Coffee is a beverage that is widely consumed in many places all over the world. Still, it is interesting to know in which places coffee is consumed the most. Would it be safe to say that the top producer is also the top consumer?
Top Coffee Producers and Consumers
The infographic above shows Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras as the top coffee producers. On the other side of the equation are top consumers consisting of Finland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Looking at these two lists, it seems that a top producer does not automatically represent a top consumer.
Isn’t it interesting to note that all top coffee consumers are not even among the top producers of coffee? Does that mean to say that people tend to consume more of a product which they do not not produce? It is either that or the people in these countries just simply love their coffee.
The Top Coffee Consumers
Finland
Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It used to be part of Sweden and was at one time in history under Russian rule. Finnish cuisine combines traditional and contemporary style cooking. Wholemeal products as well as milk and its derivatives are commonly used in food and drinks.
The Finns consume twice as much coffee as most Europeans. This liking for coffee is related to various customs and beliefs unique to their culture. Coffee was first sold in pharmacies and thus was seen more as medicine for headache, depression, and heart disease. It was the upper and middle class who first took to drinking coffee as a beverage to keep up with a trend in Europe.
They prefer lighter roasted coffee which goes very well with the good quality of water in the country. The water is said to be able to extract the flavor of the coffee very well. The older generation have a peculiar way of drinking coffee wherein they prefer to pour coffee from the cup to the saucer so cooling will be faster. Instant coffee does not enjoy much patronage in Finland and it has always been brewed coffee for them.
Norway
The only people who love coffee more than Norwegians are the Finns. Visiting family is interestingly referred to as “going for coffees” because visits were characterized by eating cakes and drinking lots of coffee.
Iceland
Many celebrations in Iceland are done over coffee. Even afternoon tea is referred to as “coffee”. People in Iceland certainly love their coffee as well.
Originally posted on November 29, 2013 @ 2:56 pm