为什么越来越多的国人爱喝咖啡？Why are more and more Chinese people loving coffee?
如今，咖啡早已走出高端场所，走进了普通人的日常生活。早上的小区门口、上午的写字楼茶水间、傍晚的商场里，随处可见人们手持咖啡的身影，就连乡下小镇的便利店里，也能买到一杯热气腾腾的咖啡。而十几年前，咖啡还是逢年过节才会出现的“稀罕物”，冲一杯又苦又涩，让人难以理解为何有人偏爱。
越来越多的国人爱喝咖啡，最核心的原因就是它的提神功效。我闺蜜是互联网运营，每天雷打不动一杯冰美式，她说这是“续命神器”——早上喝一杯清醒开工，下午犯困时喝一杯驱散疲惫，才能顶住高强度的工作。身边很多同事和她一样，从“被迫喝咖啡”变成习惯，哪怕不工作，每天也想喝上一口。
学生群体也成了喝咖啡的主力军。我上高二的表妹，临近考试时每天都要喝一杯平价咖啡，深夜复习靠它保持清醒，早上靠它唤醒大脑。她妈妈起初反对，可看到她不喝咖啡就精神萎靡、复习效率下降，也只能妥协，特意给她买温和的拿铁。就连我七十多岁的爷爷，现在每天下午也会冲一杯挂耳咖啡，说喝完精神好、解疲惫。
咖啡的社交属性，也是它受欢迎的重要原因。现在年轻人聚会、情侣约会、职场人谈客户，咖啡店都是首选。我和大学同学聚会，没去饭店，而是选了一家安静的咖啡店，点两杯咖啡就能聊一下午，轻松又惬意。做销售的朋友也说，咖啡店氛围轻松，不像办公室那么严肃，很多难缠的合作，都是在咖啡店里谈成的，咖啡就像“社交润滑剂”。
而咖啡品类的丰富和价格的平民化，让更多人有机会爱上它。以前只有速溶咖啡，价格不便宜，普通人舍不得常喝。现在，速溶、挂耳、现磨应有尽有，瑞幸、幸运咖等本土品牌，一杯美式只要几块、十几块，下单方便，上班族、学生都能消费得起，就连小镇上也有连锁咖啡店。
更惊喜的是，我们国家也有优质咖啡产区，云南咖啡口感醇厚，性价比远超进口咖啡，越来越多的人开始选择国产咖啡。
说到底，国人爱喝咖啡，从来不是崇洋媚外，而是它贴合了当下的生活需求。提神功效解决了高强度工作学习的疲惫，社交属性满足了人们聚会谈事的需求，平价便捷让各个年龄段的人都能消费。如今，咖啡已经成为融入日常生活的普通饮品，陪伴我们度过每一个忙碌又温暖的日子。
Nowadays, coffee has long moved out of high-end venues and entered the daily lives of ordinary people. In the morning at the entrance of residential areas, in the afternoon in the tea rooms of office buildings, and in the evening in shopping malls, one can see people holding cups of coffee everywhere. Even in convenience stores in small towns in the countryside, one can buy a steaming cup of coffee. A decade ago, coffee was still a "rarity" that appeared only during festivals and holidays. Making a cup of bitter and astringent coffee was hard to understand why some people preferred it.
More and more Chinese people love to drink coffee, and the core reason is its refreshing effect. My best friend works in internet operations and drinks a cup of iced Americano every day without fail. She says it's a "life-sustaining artifact" - drinking a cup in the morning to wake up and start work, and drinking a cup to dispel fatigue when feeling sleepy in the afternoon, so as to withstand high-intensity work. Many colleagues around her, like her, have gone from being "forced to drink coffee" to becoming accustomed to it. Even when not working, they still want to have a sip every day.
The student population has also become the main force in coffee consumption. My cousin, who is in her second year of high school, drinks a cup of affordable coffee every day when exams are approaching. She relies on it to stay awake late at night while reviewing and to wake up her brain in the morning. Her mother initially opposed it, but seeing how she felt listless and her review efficiency decreased without coffee, she had no choice but to compromise and specially bought her a mild latte. Even my seventy-year-old grandfather now brews a cup of drip coffee every afternoon, saying that it makes him feel energetic and relieves fatigue.
The social aspect of coffee is also a significant reason for its popularity. Nowadays, coffee shops are the preferred choice for young people's gatherings, romantic dates, and business negotiations among professionals. When I meet with my college classmates, instead of going to a restaurant, we choose a quiet coffee shop. Ordering two cups of coffee allows us to chat for the entire afternoon, which is relaxing and pleasant. My friend who works in sales also mentioned that the atmosphere in coffee shops is relaxed, unlike the seriousness of the office. Many difficult negotiations are successfully concluded in coffee shops, and coffee acts as a "social lubricant".
The richness of coffee varieties and the affordability of prices have given more people the opportunity to fall in love with it. In the past, there was only instant coffee, which was not cheap, and ordinary people could not afford to drink it often. Nowadays, everything from instant coffee, ear-hook coffee, to freshly ground coffee is available. Local brands such as Luckin Coffee and Lucky Coffee offer Americano for just a few or ten yuan per cup. Ordering is convenient, and office workers and students can afford it. Even in small towns, there are chain coffee shops.
What's even more surprising is that our country also boasts high-quality coffee producing areas. Yunnan coffee has a rich and mellow taste, and its cost-effectiveness far surpasses that of imported coffee. As a result, more and more people are beginning to choose domestic coffee.
Ultimately, the reason why Chinese people love coffee is not because they are worshipping foreign things, but because it meets the current needs of life. Its refreshing effect alleviates the fatigue of high-intensity work and study, its social attribute satisfies people's needs for gathering and discussing matters, and its affordability and convenience enable people of all ages to consume it. Nowadays, coffee has become an ordinary beverage integrated into daily life, accompanying us through every busy yet warm day.