All About Coffee by William H. Ukers (interesting novels in english TXT) 📖
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Réunion. This island also was once a notable grower of coffee. A century ago, production was estimated as high as 10,000,000 pounds; and this rate of output continued well through the nineteenth century. In the present century, production has fallen off; and only about 530,000 pounds were exported in 1909. The decrease has continued, so that the average in recent years has been only about 25,000 pounds.
Coffee Consumption
Of the million or more tons of coffee produced in the world each year, practically all—with the exception of that which is used in the coffee-growing countries themselves—is consumed by the United States and western Europe, the British dominions, and the non-producing countries of South America. Over that vast stretch of territory beginning with western Russia, and extending over almost the whole of Asia, coffee is very little known. In the consuming regions mentioned, moreover, consumption is concentrated in a few countries, which together account for some ninety percent of all the coffee that enters the world's markets. These are, the United States, which now takes more than one-half, and Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and Scandinavia.
The United Kingdom stands out conspicuously among the nations of western Europe as a small consumer of coffee, the per capita consumption in that country being only about two-thirds of a pound each year. France and Germany are by far the biggest coffee buyers of Europe so far as actual quantity is concerned; although some of the other countries mentioned drink much more coffee in proportion to the population. The Mediterranean countries and the Balkans are of only secondary importance as coffee drinkers. Among the British dominions, the Union of South Africa takes much the largest amount, doubtless because of the Dutch element in its population; while Canada, Australia, and New Zealand show the influence of the mother country, consumption per head in the last two being no greater than in England.
Diagram showing the relationship between the leading coffee-consuming countries
In South America, Brazil, Bolivia, and all the countries to the north, are coffee producers. Of the southern countries, Argentina is the chief coffee buyer, with Chile second. In the western hemisphere, however, the largest per capita coffee consumer is the island of Cuba, which raises some coffee of its own and imports heavily from its neighbors.
The list of coffee-consuming countries includes practically all those that do not raise coffee, and also a few that have some coffee plantations, but do not grow enough for their own use. These countries are listed on page 287. Consumption figures can be determined with fair accuracy by the import figures; although in some countries, where there is a considerable transit trade, it is necessary to deduct export from import figures to obtain actual consumption figures. The import figures given are the latest available for each country named.
In this diagram a comparison is drawn between the coffee imports of the leading consuming countries over a critical 5-year period
General Coffee Consumption Table Country Year Imports
(pounds) Exports
(pounds) Consumption
(pounds) United States 1921[j] 1,345,366,943[k] 41,813,197[k] 1,303,553,746 Canada 1921[l] 17,517,353 20,349 17,497,004 Newfoundland 1920[l] 46,813[m] 46,813 United Kingdom 1921[j] 34,363,728[m] 34,360,128 France 1921[j] 322,419,884 1,154,769 321,265,115 Spain 1920 48,518,854 5,033 48,513,821 Portugal 1919[j] 6,926,575 1,258,271 5,668,304 Belgium 1921[j] 105,365,586 21,541,049 83,824,537 Holland 1921[j] 135,566,943 66,567,702 69,999,241 Denmark 1921[j] 46,571,954 3,449,537 43,122,417 Norway 1921[j] 29,835,544 169,921 29,665,623 Sweden 1921[j] 89,660,766 89,660,766 Finland 1921[j] 27,968,355 27,968,355 Russia 1916 9,801,014 9,801,014 Austria-Hungary
(former) 1917 17,966,167 56,217 17,909,950 Austria 1921[n] 5,128,781 79,365 5,049,416 Germany (former) 1913 371,130,520 1,783,521 369,346,999 Germany (present) 1921[o] 167,675,258 210,535 167,464,723 Poland 1920 7,612,526 26,781 7,585,745 Bulgaria 1914 1,300,493 1,300,493 Rumania 1919 5,134,198 66,757 5,067,441 Greece 1920[p] 13,118,626 13,118,626 Switzerland 1921[j] 31,582,879 47,619 31,535,260 Italy 1920 66,509,255 14,330 66,494,925 Algeria 1920 17,273,041 17,273,041 Tunis 1920 3,458,018 3,458,018 Egypt 1921[j] 20,939,542 218,938 20,720,604 Union of S. Africa 1920 28,752,538 954,181[q] 27,798,357 Northern Rhodesia 1920 43,880 8,263 35,617 Southern Rhodesia 1920 325,900 10,064 315,836 Mozambique 1919 111,614 78,973 32,641 Ceylon 1920 1,853,537 2,240 1,851,297 China 1920 613,217 297,663 315,554 Japan 1920 684,826 684,826 Philippines 1920 3,475,530 26 3,475,504 Canary Islands 1917 529,104 529,104 Cyprus 1918 451,880 451,880 Australia 1920[l] 2,502,429 263,430[r] 2,238,999 New Zealand 1920 304,737 21,104 283,633 Cuba 1920[l] 39,983,001 1,305 39,981,696 Martinique 1918 335,099 10,362 324,737 Panama 1920 216,923 518 216,405 Argentina 1919 37,541,020 37,541,020 Chile 1920 12,357,929 12,357,929 Uruguay 1921[p] 4,896,507 4,896,507 Paraguay 1920 262,737 262,737
[j] Preliminary figures.
