Coffee plays an integral part of our social culture.
In the late 20th century, particularly within the Western world and urbanized centers all over the world, coffee is appreciated for its different flavors and aromas as wine is to wine lovers. The 'coffee shop' has evolved into a trendy meeting place for friends and social events and also a preferred venue for business meetings. Another important aspect of the rise of coffee shops as a part of our coffee culture, will be the presence of free wireless Internet access for clientele, a lot of whom do business in these locations for hours on a regular basis. In coffee culture circles folks that frequent coffee shops are also known as "cafe au laiters" and "espressonites".
Coffee is really a brewed beverage with a dark, bitter flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are located in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, like Hawaiian Kona Gold grown in the Kona Region of Hawaii.
Green (unroasted) coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. The high caffeine content of coffee is known to create a stimulating effect on people. Coffee is undoubtedly one of the best liked beverages consumed around the world today. A necessary export commodity, coffee was the very best agricultural export for twelve countries in 2004 and it was the world's seventh-largest legal agricultural export by value in 2005. Some controversy is involved in coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment. Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and certain health conditions, and whether the general effects of coffee are ultimately positive or negative have been widely disputed, but makes for interesting debate.
The history of the "coffee shop" dates back to the 14th century. Coffeehouses in Western Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean were traditionally social hubs, as well as artistic and intellectual places of gathering. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, coffeehouses in London became trendy meeting places for the likes of artists and writers.
Many social aspects of coffee are seen inside the modern-day lifestyle. By absolute volume, the United States is the largest market for coffee. In the United States specifically, the term is usually used to designate the ever present presence of numerous espresso stands and coffee shops in a metropolitan area and the spread of franchises like Starbucks and their clones across the United States.
