When I came to Suncheon in 2007 there were only a few coffeeshops here, and even though there over three times as many today, when they build a new one it's still a big enough deal to warrant a post on it. Like the time we got a new Dunkin Donuts or the first Kenya. (Actually I just learned there is a fourth Dunkin Donuts, in Jorye-dong at St. Carollo Hospital!) But, this doesn't mean Koreans are acquiring a taste for the drink, just that it's become more fashionable for Suncheonians to choose these modern-style coffeeshops as a place to sit, talk, and have some dessert. The banner out front puts to rest any ideas to the contrary:
Benisaf gives you happiness rather than the aroma of coffee.
Apologies for the cellphone pics.
17 comments:
Can I get a tall skinny mocha-happiness latte? :p
Ever considered this?
http://nightmarebeliever.blogspot.com/2009/06/lets-stick-it-to-korean-media-with-no.html
A coffeeshop that doesn't smell of coffee.
Gee.
Sounds about as fun as a beer without the alcohol.
And their logo is a bird who might take a dump over the coffee cup? No wonder there's no coffee aroma. Good times are coming!
I'd like to know the original Korean-language intent of the "rather than aroma" sign. I've heard people say they like tea better than coffee, but I personally have never heard anyone complain the smell of coffee. I wonder if "rather than" is awkwardly translated, where they meant "even more than." Just a guess.
But, this doesn't mean Koreans are acquiring a taste for the drink, just that it's become more fashionable for Suncheonians to choose these modern-style coffeeshops as a place to sit, talk, and have some dessert. The banner out front puts to rest any ideas to the contrary
Though I do notice far fewer coffeehouses in rural areas than in major metropolitan areas, they are all over the place in the capital area and places like Pusan, and we're talking a majority of the population then.
I noticed considerably fewer places in Kwangju or Kanghwa-do than the capital region or Pusan, but even in rural areas and smaller cities the 커피 자판기 machines are a good way to make money.
I would definitely classify Korea as a country of coffee drinkers, even if it's not everyone everywhere. The universality of coffee-drinking in Korea these days is not quite reached only because there is also a hefty, longstanding, and resilient (even revitalizing) tea-drinking culture as well. Plus the coffee drinking is concentrated more toward under-40 or 50, especially 20s and 30s.
From the International Coffee Council report on non-member countries:
Coffee consumption in Korea averages 1.3 million bags a year, accounting for 7.7%
of the total consumption in non-member countries. Korea’s population is around 48 million
and GDP per capita is estimated at US$20,100 in 2007. Korea has a fast growing economy
and is one of the world’s industrial emerging powers. Coffee consumption is, however, still
not very widespread, since annual per capita consumption is around 1.8 kg and tea is still the
main hot beverage consumed. Nonetheless, consumption has increased significantly over the
last two decades. Moreover, around 50% of the population is in the under-30s age group and
this offers a promising prospect for coffee consumption since young people tend to assimilate
Western lifestyles, particularly in relation to eating habits, by moving away from the tea-
drinking tradition in favour of coffee. Since 2000, consumption has grown at an average
annual rate of 2.4%. Imports originate mainly from Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Indonesia
and Vietnam.
Per capita its only two-thirds that of fellow non-member Australia (1.8 kg versus 2.7 kg), but considerably more than most other countries (twice Taiwan and 2.5 times higher than Mainland China).
Or were you making a joke I just failed to pick up on?
My guess is they mean "more than just the aroma of coffee" but naturally neglected to run it by a native speaker (including but not limited to any one of the 20,000 or so western English teachers in the country).
On the other hand, our senior-most Korean English teacher yesterday for the first time ever asked me to proofread his final exam questions. Maybe there is hope. (And yes, there were errors in most of his questions.)
The fact that they used "aroma" indicates they might have been thinking of a word like 향기 instead of 냄새, which suggests a positive view toward the scent of coffee.
Thank you, WeikuBoy, for not leaving me hanging there. I hate being the only one to "notice" (or, rather, sense) these things. I'm very distrustful of rants or descriptions of Korea that rely on English-language versions of stuff originally thought up in Korean (not that that's what Brian was doing; I'm just making a general point about things like this).
It's often best not to take the English too literally, or too seriously, in many cases.
When I first moved to Korea, there were no chain coffee shops.There were the kind where Koreans would go to sit and chat and drink crappy watered down coffee, tea, or juice or the 다방 coffee shops where horizontal refreshments could be had or ordered to where you were, home or office. I dont think Koreans are brewing coffee in their homes the way we do. I wake up and the first thing I do is make a cup of coffee with 5 tablespoons of 100% Colombian coffee, Kirkland brand (Costco). Matter of fact, I have a cool bean buz going right now. At the office, the KJoreans have Starbucks grounds in the freezer. They make it so weak, it looks like tea and tastes terible. A true cup of brewed coffee should have a strong aroma and have a bite to it.
I used to drink Cambodian coffee when I was in Phnom Penh. It has a bitter taste to it and is a little difficult to aquire a taste for. But once you do, it really grows on you.
nb wrote:
When I first moved to Korea, there were no chain coffee shops.
nb, when did you first arrive and where were you?
There have been Korean chains such as Jardin, Rosebud, Waltz, Falling in Coffee, etc., since the early to mid 1990s at least.
Brian, why don't you have open threads? You know, for those times, like the weekends, when you are off living your life, f/b/o those of us who have no life.
