After water, coffee is the most popular drink in the world. Although it is very well known, there are many facts and curiosities that you probably don’t know about coffee. Discover some of them here!
1. Change of name
Historically, Europeans called this drink ‘Arab wine’ because of its colour and origin. Similarly, the name comes from the Arabic “qahhwat al-bun” which translates as “wine of the grain”. Linguistically the word was shortened to ‘qahwah’ and then became ‘kahveh’ in Turkey. In translation, the word changed to “koffie” in Dutch and “caffe” in Italian.
2. Professions that consume the most coffee
According to a study conducted by the CareerBuilde job portal for Donkin Donuts in the United States, scientists are the professionals who consume the most coffee. In second place are people involved in marketing and public relations; in third place are administrators of educational institutions, followed by editors and writers.
3. The global popularity of coffee
As mentioned above, coffee is the second most consumed beverage thanks to the 10 billion kilos sold yearly.
Coffee production comes mostly from two countries: Brazil and Colombia. On the other hand, the amount of kilograms consumed per person per year places the following countries as the largest consumers: Finland (12 kilos), Norway (9.9 kilos), Iceland (9 kilos) and Denmark (8.2 kilos).
4. The United States is not the largest consumer
Another curiosity about coffee and taking into account the above information, the myth that the United States is the largest importer of coffee in the world is broken.
According to data from the International Coffee Organisation, the American giant ranks 20th among the countries that consume the most coffee, with each person consuming an average of 4.2 kilos per year.
5. Coffee Varieties
Although only two varieties are produced worldwide, there are four types of coffee. Three of them are somewhat underestimated because world consumption standards aim to offer a better aroma and quality than only arabica coffee can offer.
On the other hand, robusta coffee is trying to gain a foothold in the world market, where some countries are pushing its consumption.
- Arabica (arabica): native to the highlands of Ethiopia.
- Robusta (canephora): originates from the equatorial forests of Africa.
- Liberian (liberica): originally from Monrovia in Liberia.
- Excelso (excelsa): originates from the Chad region.
6. Origin of instant coffee
Another curiosity about coffee is that, although the first recipe for instant coffee was created in 1901 by a Japanese-American chemist called Satori Kato, it was not until 1906 that it began to be mass-produced.
This was thanks to a chemist George Constant Washington, who called his coffee “Red E Coffee” and began to market it in 1909, being an important ally for the combatants in the First World War.
7. Liver protection
In the field of health, a group of Italian scientists demonstrated in a study that coffee consumption reduces the risk of contracting cirrhosis by 22% and reduces the possibility of developing liver cancer by 40%.
8. Coffee after waking up
For many people, it is customary to drink coffee after waking up. However, coffee is recommended to be consumed within 2 to 3 hours after waking up. This ensures that whoever consumes it, does not present symptoms of diseases such as gastritis.
Among other health benefits of coffee, multiple scientific and medical studies have shown that this drink helps prevent diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
9. Italy, the country with the most coffee shops
To find out which country has the most coffee shops, it is necessary to analyse the number of establishments dedicated to selling coffee per capita and not relate it to direct coffee consumption.
This is because coffee consumption is widespread and can be consumed anywhere. Interestingly, Italy is the country with the most coffee shops in the world, as there are about 100,000 thousand coffee shops in the country with more than 60 million inhabitants.
10. Coffee baths
In Hakone (Japan), there is a spa where customers can bathe in various liquids such as wine and coffee. The fee is around 2,800 yen (about 20 euros), for which the bather can soak in coffee and other liquids, including chocolate and green tea.
As you can see, there are several interesting facts you may not know about coffee. Its origin and importance in world markets make this product a staple in homes worldwide.
Related: Frappé coffee: ideal in hot weather.
