12 November 2007 by Adam Sullivan
The Coffeehouse: Home of Culture
Just as rich soil nourishes the delectable beans of the Coffea (Coffee) plant, coffeehouses have been fertile ground for communities. Whether for an intimate gathering of neighbors or for the stimulus of intellectual and political discussion, coffee shops and cafes are staples of communities the world over. When one sits in one’s local coffeehouse and takes a deep sip of steamy coffee, one drinks from the deepest wells of human trade and thought, and partakes in a centuries-old tradition.
As coffee beans found a trade route out of Ethiopia, coffeehouse culture arose. Out of the fertile mountainous soils of Eastern Africa, coffee traveled to Northern Africa and Yemen, Persia, and Turkey, then beyond into India and Europe. Many sources date the origin of coffeehouses back to the 16th century in Middle Eastern regions. In Arabic, they were called al-maqhah, in Persian qahveh-khaneh and in Turkey, kahvehane. All these words derived from Kaffa, a region in southern Ethiopia. The English word coffee has its roots in Kaffa, but was derived from the Italian word caffe.
Aside from the brewing technology and fashions of their patrons, coffeehouses have not changed much. They served as a place to gather and hear local news or gossip, to play games, read, hear music, relax, or engage in discussion. One could change the names, fashion and local eccentricities, and instantly recognize the ubiquitous coffeehouse anywhere in the world.
As Tom Standage notes in his book, A History of the World in 6 Glasses, coffee was intimately linked to the Age of Reason, fueling the scientific, financial, and political revolutions in 17th century Europe. While coffeehouses during this age of cultural awakening may have been much more intense than the atmosphere of today’s coffee shop revolutionaries, the general idea remains.
The influence of the coffeehouse extends from the philosophers of Paris in the 18th century, such as Voltaire, to the Beat Generation Poets of the 1950s. Another cultural awakening happened during the 1960s and 1970s, where singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez graced many a coffeehouse. Today, coffeehouses include the advancing culture of wireless technology and Cyber Cafes all over the world. From the high position of an Italian barista to the thousands of Starbucks employees today, coffeehouse workers have been witness to the evolution of culture.
Coffeehouses are only the consumer expression of coffee’s influence on community. The culture and community of the coffee growers of the world has even greater significance. Whether in Ethiopia or on the many plantations and farms in South America and Asia, the coffee bean forms communities. As farmers have found many unique conditions to cultivate the great varieties of coffee beans, they have bonded their family heritage to the soil. The story of the coffee been is filled with history, controversy, and opportunity, but always returns to the soil. As many call Africa the motherland of humankind, the soil of Africa gave birth to the drink that has fueled much of human culture—coffee.