Fun Facts about Coffee
31st March 2013 by
Coffee is my friend. It helps me get up in the morning (espresso), ease me through a difficult morning at work (cappuccino), gets me through an afternoon 3 pm slump (latte) and helps me wind down in the evening (decaffeinated).
Where does coffee come from?
Who was it that first realised that those little shiny brown beans could be roasted, ground and steeped in water to create a magical energy potion?
Have a look at these fun facts about coffee, brought to you by the Chorlton Coffee Festival.
Coffee was first discovered by a goat
Legend has it that coffee was first discovered by a goat herder in the 9th Century. He noticed that the goats started acting strangely when they ate the coffee berries. Three cheers for goats!
Coffee was traditionally eaten years before it was made into a drink
African tribes used to mix the coffee berries with fat to make balls of energy! I don’t fancy swapping my morning espresso for one of those, thank-you very much!
Finland is the world’s biggest coffee consumer
Those coffee slurping Finns consume up to 10 kg of coffee per person (in 2010).
Coffee Ban?
Coffee is on the International Olympic Committee list of prohibited substances! If you are an athlete, watch out because if you have more than 12 micrograms per ml in your urine, then you will be in trouble! This works out at 5 cups of coffee.
Can coffee kill you?
It can, but only if you drink about 100 cups of it. It’s also a psychoactive – high doses of caffeine can make you see things!
Espresso is the law
Espresso is regulated by the government in Italy – it is considered to be a vital part of everyday life. I totally get that.
Coffee ‘grounds’ for divorce?
In ancient Arab culture, one reason for a Saudi woman to get a divorce was if her husband couldn’t provide enough coffee! I think that is perfectly reasonable behaviour (the divorce, of course)!
Can espresso make you fat?
Espresso has 2.5% fat where as a normal cup of filtered coffee contains only 0.6% fat.
So, there we have it – I hope that you disovered a few more facts about your daily (or thrice daily) cup of coffee. Keep us bookmarked and don’t forget to come down to the Chorlton Coffee Festival on the 28-30th June. Find us on Facebook and Twitter!