Coffee, Chocolate, and Late Capitalist Consumption

1. Yuppie coffees (the article by William Roseberry)

-the beverage of capitalism
-the beverage of postmodernism

-move from elite beverage to common drink during the industrial revolution
    -what Mintz called a "proletarian hunger killer"
-consumption leveled off during the 1950s and declined after the early 1960s
-production highly industrialized/commodified; General Mills, Procter and Gamble, Nestle dominated the market
    -blended many types and qualities of coffee together into a bland blend (palatable to the largest market share)

-coffee price hikes in the 1970s (when price was the selling point)
-by early 1980s, smaller coffee roasters and retailers attempted to distinguish coffee (de-commodify it partially)
-connected with trends in natural foods and catch words such as "organic," "whole," "fresh"
    -post-Fordist consumption
-designations of origins (Kona, Blue Mountain, Antigua) and grades (Kenyan AA); spray-on flavorings
-gourmet food stores; rise of coffee shops

-post-Fordism:
    -more efficient logistics allowed for coffee to be sold in smaller batches
    -rise of "styles" of coffee to substitute for locations (Kona style, Blue Mountain style)
            -this takes away the advantage local producers had; production can move quicker and easier around the world
            -flexible accumulation

hegemony and conscious manipulation of the system

2. Chocolate (Susan Terrio article)
"In postindustrial societies such as France, cuisines defines a critically important area where economic power and cultural authority intersect."

-artisinal chocolates in 18th and 19th centuries
-chocolate production industrialized by 1950s
-turn to Belgian imports in the 1980s

-French fears of cultural globalization
-the odd category of "craft commodities"

-resurgence of French artisinal chocolatiers
-don't actually make the chocolate
-borrowed wine terminologies
                "Venezuelan chocolate is silky and smooth, with hints of black and red fruits. The chocolate made
                from Ecuadorian beans is rich and full-bodied, with blackberry essence and a lingering finish. The
                Grenedian has a concentrated chocolate flavor, with bright berry character peeking through.
                Ghanaian is earthy and smoky, but has little fruit. Javanese has a pronounced roasted flavor with
                subtle fruit notes. Sumatran has a nice balance of cream, earth and fruit, though it finishes a bit
                short. Beans from Madagascar yield a chocolate with more orange than berry flavor, and a long
                finish." from The Wine Spectator
-distinguishing varieties

from a single plantation in Venezuela
"Pleasant rose fragrance, the slightly brittle exterior leads to notes of cool orange, cinnamon, pear, and black cherry, with a smooth kiwi and apricot conclusion."



Founded in 1996, San Francisco-based Scharffen Berger "has returned to the basics of chocolate making, using restored vintage
machinery imported from Europe"