Coffee

This is Sheryl.  In his book Tastes of Paradise, Wolfgang Schivelbusch discusses the

history of many spices and drinks, including coffee.  Upon its arrival to the European culture, coffee quickly became a very fashionable drink.  In fact, it came to a point where the substance of the drink itself did not matter so much as “how it could be consumed, the opportunities it afforded for display of elegance, grace, and high refinement” (19).  Among the upper class, coffee was consumed in porcelain that was “created expressly for coffee drinking” (19).  It was common practice around this time to spend time in coffee houses.  Men would conduct business and exchange social and local news with one another for lengthy periods of time.  Coffee certainly had a much different meaning than it does now.

            These days, coffee is primarily used as more of a tool to get us up and ready to face a busy day, giving people an energy boost often necessary for them to properly function.  The practice of spending time sitting down in a coffee shop or café continues to decrease.  Porcelain cups have been replaced with cardboard to-go cups, complete with the extra thick cardboard sleeve to protect your hands from the extreme heat of beverage as it is carried around on the go.  The old tradition of porcelain china mugs is dwindling down, becoming a very rare occurrence with the ever growing popularity of chains such as Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.  This is evident to just about anyone who pays enough attention to their surroundings to see the abundance of cardboard and Styrofoam cups branded by these coffee chain’s logos.

            If you still want that traditional feel of drinking your coffee from a china mug but don’t have the desire to make said coffee in your home, however, or even want to have your Dunkin Donuts coffee in a china mug, you may have some luck.  You just have to travel to the suburbs of Boston.  I grew up in the historic town of Concord, Massachusetts – the home of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson to name a couple, as well as the home of the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” which began the Revolutionary War, and the Concord Grape.  I’m not saying all of this to brag, it really is relevant.  Because of the historic value of the town of Concord, businesses in the town have somewhat strict rules to go by.  At one four-way intersection near the center of the town, you’ll find a Starbucks diagonally across from a Dunkin Donuts (which both caused quite a stir when they were first put in).  The Starbucks looks like any other Starbucks you would see around the country.  The Dunkin Donuts does not.  It was allowed to go in under two conditions: the signs outside would be beige lettering on a white background instead of the traditional hot pink and orange lettering; and china mugs, plates, and utensils had to be offered to any dine-in customers who so desired. Upon entering this unusual Dunkin Donuts, one sees this sign:

Although in the 10-15 years this Dunkin Donuts has been in Concord, I have only ever witnessed two people actually using this china, I guess it is still nice to know that the option is still available as long as you are in a historical town.