Coffee in Vihoslavia

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Vihoslav Tavern in Wardomsko

Coffee (Erquinian: Kawa, Chervak: Káva) is a very popular drink in Vihoslavia; the country consistently ranks as Septentrion's biggest coffee consumer, with almost 10.5 kg of coffee consumer per capita per year in 2017. Coffee drinking is considered an integral part of Vihoslav life and culture, and there are more than fifty thousand coffee shops and cafes in the country as of 2015. Kawiarnia and Kavárna, Erquinian and Chervak coffee shops, are found on almost every street of most major cities. The Vihoslav coffee business is also one of the most independent in Casaterra; multiple times in recent history major coffee chain companies such as Starbucks have been forced out of business by boycotts and government intervention.

Etymology

The Chervak and Rovak word for Coffee is Káva, and the Erquinian word is Kawa. The Chervak, Erquinian, and Rovak terms come from the Batavian koffie. It is typically believed among scholars that the Batavian term actually comes from Vinyan traders, who would refer to the beans as "kahve".

History

The history of Coffee in the Vihoslav region dates back to the early 17th century, with numerous reports and legends regarding it's first uses in the region. Coffee is believed to have originated in modern day Ehusteni, and traveled to Casaterra through traders as early as the 15th century. The most popular and widely held theory is that Chervak Mikuláš Rýpal, fighting with a Tyran army in modern day Vinya around 1680, brought back a large amount of coffee beans. He opened the first coffee shop in Praska around 1698. It is believed that it was here that the practice of adding milk and sugar to coffee became common. While the beverage became popular within the next hundred years, it had to be imported from either Vinya or Meridia, making coffee a delicacy only enjoyed by the upper classes. The beverage was particularly well liked by Chervak and Erquinian intellectuals, who often used the caffeine to keep themselves awake longer. Famous Erquinian writer Jarosław Mankowski was rumored to drink between twenty and thirty cups of coffee, daily.

By 1800, with much of the new world colonized, Casaterra began importing coffee in large amounts. Chervakia and Erquin were no exception to this, and the drinking of coffee quickly proliferated throughout the two kingdom's middle and lower classes, as coffee prices began to decrease. While many northern Casaterran states such as Letnev and Rajamaa typically imported and drank large amounts of tea, the eastern Slavic states started to see a major increase in coffee imports in the 19th century. In 1857 the Erquinian Commonwealth bought the Goldinseln Islands from Eisenmaat, renaming them the St. Tyra Islands. While the Erquinian navy was small compared to many Casaterran powers, the Southern Vinyan Trading Company was established, and was given control of the lightly populated islands for much of the 19th century. This allowed for the Erquinian crown to import it's own coffee- which the newly bought islands produced in large quantities.

Coffee farms on the island of Scoria, in the St. Tyra Islands

By the time of the War of Sylvan Succession, coffee was a normal part of life for Erquinian citizens. There were hundreds of coffee shops in the capital alone, and a distinct coffee culture began to form in the country; this culture only grew during the war, as nationalism surged and anything seen as uniquely Erquinian or Chervak was embraced. This was especially true of Chervakia, in which cafes became synonymous with political dissent against their Erquinian rulers. While somewhat distinct, Chervak and Erquinian interwar coffee consumption and culture remained similar to the rest of Casaterra's. However, during the Pan-Septentrion War, coffee houses and cafes once again became a symbol of political dissent; Chervak and Erquinian partisan groups would often meet in cafes. During the war, over 500 cafes and coffee houses were closed by Ostlandian authorities due to suspected subversion of the state.

It was during the post-war era, when the Vihoslav state formed, that coffee became especially important to daily culture. The Vihoslav government, although not totalist, was heavily influenced by the Federation of Soviet Republics. The Christian Unitarian Democratic Party, in power from 1944 to 1968, copied Soviet policies of pushing to reduce alcohol use in the country. The government portrayed coffee as a patriotic drink, while also portraying alcohol in a poor light. Vihoslav coffee consumption per capita is believed to have almost doubled in the twenty years after the Pan-Septentrion War. During this era, cafe culture flourished, and in many cities the amount of coffee shops doubled in number.

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Vihoslav Legionnaires take cover ashore in the Coffee War

In 1964, hostilities between Leonesse and Vihoslavia came to their lowest point- Leonesse invaded the Tyra Islands. The islands, being a major producer of coffee (much of which was imported by Vihoslavia), once again brought the beverage into the public eye. Drinking the beverage publicly was seen as being in support for the war, and coffee consumption again increased drastically. While the war was won by a narrow margin and the islands maintained, the consumption of the caffeinated beverage did not decrease.

Starbucks Controversy

In the 1990s, with the opening up of the country to foreign markets and companies, the country saw a drastic increase in the amount of foreign coffee companies, many of which were trying to take a share of the coveted Vihoslav coffee market. These companies often faced bitter competition from local cafes and shops, and had trouble getting a large share of the market. During the height of the company's efforts to break into the market in 2000, the Starbucks CEO Garry Tucker privately stated how much he hated the country. A secret recording of the discussion was leaked, and the Vihoslav public was outraged. Starbuck's profits halved in the country over the next two months, and roughly a third of the company's 56 stores in the country closed. The company's profits continued to suffer until it re-branded, making a separate brand name for the country.

Society and culture

Chervak pastries in Praska

Coffee is a very important part of Vihoslav culture. Vihoslav Coffee Shops (Chervak:'kavárna' Erquinian: 'kawiarnia') have been declared an "Intangible Cultural Heritage" by SLESCO, due to their distinct impact on culture of the entire region.

Coffee houses have been a major social gathering point in the country since their inception. Coffee houses are a major point of meeting, doing business, and leisure in Vihoslavia. In addition to coffee, the coffee houses typically serve tea, pastries of various types, sandwiches, and light drinks. Chervak pastries, in particular, are very well known throughout central Casaterra. The most popular styles of coffee in Vihoslavia are black coffee, steamed coffee with frothed milk (Melanż), or sometimes with whipped cream.

There are several festivals and celebrations in the country each year celebrating the beverage, notably the Praska coffee festival in January of every year.