NARASIMHAN KASTHURI
SAN FRANCISCO, JULY 19
Next time if you feel to get yourself caffeinated with a cup of coffee, head to Teheran as it is the cheapest in the world. But when in South Korea think twice as it was the most expensive at $7.77. If going to Teheran is expensive, consider Nepal where coffee only costs $1.49 a cup and the least expensive place in Asia.
Iran was found to be the cheapest country, with an average price of $0.46 per cup of coffee. Middle East nations like Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Switzerland follow South Korea in the expensive category. These were the findings of research conducted by an American finance advisor SavingSpot. The study notes that South Korea was the most expensive, with the average price of coffee costing US$7.77. Tea-loving Iran offers the world’s cheapest cup of coffee at $0.46. Traditionally coffee shops served Turkish-style coffee and “gheyloon”— flavoured tobacco served in a communal water pipe. Now espresso-style coffee drinks are increasing in popularity, and Tehran’s burgeoning coffee shops are social and cultural centers.
Since alcoholic drinks are forbidden in Islam, coffee found a special place among the Muslim community. Centuries ago it was known as the Muslim drink. Iran was no exception either. During the 17th century, there were many coffee houses in Isfahan, the then capital. These houses were prominent social bases for the people to gather around, tasting this non-alcoholic Persian drink and discuss their issues.
The study was based on five cafés in each capital city of each country. These cafés were required to offer an espresso, latte, and cappuccino on the menu with the average price of each coffee and café then recorded and converted to US dollars. The high price of coffee in South Korea is due to a number of themed cafés, like those which allow café goers to interact with cats while consuming coffee, the survey estimates.
Seoul, South Korea’s capital, also has the highest number of Starbucks in the world. However, animal rights groups point out that constant interaction with humans is stressful to the animals, and that coffee shops are not their natural habitat. So you might want to consider having your coffee with human friends only.
Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Switzerland follow after South Korea as the world’s most expensive countries to consume coffee. It may be bitter for coffee lovers that out of the world’s top 10 most expensive places, five were Esat Asian. This may be due to the growing demand for specialty coffee, in part due to the country’s abstinence from alcohol, the study points out.
Eastern Asian countries were also found to serve expensive coffee with Tokyo coffee lovers paying roughly $5.29 per cup. The study said Iran was considered the cheapest coffee country due to a consumer preference for tea. The US is North America’s second-biggest coffee consumer and pays the second-highest price per cup of $3.77. Bahamians pay the most at $3.91 a cup, while Hondurans pay the least at $1.75 per cup.
Coffee in Mexico is often filtered and served with Pan Dulce (sweet bread) and costs only $2.17 a cup. Costa Rica adopted laws to keep growing standards of Arabica beans high. That quality comes reasonably priced at $2.61 a cup, making Costa Rica a perfect destination for coffee lovers.
History of steaming coffee culture
The first documented coffee culture was in 15th-century Yemen, where Sufi mystics cultivated it to focus during prayers. Coffee drinking then spread through the Arabian peninsula into Western Asia.
Regionally, Qataris boast the most expensive coffee today. India ranked seventh in the production of coffee, while Brazil dominated production and exports globally in 2018. Vietnam was the largest producer of the bean in Asia during the same time period. India stands seventh in export volumes worldwide and third in Asia after Vietnam and Indonesia. The country saw a drop in production and exports since 2017 due to torrential rains and flooding in its coffee-producing regions. Nonetheless, a majority of the coffee produced within the country is exported, according to Statista.
In the capital Doha, coffee shops charge around $6.79 a cup. Iranians pay the least at $0.46 a cup. Throughout Muslim cultures, coffee is a traditional symbol of friendship and hospitality. In Saudi Arabia it’s common to be offered hot coffee accompanied by sweet dates by complete strangers. In Lebanon Turkish-style coffee is enjoyed throughout the day. The Lebanese are some of the biggest coffee drinkers in the East Asia and pay over $5.71 a cup — the third-highest price in the region.
In terms of consumption, Luxembourg is placed as the world’s largest consumer of coffee, consuming 11.1 kg of coffee per capita in a year. This may be due to the country’s location, as the “cultural crossroad of coffee-loving Europe”, the study says.
Surprisingly, Asian countries like Nepal, India, and Pakistan consumed the least amount of coffee, drinking less than 0.1 kg per capita in a year. The world’s biggest coffee-producing regions were Central and South America and Vietnam. These countries were also some of the cheapest areas to buy a cup of coffee.
Brazil was found to be the largest coffee producer in the world with also a high consumption rate. Brazilian coffees such as the Cafe Latte, which is filtered coffee with milk, or Cafe Puro, which is black coffee often filtered through a sock, on average costs US$1.89 per cup.
Whether filtered or pressed, prepared with steamed milk, cardamom, liquor or sugar, and whether it’s pronounced cafe, koffee or qahwah, kapi, coffee is loved in every part of the globe. It may be almost ubiquitous, but the cultures surrounding it are diverse. Understanding the world’s coffee habits and costs provides insight into local history, spiritual practices, and values, the study notes.
