ABSTRACT
The line at the coffee shop backs up to the door this weekday morning. Businessmen, university students, and office workers wait patiently (or not) to place their orders. This chapter explores why coffee is popular around the world. Caffeine, commonly recognized as the world's most popular drug, provides a launching point. It considers the role of culture in giving meanings to coffee, and considers the popularity and appeal of coffeehouses and cybercafés. The chapter describes the characteristics of coffee that have facilitated its global reach, the interpretations and expressions of coffee as a meaningful food, and the economic and historical processes that made coffee a preeminent beverage in the Western world. With the exceptions of milk and water, beverages that typically contain caffeine hold the top spots in global beverage consumption: tea, coffee, and many soft drinks.
