Basic knowledge of Fine Coffee Coffee Culture in Korea

In Korea, besides churches and bars everywhere, coffee shops are everywhere. South Korea does not produce a single coffee bean locally, but it is one of the countries that drink the most coffee in the world, ranking 13th in the world coffee consumption. South Korea, with a population of nearly 50 million, imported more than 1.5 million bags of coffee in 2004, about 80,000 tons, and consumed 1.6 kilograms of coffee per capita annually, and this figure is still rising every year. South Korea ranks 6th in the world in the number of coffee shops, and coffee shops of all sizes open new shops almost every day in South Korea.

Coffee shops are everywhere in Korea. Coffee can be drunk almost everywhere you want. The streets, schools, restaurants, clubhouses and stations can easily smell the aroma of coffee shops even inside and outside the bustling long-distance bus stations. Many people feel that coffee shops provide not only coffee, but also a culture of life, allowing you to rest, chat or daze in a relaxed and elegant environment. In a coffee shop, you can exchange a cup of coffee for a conversation between friends, a talk of worry, a discussion of study, a dismissal of boredom or a relief of stress, and so on. There are many types of coffee shops in Korea. There are a lot of design and artistic atmosphere; there are West Point shops with coffee selling services; supermarkets can also provide a variety of coffee; in Korea, coffee prices and China are similar, basically in 3000 won to 5500 won, equivalent to 20-40 yuan a cup. Go to the supermarket to buy coffee with many small bags, on average, it is only 50-100 won, about 0.3-0.6 yuan, which should be considered very cheap. A lot of friends around say that they don't drink coffee much in China, but drink more in Korea. Easy to buy and a wide selection. Many Koreans are getting more and more dissatisfied with the coffee they drink. From the 100 won coffee in the vending machine at the beginning, they gradually drink coffee that sells 5,000 or 6,000 won in coffee shops.

Between 90 and 95 percent of the coffee Koreans import each year is made into instant coffee. Instant coffee sales in South Korea now rank first, and almost all Korean supermarkets sell instant coffee. Many people drink instant coffee closely related to the fast pace of Korean life. The Korean mantra is "Hurry up! Hurry up!" The pressure and time pressure make Koreans can only satisfy their taste buds with instant coffee, so the unique instant coffee culture naturally arises. Many people also think that, as seen in American movies, it is fashionable to rush to work or school with a coffee cup in hand. It is very foreign to hold a coffee cup in hand. The coffee cup in a branded coffee shop has become an ornament like earrings or hats.

In fact, the history of coffee shops in South Korea is not long. They rose in the 1950s to meet the leisure and entertainment needs of the U.S. military stationed in South Korea after the war. At that time, most coffee shops were concentrated near the U.S. military barracks, but they were not called cafes, but called Korean houses or tea houses. The Korean word for "tea house" refers to tea houses and coffee shops. There are still many tea houses in Yanbian area of China, but they are mostly taverns. Later, with the prevalence of popular culture, tea houses also materialized, music tea houses, movie tea houses, etc. appeared, and fashionable young people flocked to tea houses in large numbers. At that time, many songs were also related to coffee, and coffee gradually became popular. Moreover, after Korea hosted the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, the whole country made great efforts to absorb Western culture, and at the same time, Korea's own culture was promoted to the whole world. Coffee has since officially become one of the links between Korea and the West.