The changing coffee culture
DO YOU KNOW YOUR ESPRESSO FROM YOUR MACCHIATO?
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The humble cup of coffee has come a long way, with coffee consumption moving out of malls and into the neighbourhoods. While you can still order a slow drip, flat white or French press at super speed, there’s now a new focus that is drifting away from the fast coffee trends towards a slower, more down-to-earth walk-in-offthe-street coffee experience.
In the last few years, coffee culture has taken on a decidedly different face in the UAE, with western-style cafes mushrooming across the neighbourhoods.
Coffee shops are now sewn into the fabric of the growing community. People here don’t just love coffee, they love the entire experience that goes with consuming this popular beverage.
While coffee still remains the central focus, many cafes now provide comfort and convenience: free wireless services, couches, music, newspapers and even books in some cases.
People are flocking to these coffee shops for everything from work meetings to socialising or getting some time to themselves.
A strong presence of Arab expats has also boosted sales of freshly roasted takeaway beans here in the UAE.
The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) examined the most popular business outlets of the city and revealed that coffee shops were rated the highest in a qualitative analysis of consumer experience.
According to a report by Euromonitor, the demand for highquality coffee has gone up over the last two years.
Here is a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about coffee.