The Importance Of Coffee?

Coffee and the culture surrounding it has changed little since its introduction to and rise in popularity in Europe in the 17th century. Both then and now, coffee has been advertised as a drink for intellectuals, and coffeehouses as a gathering place for them. Although coffee had been present in the Middle East for some time, European traders did not take notice of it until the late 16th century. Even then, it was not until the introductions of the slave trade that coffee became readily available and popular in Europe. The slave trade brought both new goods from foreign places and the means to produce them. After learning how to brew coffee while working in a Turkish trading port, a Greek merchant opened western Europe’s first coffeehouse

Also published by the Paul Greenwood company was a set of rules governing behaviour in coffeehouses. The first was to set forth that all men were welcome, gentry and tradesmen alike. Furthermore, all men were to be equal- a man of lower status need not worry about giving up his seat when a man of higher standing entered. All one needed to be part of this egalitarian exchange and society was to maintain composure and decorum. No fights or “noise of loud disputes” were permitted, and neither were cards, dice, and other games to prevent rowdiness and quarrels. “Mauldin Lovers,” men who would discuss their paramours in a sentimental manner, were not allowed, but political talk was welcome, which was rare outside of a court or ministry, as it was assumed that common people did not need to know the state of

Despite some scholars believing that the poems are satirical in nature, they succeeded in communicating the messages detailed in them. In the modern day there has been scientific exploration into the health benefits of coffee, and while many have been disproved, there is evidence supporting the notions that coffee reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, gout, liver cancer, and Parkinson's disease (Shmerling). Whether or not coffee truly has any health benefits, people have continued to drink it for hundreds of years under the presumption it does. The idea that coffee not only improves mental functioning and capacity but is a drink for intellectuals has prevailed and persisted into the present day as well. Coffee and coffeehouses have become one of the primary elements of the intellectual aesthetic and stereotype and a symbol of supposed sophistication, and one only has to walk into any modern-day coffee shop to see it at