How did humans create coffee? Why? And how we end up here, with world coffee championships and a $30 billion industry in exports each year (OEC, 2015)
Oh, and for the rest, what is first, second, third and fourth wave coffee?
If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, be prepared to find out. I’m going to take you through a very brief history of coffee consumption, from the year 1400 to today.
It is difficult to trace coffee consumption back to its first discovery. It seems to have emerged somewhere in Africa and the Middle East, perhaps as some form of medicine or stimulant. However, the only thing we can say for sure is that, in the year 1400, it was being elaborated in the Sufi monasteries.
Traditional coffee consumption in the Middle East used coffee to welcome guests and as a backdrop for negotiations. This was often a ritualized experience that took place at home.
During the Ottoman Empire, coffee also began to be sold in markets before being favored at court. From there, the coffee house emerged.
And as coffee spread into Europe – and then, through European imperialism, beyond the world – its association with politics, male social circles and liberal thoughts, it was strengthened.
From Sweden to Colombia, the ruling classes developed fears that drinking was only a front to foment political and social instability. Religious leaders also saw coffee houses as a place of dangerous thoughts: in 1702, ministers in Salem mocked the “coffee house sages ” for doubting that witchcraft might exist. This continues until the 1800s, when coffee culture began to resemble modern consumption.
First Wave of Coffee & Commodification
The first wave of coffee is characterized by its increasing accessibility. Coffee used to be a drink of the elite, whether it was royalty or just intellectuals, the first wave introduced it to the kitchen.
During the 1800s, Folgers and Maxwell took the initiative. Both instant coffee and percolator, a coffee maker that remained in use until 1970, were also invented in that century.
Then, at the beginning of the year 1900, the espresso machine appears, and soon after, Nescafé and also the freeze-dried instant coffee. Although the instant already existed, freeze-drying technology allowed it to stay longer, making it easier and cheaper to transport over long distances.
In addition, American soldiers who were abroad, in countries like Korea, helped the consumption of instant coffee spread.
Second Wave of Coffee & Specialty Consumption
The second wave is marked by a growing concern for coffee quality and specialty expertise.
Starbucks was founded in 1971, in 1974 Erna Knutsen used the phrase “specialty coffee” in the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, and in 1982 the Specialty Coffee Association of America was founded.
This movement was also shaped by the Colombian coffee icon Juan Valdez, who first appeared in the late fifties. Fictional character created by the national coffee association FNC / Café de Colombia, for its marketing campaigns, became famous in the United States. Their role was to remind people that some coffees really taste better than others.
Third Wave of Coffee & the History of Origin
As a coffee producer, however, Juan Valdez not only influenced second-wave coffee; his invention also heralded the eventual arrival of third-wave coffee. But it wasn’t until 2002 that Trish Rothgeb declared her arrival.
With the third wave, the story behind the cup is the focus of attention. The variety of coffee, country of production, terroir, processing method, roasting profile, method of preparation … Consumers began to realize the impact all of this can have on the taste of coffee. In some coffee farms, experimental methods of processing also emerged, in an attempt to cater to this new type of more demanding consumer.
This is not to say that all third-wave coffee was based on new technology: Chemex, for example, was invented in 1941. However, there was a new interest in complexity, more acidity, and how to manipulate the preparation to have unique flavors of the coffee beans themselves.
In addition, coffee is competitive. The best of Panama and the Cup of Excellence appeared in the late 90s, while the first World Barista Championship took place in 2000. The idea of elite coffee varieties appeared in 2004, after a Panamanian Geisha was auctioned for USD $21/lb – increasing in recent years, to USD$350.25/lb.
Is there a Fourth Wave?
The term “fourth wave” is divisive: some believe it doesn’t exist beyond marketing. Others argue that it could be used to signal a push toward greater use of technology and science in coffee brewing. For now, however, most people consider us to be still in the third wave of coffee.