These 20 coffee facts will give you a new appreciation for this perfect hot drink.
I consider myself to be a coffee lover, or perhaps an addict is more correct. 3 cups of coffee wouldn’t even be enough on a daily basis. Naturally, I find myself eager to learn as many new coffee facts as I can.
Most days after a run or yoga session, coffee shops are a must and so my go-to drink is a Bullet Proof Coffee. On top of the exercise high, I crave that caffeine high! I had no idea how little I knew about one of my favorite beverages until a recent visit to Caroma where I got to learn all kinds of fun facts about coffee beverages.
Caroma is run by Valentin Hofer, Italy’s first Coffee Sommelier. He had many things to teach on this perfect coffee tour.
Here are the 20 most fascinating coffee facts I learnt:
- Coffee is the world’s most consumed beverage – after water. Yes, You read that right.
- The second largest traded commodity in the world is coffee. Oil is first.
- Here’s a coffee fact that you probably didn’t know. The longer that coffee beans have been roasted – the healthier they are.
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4. It was said that coffee was discovered by a goat herder in Ethiopia in the 1500s. He saw his goats eating coffee cherries. Afterward, he observed a change in their behaviour and shared his findings with some monks.
They experimented with brewing the cherries like they were brewing tea. It should come as no surprise, that after they drank it, they couldn’t fall asleep.
The rest is history. Well almost. We don’t know when or who started roasting it.
5. There are 80 different kinds of coffee plants.
6. Fun fact about coffee plants – Only 4 variations are used today. This is a coffee fact I didn’t expect.
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7. Coffee trees can grow at 2000 meters elevation. You can also plant them on volcanoes! Sometimes it’s advertised as High Mountain Grown. However, it makes it more difficult to harvest and drives up the price.
8. One coffee plant can be used for 20 years for commercial purposes.
The plant will last longer, but the quality decreases.
9. Wild plants are rare. The best place to find this in Ethiopia, where they grow up to 10 meters. This coffee fact is probably why Ethiopia is now on my bucket list.
10. Most of our coffee comes from plants grown on plantations. Fun fact about coffee plants – most plants only reach 2 meters.
11. 80 countries around the world grow coffee, mostly along the equator.
12. One plant has ~5 kg of fruit. This results in 800 grams of roasted coffee.
13. Nespresso capsules have ingredients added to make them foamy. This result is not possible with just coffee beans. This coffee fact was one of the most surprising.
14. Scandinavian countries and the United States drink most of this brewed beverage.
15. Another fun fact about coffee drinkers – Germans drink on average 146 liters each year.
16. Decaffeinated coffee comes from a chemical process where the caffeine is taken out of the beans.
The caffeine is often sold to Coca-Cola. This is one coffee fact I think of every time I have a fizzy drink.
17. If it bothers your stomach, it’s probably with Robusta because it’s higher in caffeine. Instead, try Arabica. You may find that it doesn’t bother your stomach.
18. Valentin expects that prices will only continue to increase. The beverage is becoming more and more popular, especially in China.
This will create a huge demand for it, so get your fill while you can afford it!
19) My own tip. Purchase shade-grown coffee wherever possible, like Lavazza Super Crema Whole Bean Coffee.
According to Eco-Watch, shade-grown accounts for less than two percent of the global coffee market. So a whopping 98 percent of the world’s coffee comes from farmers growing berries under a hot tropical sun—from plants that need lots of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to thrive. And those types of sunny plantations are still on the rise…
So how can coffee lovers make sure their morning buzz helps to conserve forests and support small farmers? Every researcher I spoke to mentioned the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center “bird-friendly” label as being the holy grail of sustainable shade-coffee certifications.
20. Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world. Kopi Luwak comes from Indonesia. And it is made from beans digested from the Asian Palm Civet. In other words, it comes from cat poop. It sells for €350 or more per kilo!
But, please, please don’t purchase this. Most of it is produced by civet cats kept in awful captive conditions. To quote Peta, it’s cruelty in every cup.
Many thanks to Valentin, at Caroma in Fie’ Allo Sciliar Bolzano, Italy. He shared the above facts with me and made me the best cappuccino I’ve ever had!
If you’re a coffee enthusiast like me, be sure to check out my favorite Cafes in Munich, and especially Katzentemple, Germany’s first cat cafe!
If you love coffee as much as I do, then this is one experience you won’t want to miss. The coffee facts you’ll come away with are as priceless as the perfect cup of coffee.
Note: I received a free cappuccino. I was determined on my own free will that it was one of the best that I’ve ever tasted.
