The coffee shop concept is the most usual thing these days. At nearly every corner of a street you run into a place where for a couple of dollars you can buy yourself a nice, hot cup of coffee. But few people know the actual story, tradition and social side of coffee shops or coffee houses, as they are also called. Let's take a trip back in time and see where it all began.

Coffee these days is something as usual as waking up in the morning and smelling its hot flavor. But it hasn't always been like this. Coffee has a story of its own, dating back all the way to the ninth century Africa. As centuries passed, it spread throughout the world, growing in popularity as it became not less of a delicatessen, but less unusual.

The traditional tale points out that the first coffee house was founded in the late 17th century Vienna. After their defeat in the Great Battle of Vienna (1683), the Turks left behind sacks of ?green beans?, which were assumed by the victorious Polish king at that time, Jan III Sobieski. He passed them on to one of his officers, who founded the first coffee house, in Vienna. Historically speaking, the first house was opened in the late 15th century Istanbul, in the year 1457. By the 16th century, there were many similar houses in Egypt. The 17th century gave way to the opening of coffee houses in Europe as well.

The coffee house served as an exotic gathering place, where people socialized, read books and listened to music while drinking coffee or tea, all in a special atmosphere with a great sense of taste. Also, many houses served meals and even alcohol and tobacco. They were a great environment for the gentlemen's business gatherings and later on lead to the apparition of ?clubs?. Concerning ladies, at first they were prohibited to visit these places and instead special posts were created to provide them with hot coffee.

Nowadays, a coffee shop is the most usual thing and it is less about luxury or any kind of special status. Still, coffee shops continue to offer a great environment for people to get to know each other and expand their social as well as their personal agenda. The best known coffee shop chain is Starbucks, which started in Seattle, USA. Other contemporary shops that sell coffee don't give that much attention to the traditional side anymore as they have a wider array of products among which coffee still holds a place.

Many people associate coffee shops with diners, pubs or taverns and so on but if you desire, there are still plenty of traditional shops or houses around and the Internet could prove itself very useful in the search for them. There are many sites specialized in this matter that will easily point you to a coffee house and also advise you in other coffee-regarding matters. It's quick and easy. I'll give you a hint: talkaboutcoffee.com. It's a FREE site that doesn't require membership and has plenty of information concerning everything you need to know about flavor, varieties of coffee and even tips & tricks about how to brew it yourself in the comfort of your own home.

The site is user-friendly and the most important features are clearly highlighted so that you find everything easy. Here you can find information about the history and varieties of the coffee culture, but also information regarding how it's stored, processed, roasted and finally grinded into various blends. You are provided with numerous hints, so that it will be easy for you to maximize your coffee experience.

And finally, there is a whole column designated to finding the best coffee house near you, clearly highlighted so that if you sometimes want to experience new blends and grinds you won't have to spend anymore time searching. A few clicks and you have a list of the best coffee shops in your local area. It's quick and easy.