Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
COFFEE FACTS
What do people actually know about coffee? We’d like to share our knowledge about the most interesting coffee facts in the world.
There are people who can’t start their day without having a freshly brewed cup of coffee. They love coffee so much that sometimes they call themselves “coffee addicts”. And we understand that all too well.
However, drinking your daily cup(s) of coffee isn’t necessarily a bad habit. On the contrary, it’s proven to be healthy, scientist say. Your daily morning coffee provides you with more than just an energy boost. It’s also shown to protect us against Type 2 diabetes and liver diseases as well as lowering the risks of heart failure. Besides the effect on our health, here are some of the more interesting facts about coffee.
Coffee is Culture
Going back in time, we’ve seen that coffee is not just a drink. It’s a means of social interaction, and has been for a long time. In the past, people gathered together to share a cup of coffee and exchange information.
In North America and a lot of Western European countries, Starbucks and other major chains have dominated the market because they are providing to the customers a complete experience around coffee. Coffee and friends, coffee and work, coffee and snacks, coffee to go! There’s the Irish mix with whiskey called “Irish Coffee”. In Italy the invention of espresso and espresso machine made it the favorite whole-day beverage of Italians. In Greece, there is the “kafenio”, an old fashioned coffee shop for old gentlemen, where they drink Greek coffee and exchange political ideas or they play cards and a board game called “tavli”. And in some countries, like Colombia or Brazil, the whole economy is based on coffee.
That makes us really curious to know more interesting facts about coffee as a commodity, as a beverage and as a part of everyday culture.
1. Second in the world
Coffee is consumed in such great quantities, it is the world’s 2nd largest traded commodity, surpassed only by crude oil. It is our most beloved beverage after water. It’s worth well over $100 billion worldwide.
2. Hawaii is the only American state that grows coffee
Good coffee growing conditions are dependent on variables such as high altitudes, tropical climates and rich soil.
Therefore, despite all the rich and diverse landscapes of the Continental United States, Hawaii is the only state suitable for growing coffee plants. It has been producing coffee even before it was a state. (Recently, though, farms in California did start growing coffee bushes!)
3. Coffee was discovered by a goat herder
It was said that coffee was discovered by a goat herder in Ethiopia in the 1500s. He saw his goats eating coffee cherries. Afterwards, he observed a change in their behavior; they gained a high amount of energy and they didn’t sleep at night. The herder shared his findings with local monks. After they made their own drink from coffee beans, they realized they could stay up all night and pray. Word spread to other Ethiopian monks and soon after reached all across the civilized world.
4. Coffee helped Olympic athletes
Brazil couldn’t afford to send its athletes to Los Angeles for the 1932 Olympics, so the government sent them in a ship full of coffee which was sold on the way to finance their trip.
5. Mecca banned coffee
Coffee was banned in Mecca in 1511, quite soon after its first appearance in Ethiopia. It was believed to stimulate radical thinking and idleness.
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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