While much has been made about a recent study claiming coffee increases heart attack risk dramatically, one fact has gone overlooked in all this controversy: It didn’t examine coffee’s effect on heart disease itself but rather coronary artery calcium — an indicator of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, research was done with asymptomatic Koreans instead of older Westerners at risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, contrary to what headlines might imply.

Korean culture has historically centered on tea consumption, with per-person annual tea consumption being lower than Turkey, Ireland, and Britain (the top three tea consuming nations). But over the past decade there has been an unexpected shift as coffee overtook tea as beverage of choice; tea sales plummeted while its market share expanded significantly – sparking outrage from local tea farmers who accused big corporations of manipulating market forces to favor coffee producers over tea producers.

This shift has created an interesting dichotomy between traditional tea shops and those that specialize in coffee. Larger chains and franchises largely offer espresso-based menus; in contrast, many small, hole-in-the-wall cafes specialize in hand brewing high quality, fresh brewed, slow brewed coffee. Now is an excellent opportunity to discover coffee’s myriad flavors – while supporting local roasters and brewers!