[k] Figures are for continental U.S. Imports include both foreign coffee and coffee from our Island possessions. Exports Include both foreign and domestic exports from continental U.S. and also exports to our island possessions.
[l] Fiscal year.
[m] Entered for home consumption.
[n] First six months. Imports in 1920 were 6,042,808 pounds; exports 93,034 pounds.
[o] Eight months, May-December.
[p] First eleven months.
[q] Exports of foreign coffee. Domestic exports were 48,463 pounds.
[r] Exports of foreign coffee. Domestic exports were 208,445 pounds.
On account of the very wide fluctuations in imports during the war and the period following the war, per capita figures of consumption are of only relative value, as they have naturally changed radically in recent years. For the most part, however, the trade has about swung back to normal; and per capita figures based on the amounts retained for consumption, as given in the General Coffee Consumption Table, are fairly close to those for the years before the war. As per capita calculations must take into account population as well as amounts of coffee consumed; and as population figures are usually estimates, the results arrived at by different authorities are likely to vary slightly, although usually they are not far apart. In figuring the per capita amounts in the table on page 288, latest available estimates of population have been used. The figures show that the following are the ten leading countries in the per capita consumption of coffee in pounds:
1. Sweden 15.25 6. Norway 10.95 2. Cuba 13.79 7. Holland 10.22 3. Denmark 13.19 8. Finland 8.25 4. United States 12.09 9. Switzerland 8.17 5. Belgium 11.06 10. France 7.74
The per capita consumption of the most important coffee-consuming countries, based on the large table, is given with the 1913 per capita figures for comparison:
Per Capita Coffee Consumption Table Country Year Pounds Pds., 1913 United States 1921 12.09 8.90[t] Canada 1921[s] 1.93 2.17[u] Newfoundland 1920[s] 0.19 0.19[t] United Kingdom 1921 0.72 0.61[t] France 1921 7.74 6.41 Spain 1920 2.33 1.64 Portugal 1919 0.86 1.16 Belgium 1921 11.06 12.27 Holland 1921 10.22 18.80 Denmark 1921 13.19 12.85 Norway 1921 10.95 12.29 Sweden 1921 15.25 13.41 Finland 1921 8.25 8.85 Russia 1916 0.05 0.16 Austria-Hungary 1917 0.34 2.54 Germany 1921 4.10 5.43 Roumania 1919 0.29 1.04 Greece 1920 2.97 1.19 Switzerland 1921 8.17 6.48 Italy 1920 1.84 1.79 Egypt 1921 1.53 1.15 Union of So. Africa 1920 3.80[v] 4.19[v] Ceylon 1920 0.43 0.36 China 1920 0.001 0.01 Japan 1920 0.01 0.004 Cuba 1920[s] 13.79 10.00 Argentina 1919 4.40 3.74 Chile 1920 3.06 3.04 Uruguay 1921 3.61 [w] Paraguay 1920 0.26 [w] Australia 1920[s] 0.42 0.64 New Zealand 1920 0.24 0.29
[s] Fiscal year.
[t] Fiscal year 1913.
