Second only to oil, coffee is the most valuable legally traded commodity in the world. We love it, need it, and drink tons of it. According to a PBS.org article, it is estimated that 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day worldwide. Below you’ll find a brief history, popular coffee drinks, health benefits, and fun facts about the beverage we all cherish.
Yum! Head to your local coffee shop and order one of these incredible drinks. Ever wonder, “what’s the difference” with all these drinks? We’ll look below and find out.
Prepared by diluting an espresso with hot water, giving it a similar strength to brewed coffee.
Composed of double espresso and hot milk, with the surface topped with foamed milk.
Concentrated form of coffee that has a full-flavored aroma, which is served in “shots.”
Comprised of espresso with microfoam, steamed milk with small bubbles with a velvety texture.
A type of coffee made with espresso and hot steamed milk, milkier than a cappuccino.
Based on espresso and hot milk, but added with chocolate in the form of sweet cocoa powder.
Ever wonder how in the world did we discover coffee? Here’s a quick snapshot for your enjoyment.
850s A popular Ethiopian legend where coffee is discovered by a goat herder named Kaldi, who found his goats frolicking and full of energy after eating the red fruit of the coffee shrub. Kaldi tried the fruit for himself and had a similar reaction. After witnessing their strange behavior, a monk returned some of the fruit to his fellow monks; they spent the night awake and alert.
1000s Coffee spread throughout Arabia and became a common custom by most of Arabia’s Inhabitants that exported beans are made infertile to keep the precious beverage to themselves.
1600s The Dutch acquired the plant and introduced coffee to Europe, cultivating their plantation on Java (Indonesia) island. Coffee houses began to sprout up around England, affectionately called “penny universities” by patrons who would enjoy drink and conversation.
1800s Brazil’s plantations grow, and their crops overtake the market, solidifying themselves as the coffee powerhouse we know today and redefining coffee from an indulgence for aristocrats to a drink for the masses.
Today Coffee is arguably the world’s favorite beverage and boasts second place as the world’s second most legally traded and valuable commodity.
Information compiled by
NCAUSA (National Coffee Association USA),
and WholeLatteLove.com.
Drinking coffee in moderation has some fantastic benefits.
Coffee can help people feel less tired and increase energy levels. This is because it contains a stimulant called caffeine, the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance globally.
Studies show that caffeine can boost the metabolic rate by 3-11%. Other studies show that caffeine can increase fat burning by 10% in obese individuals and 29% in lean people.
Coffee drinkers have a significantly reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The studies show that people who drink the most coffee have a 23-50% lower chance of getting this disease.
Information provided and compiled by Healthline.com. Please click here to read more benefits on coffee.
According to Good Housekeeping, here are some interesting facts about our favorite beverage.
Of course, you would have to drink over 100 cups to consume the lethal dose of caffeine.
Need an energy boost? It just so happens that coffee berries mixed with fat create an energy-rich snack.
An eight-ounce brewed cup of decaf coffee has caffeine, to be precise, about two-to-12 milligrams.
This coffee is from the feces of a Sumatran cat: the result is a smooth and chocolaty coffee.
We’ll go figure. By adding cream to coffee, your cup of joe cools 20% slower than plain black coffee.
Brazil is the dominant player when it comes to coffee production. It produces 40% of the world’s coffee.
Here are some amusing sayings from famous coffee enthusiasts.
A special thank you to the follow resources and websites.