Coffee is one of our favorite drinks. It’s so common, in fact, that we don’t even think about it that much, since it is such a staple of our lives. It’s common to buy a bag of unground joe or a pour over dripper on Amazon, but there are some uncommonly known facts about coffee that may intrigue, amuse, and surprise you. Here are 10 surprising facts about coffee.
1) Coffee Dates Back 1200 Years
The earliest known accounts of coffee are a thing of legend originating from Arabia and East Africa. It is said that goat herders noticed an erratic behavior among their goats when they consumed the fruits of the Coffea plant. They would become listless and appear to “dance.” A local monk, having observed this, decided to make a drink out of the fruit and found that it kept him alert, and unable to sleep.
2) They’re Not Beans, But Pits
When we’re grinding up the roasted produce to brew in our pour over dripper on Amazon, we’re probably so used to calling them “beans” that we’re not aware that they’re actually pits of a berry. The coffee plant berry is harvested in great numbers, soaked in water so they can be de-fleshed, and the pits removed. These pits are not brown, but green. They only become brown after they are roasted.
3) Coffee is the World’s 2nd Most Traded Commodity
Hundreds of millions of bags of coffee are traded worldwide every year, in virtually every country on earth. In terms of international trade, it is second only to crude oil.
4) Coffee Has Been Banned More Than Once
If you’ve just bought a pour over dripper on Amazon, you probably don’t realize that, at one time, this would have been an accessory to crime. However, throughout history, coffee has been outlawed in various places. In the early 1500s, clerics in Mecca outlawed coffee because, they claimed, it “stimulated radical thinking.” Two centuries later, clergymen in Italy – which would eventually become noteworthy for inventing espresso – tried to ban coffee on the grounds that it was “satanic.” And in the 18th century, Swedish governments banned coffee and coffee paraphernalia due to its supposed ties to subversive rebelliousness.
5) It Could Possibly Cause an Overdose
Caffeine is a drug, and like most drugs, it can cause an overdose. However, you would probably wear out your pour over dripper before this would happen since you would have to consume 30 cups of coffee in rapid succession to run this risk.
6) Black Coffee is Low-Calorie
One cup of black coffee only contains one calorie. However, due to its bitterness and strong, bold taste, very few opt to drink black coffee, adding sweetners ranging from cane sugars to frothed milk and rich cream. In some espresso drinks and Frappuccinos, the calorie count can exceed 600!
7) Italians Enhanced Coffee
An alternative to getting a pour over dripper on Amazon is to buy an espresso machine. Espresso is a form of highly concentrated coffee that is finely ground, pressed, and brewed in small quantities, and is high in caffeine. Espresso comes from the Italian word for “expression” or “forced out,” referring to the forcing of hot water through the compacted coffee.
8) Coffee Was a Favorite Among Many Historical Cultural Figures
Beethoven loved cups of java to accompany long hours of composing. Benjamin Franklin was an early frequenter of some of the first cafes in American history. Johann Sebastian Bach composed a short opera about coffee obsession in an age when it was regarded as a dangerous vice. And Teddy Roosevelt reportedly drank a gallon of coffee a day, which he once referred to as “good to the last drop,” which was adopted as a slogan by Maxwell House! Imagine how much easier it would have been if they could just get a pour over dripper on Amazon!
9) Cream Keeps Your Coffee Warm
Using cream instead of milk has an insulating effect on coffee. When your coffee comes out piping hot from your pour over dripper on Amazon, cream will keep it warm for 20% longer.
10) The World’s Most Expensive Coffee is $600 USD per Pound – And Comes From Feces!
The most expensive coffee in the world is called “Kopi Luwak,” and it comes from extracting coffee beans from the excrement of the Asian Palm Civet, a cat-like creature. The Palm Civet eats the coffee berry, but cannot digest the beans, which when excreted, produce a smooth and less-acidic brew that is highly sought after by coffee aficionados. The world’s most illustrious drink has an equally illustrious history that is still being written. Innovations for coffee preparation advance by the day, and espresso machines, French presses, and a pour over dripper on Amazon are just the beginning. Kajava Mama is on the cutting edge with one of the best pour over drippers on the market. Click here to learn more.