For example, I've been looking for a good time & place to mention that many other expat blogs (besides you and The Marmot's Hole), including some of those to which you linked a few weeks ago as the best Korea blogs we might not be reading, tend to crash my computer in nasty ways. Thus, I tend not to go there. Is anyone else having this problem? Can anyone explain it?
Also, I was serious about asking, Why Gwangju? because I'll have a bit of free time soon, and want to know if Gwangju is a place worth visiting before I leave Korea. I have heard someone say Gwangju is the prettiest of Korea's cities (no jokes, please). Is it true? I've only been to Pusan, Seoul, and Daegu in two years. What are the one or two other places here that really should not be missed?
Anyone?
For Kushibo:
I've heard people say they like tea better than coffee, but I personally have never heard anyone complain the smell of coffee.
I'm a native of Washington State (Starbucks, Seattle's Best, et al.) and hate the smell of coffee with a passion. Also met a Colombian girl at my community college who felt similarly, although I'm sure we're probably in the minority. (You can tell when you've crossed central Oregon into northern Oregon / southern Washington by the sudden prevalence of parking lot coffee stands!)
For WeikuBoy:
If you've been to my site - my blog was one on Brian's list - has it given your computer any problems? Hope that's not the case!
As for places to visit, I really enjoyed spending time in Boseong for the green tea fields and Gyeongju for the history. Brian did a guest-post over at Roboseyo's site with a bunch of sites in Jeollanam-do worth visiting in a three-day weekend -- might be worth checking out for ideas. A couple of the comments there also give itineraries of what people did during their time in Jeollanam-do.
Samedi:
Every other city in Korea looks like every other city.
Skip Gwangju--it's a shithole. You can skip DAegu, too, and Mokpo.
The only exception is U-do, on Jeju.
U-do is the nicest place in Korea, but downtown Jeju looks like any other Korean city.
samedi wrote:
I'm a native of Washington State (Starbucks, Seattle's Best, et al.) and hate the smell of coffee with a passion. Also met a Colombian girl at my community college who felt similarly, although I'm sure we're probably in the minority. (You can tell when you've crossed central Oregon into northern Oregon / southern Washington by the sudden prevalence of parking lot coffee stands!)
Ha ha. Reminds me of my brother who worked for KFC and nearly barfed at the smell of chicken for the next ten years.
WeikuBoy:
I'll get back to you more fully a little later, but here's a quickie:
1) I don't have open threads because I don't really want to deal with a bunch of different conversations, usually turning uncivil. I'll play with the idea more, but I don't know if i have the time to keep an eye on something like that every week.
2) As far as sites crashing computers, I don't know anything about that. I know Expat Jane's site always crashed my computer, and that was one reason I never went there. Which other ones do? I havent had any problems with others.
3) Why Gwangju you ask? Well, I came to Jeollanam-do because I wanted an experience vastly different experience than what I had in Bundang. I applied to several provinces, but the recruiter for Jeollanam-do was the most on the up-and-up. Gwangju is certainly not one of the most prettiest cities in Korea, and as Samuel said it looks the same as everywhere else. The bus terminal is awesome, though, and is probably the best place in the whole city. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy walking around other parts of the city, too, but it's nothing exceptional.
Jeollanam-do, though, has some cool stuff to see. I did mention them on that Roboseyo post. Suncheon and Yeosu are nice, Damyang and Boseong have good sites, too, and I'd also like to spend some time exploring the outlying islands if I ever am free for about a week.
Samuel wrote:
Every other city in Korea looks like every other city.
If one stays around the downtown areas I would have to wholeheartedly agree with you. The differences - when they exist - come from travelling to the edge of town or during special festivals. Look around the intercity bus terminal at Boseong, Andong, or Mokpo and there's nothing exciting to see.
But head out a little way in Boseong and you can see a series of green tea fields that I have yet to hear about anywhere in Seoul. Go to Andong during the mask festival and it's a very different experience. If you're into history Mokpo has four museums located next to/across the street from one another.
Maybe not a lot of difference, but I'll take that over none at all. :)
"come from travelling to the edge of town or during special festivals... If you're into history Mokpo has four museums located next to/across the street from one another."
The history museums are downtown in Mokpo. Did you come to Korea to see a museum of dinosaurs? How exciting. How many times can you visit a museum about fishing boats? Yawn.
Koreans cannot make a new city that looks different from any other city. It puts up the same godawful neon signs, the same drab buildings, same architecture etc in every single city.
Even the small towns one encounters on trips across Korea look the same as any other small town one encounters any where in Korea.
There is a reason why no city or place in Korea made a number on the list of the 1000 places to see before you die, even though Korea does have some Unesco World Heritage. An endorsement that is no endorsement.
Korea ain't Europe, China or Japan.
Thanks for the responses over the weekend, especially from Brian our host. I didn't want to name names on blogs causing computer failure, because I suspected (and now feel certain) the problem is with the Korean security system(s) on my school-supplied Korean computer. (The operating system of which is in Korean, so I don't know what's going on when there's a problem.) It doesn't play nicely with lots of English language sites (though blogs especially for some reason).
I'll take your answers as meaning with the possible exception of the Boseong tea fields and Jeju-do, I've already seen the must-sees. I would sort of like to see Ulleong-do, thanks to ROK Drop (a site that's never caused my computer any problems)'s photo essays from earlier this year.
"There is a reason why no city or place in Korea made a number on the list of the 1000 places to see before you die ..." Is that true? Not even Pusan's pink-light district? That's just wrong.
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