The Coffee Culture in Asia

It is pretty obvious that coffee culture is widely prevalent in the United States with up to two Starbucks on every corner. However, it is also interesting to note that this love is spreading to Asia with their coffee culture becoming more popular than ever!

It seems that most recently, coffee chains have been opening up in Asia to produce commercial coffee products. Recently, Starbucks has opened over 35 stores in Hong Kong, which is bringing coffee culture to Asia itself. Asia is known for drinking tea as a country, which is why it is interesting to see that the tides are turning. It seems that coffee is a drink that is now thriving in Asia, and statistically, almost 1/3 of the people in China now drink coffee at home on a regular basis. Again, more and more people in Asia are flocking to coffee shops for social gatherings, similar to the United States.

The coffee that is preferred in Asia is a lighter and sweeter version of the coffee that can be found in the United States. It seems that the cappuccino is most popular in Hong Kong by 30%, and the second most

preferred drink is the mocha. Only about 17% of coffee drinkers will go for a regular cup of Joe.

Even though Asia was primarily a culture that drank tea, it seems that Starbucks is a welcome addition. Half of the coffee drinkers in Asia do prefer larger coffee chains to independent cafés. This is much different than the United States, where only 14% of coffee drinkers prefer commercial chains over independent café businesses. In Hong Kong, 60% of coffee drinkers prefer coffee from Starbucks itself.

This is significantly different than the welcome that Starbucks received in Australia when they tried to introduce themselves several years ago. Australia already has an in-depth coffee culture in the form of many local cafés and roasters. Starbucks did not thrive when they entered Australia, and they had to shut down many locations.

Asia is quite the opposite, and they seem to be welcoming Starbucks with open arms. This coffee culture is primarily fueled by young professionals who may have studied in the United States or Europe. You can find this coffee culture thriving in areas like Shanghai and Beijing with international chains like Starbucks. This is becoming a sophisticated and westernized trend that is preferred to tea drinking in Asia.

Coffee is actually imported directly to China from 50 different countries, and it seems that China is a small and growing coffee producing region. Two of the biggest coffee companies contributing to the coffee culture in Asia are Starbucks and Nestlé, and there are also a handful of other European companies, like Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee and Illy. It does appear that coffee is becoming a worldwide phenomenon that is more popular than ever. If you are a world traveling coffee drinker, then you will be happy to know that your companions in Asia also love to drink this delicious brew!