Coffee Culture
Latest articles, industry insights and brewing guides
What Is a Soviet Café and Why Does Russia Still Have Them
Explore the legacy of Soviet-themed cafés in modern Russia, from their nostalgic décor to ambiguous cultural messages, and what they reveal about post-Soviet identity.
Why Brits Are Falling for Specialty Coffee
Specialty coffee is booming in the UK. Discover how the third wave hit London and how UK Coffee Week raises money for coffee-growing communities.
Bach and Coffee: The Composer’s Love for Leipzig Cafés
German composer Johann Sebastian Bach loved coffee so much he wrote a comic opera about it—and helped students earn money playing in cafés.
Napoleon Bonaparte’s True Coffee & Chess Tales
Find out where Napoleon left his military cap as collateral, why he struggled at chess, and which Paris cafés he really frequented.
Explore Hainan’s Local Coffee Culture on a 9-Day Trip
Discover the roots of Hainan’s coffee tradition, visit heritage sites, and taste local brews on a cultural road trip through Chengmai.
The Coffee Myths and Legends Behind the World’s Favorite Drink
Discover how coffee gained global popularity, from a goat herder’s discovery to Napoleon’s praise and Voltaire’s 72-cup habit.
How the French Drink Coffee Every Day: Rituals & Etiquette
Learn how the French enjoy coffee casually — or formally — with traditional etiquette rules, classic preparation steps, and the cultural dos and don’ts.
How Chocolate Flavor Makes Mocha Coffee
Learn why mocha coffee tastes like chocolate and how to recreate that rich, nutty, sweet profile using classic coffee beans and techniques.
Why Irish Coffee Can Actually Get You Drunk
Learn how whiskey in traditional Irish coffee boosts flavor—and why it’s more than just a warm drink. One shot is all it takes.
How Turkish Coffee Is Still Made the Original Way
Turkish coffee uses an unchanged, centuries-old brewing method with finely ground coffee boiled in a cezve. Here’s how it works today.
How France Made Coffee a Cultural Ritual
Learn why the French obsession with coffee goes beyond taste—discover their unique café habits, historical demand spikes, and love of outdoor drinking spaces.
How Chinese Coffee Culture Is Evolving
Discover how coffee culture is growing in China, from daily habits to local bean production, and why more people are brewing at home.
Vienna Café Culture Comes to Shenzhen
Experience authentic Viennese café culture in Shenzhen, featuring 30 traditional cakes and 14 classic coffees served in a historic European-style setting.
What Is Fair Trade Coffee? A Documentary Breakdown
Learn what fair trade coffee really means through the 2006 documentary Black Gold, which exposes exploitation in global coffee supply chains.
Who Is Antica Tostatura Triestina and Why It Matters
Learn about Antica Tostatura Triestina, Italy’s heritage espresso roaster using high-elevation Arabica beans with roots in Trieste’s coffee trade.
Tokyo’s Coffee Culture Through the Lens of Murakami Fans
Explore Tokyo’s hidden jazz cafés and literary coffee spots linked to Haruki Murakami’s fiction, with insights from a fan’s real-world journeys.
How Old Is Coffee as a Consumer Product?
Learn how coffee became a global staple, how Starbucks grew to 12,000 stores, and why consistency matters more than you think in coffee culture.
Essential Coffee Etiquette Every Specialty Coffee Drinker Should Know
Learn how to hold your cup, add sugar properly, and use a coffee spoon the right way — with details on etiquette for serious coffee drinkers.
How Singapore’s Nanyang Coffee Culture Took Shape
Singapore once had 30 Nanyang coffee powder mills—now just 15. Discover why this labour-intensive tradition persists, how it differs from Malaysian coffee, and what keeps it alive.
How to Read Your Fortune in Turkish Coffee Grounds
Learn the five traditional steps of Turkish coffee cup reading, from cooling the grounds to interpreting symbols like moons and waves.