What is the point of International Coffee Day?
As Aussies we all love to give the little things in life big recognition. Just look at the Big Banana in Coffs harbor or the Big Pineapple on the Sunshine Coast. Yet in our humble opinion there is a great reason why we should all celebrate coffee! International Coffee Day is celebrated on the 1st of October each year to recognize the efforts of millions of farmers whose livelihoods depend on the ethical sourcing of coffee from around the globe.
Soul Origin truly believes in building meaningful relationships with local farmers at origin, using coffee that is fully traceable and sourced through direct relationships. Roasted in small batches, Soul Origin coffee is sourced from a farm or co-op from regional areas and roasted as our own specialty blend here in Victoria, Australia. This unique traceability is a distinguishing factor, by acknowledging that this coffee supports a unique farm and community. It’s flavour is a close depiction of its origin, possessing characteristics of that specific region and varietal of the plant where the particular coffee was grown.
Coffee today is considered a huge part of Australian culture, so much so that the first McCafé in the world was created and launched right here in Melbourne back in 1993. Since it’s conception as a consumable, coffee has evolved its purpose to become a way for people to connect through personal relationships as well as business. So how did we get here?
Believe it or not, no-one knows the exact time and place that coffee was first consumed. Historians today don’t all agree but there are many legends that have been told over time. The coffee that we know and love today can be traced back to the Ethiopian plateau as far back as the 9th century AD. One of the more popular legends was of a goat herder whose goats ate the berries from the coffee trees and became so energetic that they didn’t want to sleep at night.
Skip forward a thousand years to 1788 when coffee landed in Australia with the first fleet arrival in Sydney. As the English were culturally known as tea drinkers, it would take another hundred years until coffee would start to become fashionable. This was the result of a fascination and rise of Parisian style coffee shops that were frequented by the bourgeoisie and highbrow members of society, as well as the lobbying of the Temperance Movement boycotting bars in favour of coffee palaces.
As we moved into the 1930’s, Australia saw Italian immigration grow and they brought with them a new way of drinking coffee – the Espresso! This grew to new levels of popularity as post World War Two, Australia saw an influx of European immigrants escaping a war-torn Europe and bringing with them a food and coffee culture that would explode into the Australian way of life.
Today Australian coffee consumers would be among some of the most critical around the world. Our expectations are driven by the calibre of coffee professionals that our industry produces including multiple home-grown World Barista Champions, as well as a production line of World class judges. We now expect and demand better from our cafes which have seen coffee preparation transform from making a simple brew, to an artform synonymous with hipsters and self-proclaimed “coffee snobs” alike.
So to celebrate today on this International Coffee day, enjoy a cup of coffee or two, make good choices, and be kind to one another. Remember the journey your coffee has made to get to your cup – it deserves that respect.
For more information on where Soul Origin source their Single Origin beans click here.