[u] Fiscal year ending March 31, 1914.
[v] Including both white and colored population.
[w] Not available.
Tea and Coffee in England and the U. S.
The rise of the United States as a coffee consumer in the last century and a quarter has been marked, not only by steadily increased imports as the population of the country increased, but also by a steady growth in per capita consumption, showing that the beverage has been continually advancing in favor with the American people. Today it stands at practically its highest point, each individual man, woman, and child having more than 12 pounds a year, enough for almost 500 cups, allotted to him as his portion. This is four times as much as it was a hundred years ago; and more than twice as much as it was in the years immediately following the Civil War. In general it is fifty percent more than the average in the twenty years preceding 1897, in which year a new high level of coffee consumption was apparently established, the per capita figure for that year being 10.12 pounds, which has been approximately the average since then.
Diagram showing their relationship, 1860–1920
Coffee Map of the World Coffee Map of the World
(Click on image for larger view)
Since the advent of country-wide prohibition in the United States on July 1, 1919, about two pounds more coffee per person, or 80 to 100 cups, have been consumed than before. Part of this increase is doubtless to be charged to prohibition; but it is yet too early to judge fairly as to the exact effect of "bone-dry" legislation on coffee drinking. The continued growth in the use of coffee in the United States has been in decided contrast to the per capita consumption of tea, which is less now than half a century ago.
In the United Kingdom, the reverse condition prevails. Tea drinking there steadily maintains a popularity which it has enjoyed for centuries; while coffee apparently makes no advance in favor. In this respect, the country is sharply distinguished from its neighbors of western Europe, in many of which coffee drinking has been much heavier, considering the population, even than in the United States. The contrast between the tastes of the two countries in beverages is shown clearly by the per capita figures of tea and coffee consumption for half a century, as they appear in the table, next column.
Tea and Coffee Consumption Per Capita Year United States United Kingdom Coffee
pounds Tea
pounds Coffee
pounds Tea
pounds 1866 4.96 1.17 1.02 3.42 1867 5.01 1.09 1.04 3.68 1868 6.52 .96 1.00 3.52 1869 6.45 1.08 .94 3.63 1870 6.00 1.10 .98 3.81 1871 7.91 1.14 .97 3.92 1872 7.28 1.46 .98 4.01 1873 6.87 1.53 .99 4.11 1874 6.59 1.27 .96 4.23 1875 7.08 1.44 .98 4.44 1876 7.33 1.35 .99 4.50 1877 6.94 1.23 .96 4.52 1878 6.24 1.33 .97 4.66 1879 7.42 1.21 .99 4.68 1880 8.78 1.39 .92 4.57 1881 8.25 1.54 .89 4.58 1882 8.30 1.47 .89 4.69 1883 8.91 1.30 .89 4.82 1884 9.26 1.09 .90 4.90 1885 9.60 1.18 .91 5.06 1886 9.36 1.37 .87 4.92 1887 8.53 1.49 .80 5.02 1888 6.81 1.49 .83 5.03 1889 9.16 1.25 .76 4.99 1890 7.77 1.32 .75 5.17 1891 7.94 1.28 .76 5.36 1892 9.59 1.36 .74 5.43 1893 8.23 1.32 .69 5.40 1894 8.01 1.34 .68 5.51 1895 9.24 1.39 .70 5.65 1896 8.08 1.32 .69 5.75 1897 10.04 1.56 .68 5.79 1898 11.59 .93 .68 5.83 1899 10.72 .97 .71 5.95 1900 9.84 1.09 .71 6.07 1901 10.43 1.12 .76 6.16 1902 13.32 .92 .68 6.07 1903 10.80 1.27 .71 6.04 1904 11.67 1.31 .68 6.02 1905 11.98 1.19 .67 6.02 1906 9.72 1.06 .66 6.22 1907 11.15 .96 .67 6.26 1908 9.82 1.03 .66 6.24 1909 11.43 1.24 .67 6.37 1910 9.33 .89 .65 6.39 1911 9.29 1.05 .62 6.47 1912 9.26 1.04 .61 6.49 1913 8.90 .96 .61 6.68 1914 10.14 .91 .63 6.89 1915 10.62 .91 .71 6.87 1916
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