10 interesting facts about coffee
Coffee is pleasure and lifestyle in one. Whether it's a latte, cappuccino, filter coffee, coffee at home or to go. Most Swiss people drink their coffee every day. Ten interesting facts about this hot drink? Isn't it enough to know that coffee is brown and tastes delicious? Kaffeecenter GmbH believes that you can never know enough about coffee. After reading this article, you will shine with interesting facts at your next coffee chat.
1. second most important commodity
Just behind oil, coffee is the most important commodity in the world. Coffee beans are grown in 80 different countries around the world. Several million people work in the cultivation, processing or distribution of coffee.
2. goats have discovered coffee
Legend has it that a goatherd called Kaldi discovered coffee in Ethiopia in the 9th century. His goats ate the fruit of the coffee tree and then jumped around wildly. Kaldi had no choice but to taste the cherries of the coffee tree as well and discovered the caffeine effect in this way.
3. coffee is a cherry
Coffee beans grow on trees that can grow up to ten metres high. Three metre high trees are preferred so that harvesting the fruit is not too difficult. Red cherry fruits grow on coffee trees or bushes. The actual coffee bean is the seed inside the cherry.
4. coffee ban
Throughout history, coffee has been banned from time to time in different cultures. In 1511, the governor of Mecca closed all coffee houses because he realised that people were behaving indecently in them. Over a hundred years later, the English King Charles II wanted to ban the consumption of coffee. As the population was opposed to this, he was unable to push through his plan. Fearing that the excessive growth in coffee consumption could displace local products such as malt or barley, Frederick the Great also tried to ban the import of coffee in 1677.
5 George Washington, the inventor of instant coffee
This gentleman from Guatemala is not to be confused with the then American President George Washington. Washington, who emigrated to New York in 1897, was the first person to develop a process for producing instant coffee on an industrial scale.
6. the most exclusive coffee in the world
Kopi Luwak, also known as cat coffee, was long regarded as the most expensive and exclusive coffee in the world. This coffee gets its special flavour from a special production process. Indonesian cats are given coffee cherries, which they then excrete. The indigestible coffee beans are then extracted from the cat's faeces. As this process is very time-consuming, the coffee costs a fortune.
Kopi Luwak was beaten to the punch by Thai Black Ivory Coffee. Animals are also involved in the production process for this coffee. In Thailand, elephants are used instead of cats. Coffee cherries are added to the pachyderms' food. The mahouts, who are leaders of working elephants in Thailand, then pick out the undigested coffee beans from the dung. However, this coffee is not available on the open market. In selected luxury hotels in Thailand and the Maldives, elephant coffee can be enjoyed for 40 francs per cup.
7 The lighter the colour of the coffee bean, the higher the caffeine content
In fact, there is more caffeine in light-coloured, mild coffee roasts. Are you wondering why this is the case? The longer the roasting process takes, the more caffeine is released from the bean.
8. two types of coffee are market leaders
Arabica and Robusta are the two coffee varieties that are best known to coffee drinkers. These two varieties are so dominant that they account for almost 100% of the global market and overshadow other types of coffee. If you ever have the pleasure of tasting an unknown coffee, you should not miss this opportunity. It won't come back any time soon!
9. espresso beans do not exist
Due to the fact that espresso is only the name for a certain type of preparation, there are no special espresso beans. Dark-roasted coffee beans are used, which are then finely ground. Water is pressed through the coffee grounds at high pressure, creating the well-known espresso. Due to the long roasting time, an espresso contains less caffeine than filter coffee.
10. 500 million cups per year
Over 500 million cups of coffee are drunk worldwide every year. The Finns are the world champions in coffee drinking. On average, every Finn drinks almost four cups of coffee a day. The Swiss population also seems to be addicted to the brown beverage. With an average of three cups a day, consumption is above the global average. Coffee is most often enjoyed at home.
After reading this article, you have more than earned a coffee. But not just any coffee. How about an exquisite coffee blend from the coffee centres? Let yourself be inspired by the tempting offers on our website.