аÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û

10 Fascinating Facts about Coffee

That hot, creamy sip of coffee in the morning is a non-negotiable for most of us. No wonder they coined the phrase, ‘Wake up and smell the coffee’. Yet, how much do you know about the world’s beloved beverage? Coffee has been around for centuries, and interesting events surround its discovery, use, and beliefs associated with it.

Did you know that the drink has almost been banned entirely in the past? Or that some clergymen thought it was a satanic drink at first? Today, coffee is grown as a cash crop in most countries and is a major commodity in a multibillion-dollar industry. An average American spends about $1500 on coffee every year, and that’s just the tip of it all. Billions of gallons are consumed all over the world, making coffee an undeniable part of humans’ everyday life. Well, here are 10 fascinating facts about this drink!

1. A hilarious origin story is traceable to Ethiopia

There’s a popular legend about the discovery of coffee dating as far as 800 A.D. An Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi is said to have noticed some funny behavior in his goats after they ate berries from what we now know today as a coffee plant. The goats became jittery, and could not sleep for the night. He picked some berries and shared his findings with local monks who made a drink with them. They were able to stay up longer at night and pray.

2. The etymology of the word ‘coffee’ is rather telling

Image by from

It comes from the Arabic ‘qahwah’, which means a type of dark wine. This translation is traced back to when ancient Arab linguists attached the name to the meaning of a dark intoxicating drink. ‘Qahwah’ is also commonly used to refer to desire. While coffee may not be necessarily intoxicating, the fact that most people just won’t do without it is something. Some even refer to themselves as ‘coffee addicts’! Ottoman Turks called it ‘khave’, and the Dutch ‘koffie’. The English name ‘coffee’ was derived from these in 1582.

Need some coffee in the city? Have a look at the 30 Amazing Coffee Shops to try in San Diego.

3. Coffee beans are actually seeds

Image by from

What you call a coffee bean is just part of a berry; a fruit. Coffee plants are shrubs that produce berries. The ‘bean’ is the seed contained in the berry, and it is this seed that is roasted and brewed to produce the beverage. They’re commonly referred to as coffee ‘beans’ since they resemble the legume.99% of the world’s coffee is made from two types of beans. These are Arabica and Robusta. The former is the most popular for its smoother, sweeter, less acidic flavor.

4. Coffee wasn’t always a drink

Long before anybody came up with the idea of brewing coffee, some East African tribes were already enjoying a rather unusual delicacy. They would mix the berries with fat, to make fruit-like balls which were consumed as food. They’d chew these little coffee treats for energy boosts while hunting or gathering.

5. The most expensive coffee has something to do with animal droppings

How much are you willing to spend on coffee? Is $600 a pound bizarre? Well, ‘kopi luwak’ is the name for this type of coffee, and the most expensive one. It comes from the droppings of an Asian civet which eats coffee berries among other fruits. It can’t digest the seeds, and when these are excreted, they’re picked and processed to produce a less acidic brew.  This coffee variety is said to be rather smooth and has a unique taste. That’s not the end of it. Thai elephants also egest part-digested cherries which make the black ivory coffee. It’s also quite expensive.

Sip and Savor; A Guide to Manhattan’s 30 Best Coffee Shops.

6. Coffee is the world’s second-most-traded commodity

Image by from

Not surprising. Billions of gallons are consumed every day. In America, 4 out of 5 people have coffee in the morning. Coffee takes second place after petroleum, the largest traded commodity in the globe. Brazil grows the most coffee globally, producing about a third of all the coffee in the world. Finns however take the title of world’s biggest coffee lovers. Vietnam and Colombia are major producers as well.

7. Some people have tried to ban coffee in the past!

Can you imagine your morning without coffee? Well, in 1511, Mecca outlawed the drink because its leaders believed it radicalized people. Drinking coffee was made a punishable offense! The stimulating effect worried leaders who thought it inspired radical ideas. Coffee houses had also become places where people met and discussed ideas over a drink. Fearing that the drink would unite people against Mecca’s governor, he outlawed it. 

Then again in the 16^th Century, some Italian clergymen believed the drink was ‘satanic’ and it inspired rebellion. It was banned but not long after that, Pope Clement VII (who happened to love the drink) lifted the ban, and had coffee baptized! It was then accepted as  a ‘Christian’ drink.

In the 17^th century, women in Britain thought that it made their men ‘useless corpses’ and proposed a ban in 1674. All these attempts have luckily failed this far, and it’s hardly foreseeable that anyone would propose a ban in the future.

8. It’s possible to overdose on coffee

Image by from

As they say, too much of anything is poison. That goes for your beloved drink too. But no need to worry if you’re a coffee junkie; you’d need about 30 to 40 cups in a very short period to intake a lethal dose. Definitely not recommended, but worth knowing.

9. Why call it ‘cappuccino’?

Photo by on

A white, ceramic cup perhaps, some rich golden-brown foam on top, and a cute pattern with contrasting colors of espresso and milk. Of course, there’s more to a cappuccino than what you see first when it’s served, but its appearance has something to do with monks’ clothing. Capuchin friars wore a distinct brown robe known as a cappuccio in Italian, and a white cincture tied around their waist. This type of coffee is named after the friars because its color combination resembles the Capuchin robe.

15 Cozy Coffee Shops in Atlanta.

10. Beethoven, Bach, and Coffee

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

What do the two famous German composers have to do with coffee? Johann Sebastian Bach composed a piece about coffee obsession. It’s called the coffee cantata and is one of his popular operatic pieces. Beethoven is said to have had peculiar preferences for his coffee. He wanted 60 beans in his cup of coffee; no more, no less. These were counted every morning! That would probably make him a barrister’s worst nightmare!

Coffee remains one of the most popular beverages to be consumed globally. Just take a look at the countless Starbucks stores, and the never-ending lines at the coffee shops every morning. While it may be an essential drink for some, health experts caution against too much consumption. Nonetheless, it also has some proven benefits, such as boosting energy levels, lowering the risk of diabetes, and reducing certain toxins in your body.