Coffee is one of the most popular beverages, with billions of cups consumed worldwide.
Here below come 10 interesting facts about this beloved drink.
Coffee is believed to date back to around 800 AD, when it was discovered by 9th-century goat herders. Allegedly, they noticed their goats eating the plant and then appearing to "dance" energetically. Fascinated by the effect, the goat herder tried the plant himself and realized it made him feel excited as well.
Despite being called coffee beans, coffee is actually a fruit. Coffee beans grow on a shrub and are found at the center of a berry known as a coffee cherry. There are approximately 60 known types of coffee shrubs in the world, but only three varieties are cultivated for their seeds.
Surprisingly, the famous composer Beethoven was a coffee enthusiast! He was reportedly quite obsessive about it, using exactly 60 coffee beans per cup, which he counted out one by one.
It is widely known that Brazil is one of the largest coffee producers, but did you know that about one-third of all the coffee in the world is grown here? Brazil is the number one coffee producer, followed by Vietnam and Colombia.
While Brazil may grow the most coffee, Finland drinks the most! On average, they consume 12 kg of coffee per person per year, which translates to an impressive amount—about 1,680 cups.
Despite coffee being one of the most popular beverages in the morning today (after tea), before the 18th century, beer was typically consumed with the first meal of the day.
When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, many things had to be improvised. In 1932, when Brazil wanted to send its athletes to the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the government decided to ship them with 50,000 sacks of coffee. They had to sell it along the way in order to raise the funds for the mission. Out of the 82 athletes, only 67 made it to the Olympics. Since the authorities charged $1 for each individual disembarking at the port, the organizers only allowed entry to those they believed had a chance of winning a medal. The rest of the crew continued sailing to San Francisco, where they sold more sacks of coffee, enabling water polo players, rowers, and track and field athletes to participate in the games. Despite all the efforts, Brazil did not win a single medal.
Before it was discovered that coffee makes a delicious drink, it was actually used as food. The tribes of East Africa would grind the coffee beans and mix them with animal fat to consume.
We drink two types of coffee: Robusta and Arabica. Arabica has a lower acidity and a smoother flavor, while Robusta is more acidic and bitter.
Decaffeinated doesn't mean caffeine-free. For a coffee to be considered decaffeinated, it must contain less than 0.3% caffeine.
After the caffeine is removed (in decaffeinated coffee), it is typically sold to soft drink or pharmaceutical companies.
Coffee wasn't always as popular as it is today. In the 18th century, governments tried to ban it because they believed it encouraged radical thinking. In fact, our favorite drink and everything related to it was briefly banned in Sweden in 1746, even the cups and saucers!
Kopi Luwak is the world's most expensive coffee. In 2019, less than half a kilogram of it cost $600. This Indonesian-origin coffee is roasted after being eaten, digested, and excreted by civet cats. It is said that they only consume the best, sweetest, and freshest coffee cherries, and as they digest them, a natural fermentation process occurs, giving the coffee its distinctive flavor.
The largest cup of coffee ever made was 26,939.22 liters. This beverage, created on December 10, 2022, in Mexico, required 300 kg of coffee. It currently holds the Guinness World Record.
So, whether you're starting your day or taking a much-needed break, a cup of coffee is more than just a drink—it's a moment of comfort, energy, and inspiration. Why not savor the experience?
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