Import Statistics Confirm Albanians Want More Coffee

TIRANA, August 3

Albanians have a special love affair with coffee either espresso or Turkish and statistics show that it has grown stronger. The recent data issued by the General Directorate of Customs confirm that coffee import during January-May 2016 period increased significantly compared to the same period of the previous year.
According to the official statistics issued by the above-mentioned authority, over 3,595 tonnes of coffee were imported during the first fifth months of the year. When compared to January-May 2015 period, about 899 tonnes of coffee more were imported to Albania.
The main types of imported coffee are roasted, not roasted, decaffeinated and not decaffeinated.
Statistics show that Albanians annually consume over 37 million cups of espresso and 30 million cups of Turkish coffee. Translated into figures, Albanians spend about Lek 15 billion per year for coffee. The coffee culture is deeply rotted in the Albanian society. When a person asks someone out on a date he or she says: “May I invite you for a coffee?” This stands for a bar, restaurant, Chinese food, or any other place. Even when Albanian bribe someone they say: “I’m giving him a coffee,” which means an undefined amount of money. It seems that coffee is the problem solver.

News Source: ATA