Tuesday, February 01, 2005


regional coffee culture, part xxx

"but it seems that coffee could [sic] becoming a more popular tipple than beer. . .the switch to caffeine is being [sic] to look like a serious social trend."

i welcome the british to the wonderful world of coffee! this article analyzing the market results of u.k. pubs finds that beer sales are down, specialty coffee sales are up.

while occasionally the dead-leaf people fantasize that the u.s.a. will be a "tea-consuming nation in our lifetime," the beautiful truth is that the entire planet appears to be in the gradual but quickening process of switching en masse to specialty coffee.

as long-time readers know, japan is already the third largest coffee-importing country; in india the trend is very positive; and i just did the piece on the growing trendiness of coffee in mainland china itself. now, the u.k.!

let me quickly jump to say that while i often tease the tea sippers, i don't really have anything against withered sidewalk scrapings. (just kidding!)

actually, i myself love matcha and genmai cha ara.

they're great for artificially aging decorative prints. . .no, really, i'm joking, i'm joking!

i also have a nice collection of hand-made cast-iron iwachu japanese tea kettles (properly called "tetsubin"), complete with trivets.

don't ask me how much the best examples of these beauties cost! better yet, don't tell mr. right. . .they are strikingly elegant, and astonishingly functional.

but i still maintain that coffee is the most romantic, passionate, and intellectual beverage!

posted by fortune | 10:19 AM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments