Today, you will learn the 12 most interesting facts about coffee you might not know.

Some people cannot live without having a cup of black coffee as breakfast, while others prefer to drink a cup of cappuccino or frappe.

• Coffee is a cherry
• Coffee as a consumable food
• Animal poop coffees are expensive
• Coffee is good for the health
• Coffee consumed in moderation
• There are two types of coffee beans
• Discovered by goats in Ethiopia (according to legend)
• Coffee was first called a wine
• The first coffee houses appeared in the Middle East
• Grain Belt grows most of the world’s coffee
• Coffee always compared with tea
• You can make a perfect cup of coffee

In 1991, coffee consumption in the world amounted to 90 million 60 kg bags, according to the International Coffee Organization (ICO)http://www.ico.org/.  The projection of coffee consumption this year will exceed 160 million bags.

  1. Coffee is a cherry

Roasting seeds of fruit coffee cherry make coffee beans. If you bite such a cherry, inside you will find two flattened seeds.

The National Coffee Association of the United States records that 5% of the world’s coffee contains an oval grain called “pea berry” because the seed looks like pea on the outside.  In Spanish, such grains ar “caracolillo” (“little snail”).

It’s sorted by hand and is the most delicate and persistent flavor.

 2. Coffee as a consumable food

People have been drinking coffee for centuries and some others love it more. Companies use coffee berry remnants to make flour.

It makes cakes, bread, chocolate, sauces and other products. Depending on the type, floral, citrus or fruit used it doesn’t always taste like it.

 3. Animal poop coffees are expensive

Civet cat (kopi Luwak) or the elephant pop?  The most expensive coffee passes through the intestines of these animals.

Kopi Luwak – this is coffee from the feces of an animal similar to a cat – Asian palm civet.  The coffee berries ferment in the digestive tract of the animal.

A half-kilogram package of such grains in high-end stores can cost up to 700 dollars.

Recently, the Black Tusk, or Black Ivory, has been competitive with mines. It is hand-picked, eaten and defecated by elephants in Thailand.

The Canadian Blake Dinkin invented coffee.  Small packages of 35 grams sold in the US for $ 85.

According to Toronto Life magazine, coffee made from such beans has an almost tea-like, not bitter aftertaste with notes of cocoa, date, tobacco, and skin.

 4. Coffee is good for the health

Coffee is rich in antioxidants that protect our cells from toxins, chemicals, and inflammation.

The journal Annals of Internal Medicine shows that consuming up to three cups of coffee a day reduces the risk of death hence from several key causes, in particular from heart disease.

Researchers have observed over 500 thousand people in 10 European countries for 16 years.

 • Coffee is more good than harm.

The caffeine content of coffee helps people increase energy levels and improve athletic performance.

 5. Coffee consumed in moderation

Caffeine is a stimulant, it’s risky if consumed in excess.

Pregnant women should limit caffeine intake because it causes low birth weight and sometimes miscarriages.

The British Health Service recommends pregnant women to consume no more than 200 mg of caffeine per day.  This is a little more than a cup of filter coffee or two cups of instant coffee.

 6. There are two types of coffee beans

The arabica plant was discovered in Ethiopia. Soft aromatic coffee made from the fruits of these bushes is expensive and makes up to about 70% of all world production.

Robusta has a slightly more bitter aftertaste and twice as much caffeine content.  They are mainly used in mixtures (blends) and for instant coffee.  They are grown in Central and West Africa, some regions of Southeast Asia, in Indonesia, Vietnam, and in Brazil.

 7. Discovered by goats in Ethiopia (according to legend)

In the ninth century, Caldius a shepherd watching his goats eat berries from an amazing bush noticed that after, the animals were full of energy and did not sleep all night.

After speaking to the monks, they realized they could make a drink from berries to not fall asleep during prayer.

 8. Coffee was first called a wine

In the 15th century, coffee was already grown in Yemen.  From there, its first name went – the word qahwah in Yemen called wine.

In Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey centuries ago coffee was known.

 9. The first coffee houses appeared in the Middle East

Coffee is enjoyed not only at home but at public cafes, which appeared in cities in the Middle East.

Cafes quickly gained popularity and became meeting places where people exchanged the latest rumors, played chess or listened to music.

 10. Grain Belt grows most of the world’s coffee

50 countries grow coffee and are located in the Grain Belt between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer.  This belt extends from eastern Mexico to Papua New Guinea.  Here are the largest coffee producers: The largest coffee producers in the world – 2018 (forecast)

 Country Production (millions of bags)% of world production

 Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia are the largest exporters.

According to ICO, the International Coffee Organization. Finland consumes most coffee per capita. Each resident of this country uses an average of 12 kg of it annually.

Next on the list are Norway (9.9 kg per capita), Iceland (9 kg), Denmark (8.7 kg) and Sweden (8.2 kg).

The Italians, who made coffee an integral part of Dolce Vita, consume 5.9 kg of coffee per capita per year.

 11. Coffee always compared with tea

Which drink is more popular – coffee or tea?  The British Coffee Association claims that coffee is the most popular drink and 2 billion cups consumed daily in the world. 

 In the two most densely populated countries of the world – China and India – they mostly drink tea. North America, South America, continental Europe, Asia and countries of the former Soviet Union.

Geographer David Grigg of the University of Sheffield in Britain tried to determine the winner of this rivalry in an article in the 2006 edition of GeoJournal.

The geographer said comparisons should be made in liters. 80% of coffee is consumed than tea by weight every year 2% grams of tea is consumed but 10 grams of coffee is needed per cup.

 12. You can make a perfect cup of coffee

 Here are some tips on making the perfect cup of coffee at home, as recommended by the National Coffee Association of the United States: Make sure your equipment is clean of old coffee residues, as they can make your drink bitter and unpleasant.

Choose your favorite grains.  Arabica or Robusta?  Mix or Monosort?  Light or Dark Roast?

Freshness is important: try to grind coffee as close as possible to the time of its preparation

Making your coffee, ensure it is grounded using your preferred method of preparation – coffee machine, filter, kettle, etc.

Using filtered or bottled water at 90-95 degrees Celsius.

Pour it into your grains.

The length of time that ground coffee must come in contact with water depends on the method you use.  For espresso, this can be about 30 seconds, and for cold-brewed coffee, it can take a whole night.