Coffee is a popular drink that many people enjoy for its energizing effects or its rich culture.
If you’re feeling tired, a cup of coffee and some interesting facts will wake you up.
1. You can thank goats for coffee
The coffee plant was discovered by Ethiopian farmers in the 9th century when they noticed their goats dancing after eating the plant. A local monk decided to try the plant and found that it kept him up at night.
2. There are two types of coffee beans
Many coffee lovers are unaware that there are different types of coffee beans. Arabica is the most popular type of coffee bean, and is grown in shade. Robusta is slightly more bitter, but is considered to be sun-grown.
3. Coffee beans aren’t beans at all
Although they may resemble beans, the pits of berries you enjoy in your morning cup of coffee actually received their name from their resemblance to legumes.
4. Two US states now grow coffee
The state of California is now offering expensive coffee beans to those interested in trying their version of American coffee. This coffee is in competition with Kona coffee, which is beloved by people around the world and calls Hawaii its home.
5. Brazil is on top for coffee production
According to the International Coffee Organization, Brazil is currently the world’s leading producer of coffee, almost double that of Vietnam, which is in second place.
6. Coffee can be used as food
Coffee cherries have been used as a snack according to PBS. In the early years of coffee’s rise to fame, people would use the cherries and additional fat to make energy bites.
7. The world’s most expensive coffee comes from a disturbing place
Setting aside the icky factor, Kopi Luwak coffee is expensive because it’s rare. The Asian palm civet eats coffee cherries and can’t digest them. So, the beans end up in its feces. Some coffee aficionados believe that this process makes for a less acidic and smoother brew.
8. Finland loves coffee
Finnish adults drink an average of 27.5 pounds of coffee per year, more than any other nationality in the world, according to the International Coffee Organization.
9. The meaning of espresso
In Italian, the word espresso means “pressed out.” This name was given due to the process of forcing boiling water through ground coffee. These high-caffeine shots of coffee are enjoyed by many!
10. Coffee may help you live longer
So coffee might help you live longer? According to the American College of Physicians, it’s possible. A study done by the team showed that people who drank coffee long-term had longer mortality than many of those who were not coffee drinkers.
11. Decaf isn’t caffeine-free
The Mayo Clinic would like people to know that decaffeinated coffee still has some caffeine in it. A cup of decaf coffee has 2-12 milligrams of caffeine in it.
12. Black coffee is calorie friendly
If you are counting calories, black coffee is a good option because it only has 1 calorie per cup.
13. A president is cited for Maxwell House’s slogan
While enjoying a cup of Maxwell House coffee at President Andrew Jackson’s estate, Teddy Roosevelt remarked that it was “good to the last drop.” The company still uses this slogan today, crediting our 26th president.
14. World record coffee cup
Did you know that in the Guinness World Record Book, the largest cup of coffee was filled in 2019? The Arabica coffee inside measured in at a huge 6,007,04 US gallons.
15. Coffee will not dehydrate you
The caffeine in coffee is a diuretic, which means it causes you to urinate more. However, you will not become dehydrated because coffee also contains water.
16. Coffee drinkers were once punished
Under Ottoman rule, people were given the death penalty for drinking coffee. Some people might think this is too harsh, especially since coffee is not a narcotic drug. However, the rulers at the time believed coffee was a narcotic and banned it from consumption.
17. Add a little cream for warm coffee
If you want your coffee to stay warmer for longer, adding a bit of cream to it is a great way to do so. Your coffee will stay toasty on average 20% longer afterward.
18. Fair trade coffee makes for better quality
The farmers who produce fair trade coffee take more time to grow their product, resulting in a higher quality coffee with a better taste. Although fair trade coffee costs more, the extra time and effort spent by the farmers creates a superior product.
19. Specialty coffees have increased consumption
The coffee industry is booming because people are becoming more willing to try new, specialty coffees. Many people don’t like the taste of traditional coffee, but the added flavors in specialty coffees are drawing them in. This is helping the coffee industry as a whole because more people are becoming coffee enthusiasts.
20. The meaning behind “A Cup of Joe”
The phrase “a cup of joe” is often used by coffee drinkers. While some people believe that the phrase originated from the US Navy, it is more likely that it came from the idea that coffee is a drink that can be enjoyed by anyone.
21. King Gustav III from Sweden experimented with the effects of coffee on human health
The purpose of the experiment was to see if tea or coffee was the more detrimental to one’s health. The king ordered an experiment to be conducted on identical twins who were sentenced to the death penalty. Their penalty was commuted to life imprisonment on the condition that one twin drinks only coffee and the other twin drinks only tea for the rest of their lives. The purpose of the experiment was to see if tea or coffee was more detrimental to one’s health.
Two physicians were ordered to take tests and deliver the results to the king directly. However, these physicians mysteriously died, presumably of natural causes. Before the King could conclude his study, he himself passed away.
22. The name ‘Cappuccino’ was inspired by monks
The term ‘cappuccino’ originally referred to the color of the robes worn by Capuchin monks. The resemblance between the color of espresso mixed with milk and the robes worn by these monks led to the adoption of this name. Capuchin monks were members of the larger Franciscan orders of monks found in 16th century Italy.
23. Americans spend an average of $1,092 on coffee every year
This equals to about $92 a month, which is the price of 3 cups of coffee a day.
24. You should not drink coffee at night
Caffeine consumption late in the day or during periods of rest can cause delays in our brain’s production of melatonin, as well as interrupt our circadian rhythms by up to 40 minutes.
25. Starbucks opens a store every day
Since 1987, Starbucks has opened 2 stores per day. Today, it has 27,000 stores worldwide.
26. Starbucks has multiple drink combinations
This totals to over 87,000 different drink combinations.
27. A man’s coffee travels to his semen
The findings suggest that indeed it can. When caffeine enters a man’s body, it also enters his sperm. Since coffee has been found to raise blood levels of caffeine, researchers have conducted studies to see if coffee can affect a man’s fertility. The findings suggest that it can.
A study showed that men who drank more than 4 cups of coffee a day had sperm cells with abnormal shapes.
28. You can overdose on coffee
If someone were to consume seventy cups of coffee, it would be enough to kill them. Caffeine overdoses can cause heart palpitations and cardiac arrest.
You would need to consume about three cups of coffee per hour for a full day for the caffeine to be lethal.
43. There are millions of people who rely on coffee to make a living
About 25 million small producers rely on coffee as their main source of income.
44. Espresso contains more coffee per unit volume
Although its serving size is less than a standard coffee, the caffeine content is the same.
45. You should avoid drinking coffee when stressed
This can result in higher levels of hallucination otherwise.
46. Coffee has helped Olympic athletes
In 1932, Brazil was unable to finance a trip for its athletes to Los Angeles for the Olympics. The government instead placed them on a ship full of coffee which was sold to finance their trip.
47. Cream makes your coffee stay warm
If you want to keep your coffee hot for a longer time, try adding some cream to your drink. This will make your coffee stay warm for 20% longer.
48. Coffee is a fruit
Coffee beans come from a bush and are the pits of berries. By this definition, they are a fruit. There are two main types of coffee beans: green and red.