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Coffee culture in Australia

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Flat white coffee, a classic Australian coffee

Coffee culture has become a significant cultural phenomenon in Australia.

Pellegrini's Espresso Bar in central Melbourne, opened in 1954

History

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19th century

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Federal Coffee Palace in Melbourne, 1890
Further information: Coffee palace

According to the National Geographic, coffee came to Australia on the first fleet in 1788, but as traditional tea drinkers, it would be almost a century before coffee became part of Australian culture. Moving into the 1870s, coffee became popular due to the fashionable rise of Parisian coffee shops and the lobbying of the Temperance Movement, a movement of Christian women who protested anti-social drunken behaviour.[1]

Australia has a distinct coffee culture. The coffee industry has grown from independent cafes since the early 20th century.

Late 20th - Today

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After the second world war, Italian immigrants were the first to bring espresso machines to Australia.[2]

Cafe culture first flourished in Leichhardt in Sydney due to its high concentration of Italian immigrants.[3] Several Italian coffee names were eventually switched, with the caffè lungho the long black and the espresso becoming the short black.[3]

In 1952, the first espresso machines began to appear in Australia and a plethora of fine Italian coffee houses were emerging in Melbourne and Sydney. Pellegrini's Espresso Bar and Legend Café often lay claim to being Melbourne's first "real" espresso bars, opening their doors in 1954 and 1956 respectively. This decade also saw the establishment of one of Australia's most iconic coffee brands, Vittoria, which remains the country's largest coffee maker and distributor. The brand has existed in Australia since 1958, well before it moved to the US.[4]

The flat white, regarded as "Australia's greatest culinary export," may trace its origins to Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s. Its popularity has since expanded to other countries, gaining traction in the UK and the US.[5]

The flat white, a shot of espresso with a larger ratio of froth and steamed milk,[6] first became popular in Australia in the 1990s[7] and its invention is claimed by a Sydneysider.[8][9] The flat white has since become a classic for Sydneysiders.[6] The iconic Greek cafés of Sydney and Melbourne were the first to introduce locally roasted coffees in 1910. [citation needed] Melbourne is sometimes called the “coffee capital of the World”[10][11] with its plethora of cafés and roasteries.[12]

Local taste and characteristics

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The ubiquitous Australian coffee drink, the flat white

Australians tend to prefer less sugary coffee, opting for pure rather than a sugary variants.[6] Australian cafe culture is said to emphasise the quality of the beverage, in addition the quality of the coffee making process.[2] Specialty coffee is in demand in Australia, with numerous boutique cafes. Such specialty coffees are characterised by innovations in both the roasting and brewing processes.[13][2]

95% of Australian cafes are independently owned establishments.[2]

To this day, international coffee chains such as Starbucks have very little market share in Australia,[14] with Australia's long established independent cafés existing along with homegrown franchises such as The Coffee Club, Michel's Patisserie, Dôme in WA, and Zarraffas Coffee in Queensland. One reason for this is that unlike with the United States and Asia, Australia has, for many decades already had an established local culture of independent cafés before coffee chains tried to enter the market.[15][14] Australians are more focused on the specialty coffee culture, focusing on sourcing fresh coffee beans, roasting properly, and brewing the best coffee.[16][17][18][19][20]

Ristretto is a coffee beverage characterised by a smoother flavour because of its higher concentration due to lack of water.[2] The Australian iced coffee uses a cold brew instead of hot espresso. The Australian iced coffee does not involve blending and is able to incorporate different local flavours, ice creams and syrups.[2]

Coffee industry in Australia

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Australian coffee industry generates US$5.8 billion in revenue per year.[21][22]

Australia currently produces a small volume of specialty coffee, harvesting up to 600 tonnes of green beans from about 850 000 trees every year.[23]

Coffee is grown in two main areas in Australia, northern New South Wales and Queensland, due to the subtropical climate of these regions.[24] In the 1870s an experimental coffee plantation was established at Waggrakine, Western Australia, but failed within three years due to the unsuitable climate.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Origins & A Brief History of Coffee". Crema Coffee Garage Australia. 2018-06-13.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Capoccia, Ponti (2024-01-22). "Beyond Flat Whites: A Deep Dive into Coffee Culture in Australia". Biz Cup Coffee. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  3. ^ a b "A short history of the Australian Flat White - Invincible Summer". www.5jt.com. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  4. ^ "Vittoria Coffee". Vittoriacoffee.com. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Flat whites are Australia's greatest culinary export". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  6. ^ a b c "What I Learned About Coffee While Living In Australia". Spoon University. 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  7. ^ "The History behind the Flat White". Guide 2 Coffee. 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  8. ^ "How Australian Coffee Took Over—And Why New Zealand Coffee Could Be Next". Vogue. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  9. ^ Pearlman, Jonathan (28 September 2015). "Who invented the flat white? Row breaks out between Australian and New Zealand cafe owners". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  10. ^ "How Melbourne became the coffee capital of the world. – Lay Day Coffee". 2023-10-05. Archived from the original on 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  11. ^ Guides, Insider (2022-12-22). "Coffee Culture in Australia". Insider Guides. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  12. ^ Eriksen, Ida (15 August 2017). "Melbourne: The coffee capital of the world?". CBS WIRE. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  13. ^ "The Rise of Specialty Coffee in Australia: What You Need to Know". Chubbs Coffee. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  14. ^ a b Turner, Ashley (2018-07-25). "Why there are almost no Starbucks in Australia". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  15. ^ James Braund. "Caffeination: Australia's (obsessive) coffee culture – travel tips and articles". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  16. ^ "Australian Coffee: A Cultural Obsession And Caffeine Ritual". www.roastycoffee.com. 2020-06-05. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  17. ^ "Australian coffee is the new gold standard — and not just for 'chin-stroking inner-urban Instagrammers'". ABC News. 2019-12-27. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  18. ^ Montgomery, Jordan (2021-06-01). "How is Australian specialty coffee culture evolving?". Perfect Daily Grind. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  19. ^ "Australian Coffee Culture: The History, the Drinks, the Etiquette".
  20. ^ Zhuang, Yan (2021-11-12). "Migration and Experimentation: What Led to Australia's Coffee Culture". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  21. ^ MacDonnell, Kate (2022-07-15). "18 Australia Coffee Statistics in 2023: Interesting Facts!". Coffee Affection. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  22. ^ "The 10 biggest coffee franchises in the Australian market". Franchise Buyer. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  23. ^ "Can Australia Grow Its Consumption of Locally Produced Coffee?". 11 June 2020.
  24. ^ "Australian Grown Coffee: 5 things you need to know about Australian Coffee". 12 August 2021.
  25. ^ "Coffee Pot and Waggrakine Well". inHerit. State Heritage Office. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
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