Coffee – Things You Might Not Know About It

Lots of people drink coffee – in fact, it’s one of the most popular drinks in the world (after water and Coca Cola of course). Whether you drink coffee occasionally, or can’t live without it, it’s undeniably a part of our life and culture. Whether it be a simple espresso, a caramel, frosted macchiato, or something in between, there is a type of coffee that is perfect for everyone. For a bit of fun and light reading, I’ve put together a little list of coffee related facts for you…

The Decaf Myth: Just like non-alcoholic beer still contains trace amounts of alcohol, decaf coffee still contains small amounts of caffeine. Actually, five to ten cups of decaf coffee contains the same amount caffeine as two regular cups of coffee.

Mood Enhancer: After drinking a cup of coffee, you instantly feel in a better mood, and for lots of people there’s a definite increase in their feelings of romance. It’s partly due to the actual the ingredients in the coffee, and partly due to the aroma and feelings of warmth and comfort that it invokes.

Pain Relief: The little boost that coffee gives you allows your mind to wander, at least temporarily, from any pain that you’re feeling. So, if you have a headache, or have stubbed your toe, then take 5 minutes to make yourself a coffee that will see you through the worst of the pain.

Hot Commodity: Coffee teeters being between the first and second most traded commodity in the world, seconded only by oil. It’s not hard to imagine either. Imagine all of the hundreds of millions coffee drinkers in the world from the US, South America, Asia, and who could forget Europe.

The Coffee Maker: The first coffee makers were first seen in the early 1800s. Things have moved on a lot since then, and there are now hundreds of types and sub-types of coffee makers to choose from.

A Cup Of Coffee A Day…: It’s commonly said than an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and you can say the same about coffee too. The antioxidants in it boost your immune system and it’s also been linked with lowering the risk of cancer.

Expensive Coffee Isn’t the Best: More and more taste tests are proving that expensive coffee isn’t always the best coffee. In fact, in a recent taste test by a national US publication, the most popular coffee brand in the world (you can guess which one) was beaten by a much less “chic” brand in a blind taste test.

Coffee Belt: Coffee is a tropical plant and grows between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This belt produces nearly all of the coffee consumed in the world.

Origins: Coffee was first ‘discovered’ in Ethiopia by a shepherd who noticed that his goats looked happier and more excited after eating the berries of coffee plants. He tried them for himself, then shared his new found knowledge with the rest of the village, and the word soon spread.