to the urban jungle of New York City, coffee unites
us all. Maybe this is why it is worth studying food.
You
all must think I am a coffee fanatic. Truth is, I can't handle my caffeine.
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