Brewing national identity: coffee consumption as a marker of cultural identity

Abstract

Just as food serves as a conduit for cultural exchange and identity, coffee too, as a culturally-infused substance, reflects the intricate ways in which shared beliefs and social practices shape the meanings we attach to everyday rituals. This project investigates the role of coffee in shaping and expressing national identity across different countries, exploring how individuals use coffee consumption as a means of finding a sense of identity and belonging within their cultural contexts. Coffee, as a culturally charged substance and ritualized practice, functions as a rhetorical tool through which individuals and communities construct, express, and negotiate national identity and belonging--particularly within the context of Jordanian coffee culture, where traditional practices and global influences intersect in meaningful ways.