Gilles Fumey, professor-researcher in cultural geography (Sorbonne University/CNRS), is in particular the author of Geopolitics of food (Human Sciences, 2023). he collaborated in number 58 of the magazine taste buds, titled “Coffee, Coffees!” » (Gourmet Library Association, 2022).
Why was coffee in fashion from the 17th century onwards in Europe?
It arrives through the ports of Venice and Marseille and along the Danube. We learned that this hot and energizing drink that surprises with its color is consumed in madrassas, Koranic schools. So let’s start by being careful with it. Pope Clement VIII [1536-1605] He is asked to denounce it as a drink of Satan, since Islam has prohibited Muslims from drinking wine, a Christian drink. But the Pope loves it and is reported to have declared: “We will drive Satan mad if we make it a Christian drink.” » At the end of the 18th centurymy During the 19th century, coffee became the drink of aristocratic and bourgeois circles, and women in particular fell in love with it.
When does coffee generate an ecosystem?
Towards the end of the 19th centurymy century. Industrialists passionate about this drink, such as the Lavazzas in Turin, acquired mastery in roasting and invented coffee machines that they installed in the drinking establishments of the time. The cafe is gaining an increasing clientele. After the First World War, it became part of our eating habits. It is consumed more at home and with a filter in Northern Europe, and in social places in Southern Europe, with theespresso which is inspired by Turkish coffee. It is also the heyday of the porcelain factories.
What powers are attributed to it?
Its exciting effects have made it the favorite drink of writers and artists. If Flaubert, Balzac or even Zola had not drunk it, would they have written their great novels? Others see it as a divine drink, including for divination, particularly in Muslim countries. But it is also, and above all, the social power of this drink that leaves its mark.
Why does the current coffee craze come from Asian countries?
Coffee has been a globalized product for a long time. The Muslims made it known to the Europeans. Then the number one in the world in cafesStarbucks converted Americans to the art of drinking coffee in a different way, before conquering the planet. Asians are among the world’s leading coffee producers and have a long tradition of consuming hot beverages, starting with tea. Today, they are reinventing the offer through cafes with exceptional coffees served in quiet and connected places highly appreciated by new generations.
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