Usually, when you're enjoying a cup of coffee , you don't usually delve into the profound world of this wonderful beverage. You probably don't ask yourself questions like where coffee comes from, or where in the world it's consumed, and other things that don't even cross your mind. So, I'm going to share with you some interesting facts about coffee that you probably don't know. So, let's get started.
1. The Devil's Drink
Some Italian priests in the late Middle Ages (15th century) tried to convince Pope Clement VIII to ban coffee among Catholics, considering it a demonic beverage consumed only by infidels. His Holiness tried it, loved it, and authorized it with these words: "Infidels cannot be allowed to enjoy such a delicious and exquisite beverage alone. It would be a sin for only heretics to drink it."
2. Fake coffee aromas
Some companies worldwide use the smell of fake coffee to attract consumers. This method, known as "aromacology," is used by well-known brands by injecting coffee aromas into their retail packaging to connect customers with a fresh, original fragrance.
3. Weighed or pending coffee
It refers to a centuries-old custom that began in Naples, Italy, and has since spread internationally. It involves a customer leaving a coffee paid for by someone who can't afford it. The person in question asks if there's a sopeso (free coffee). If there is one, they serve it to them.
4. The financial world
The New York Stock Exchange began trading around 1794 in a coffee shop located on the corner of what is now Wall Street. Insurance agents, stockbrokers, retailers, business owners, and politicians met there, always accompanied by a cup of coffee.
5. Coffee and liver
Medical studies have shown that coffee reduces the risk of cirrhosis, a disease that causes liver cancer when consumed excessively. Drinking coffee in small amounts reduces the risk of liver cancer by more than 40%.
6. Professions and coffee
According to a recent study conducted in the United States, three professions were found to consume the most coffee . First are scientists, who, despite their long research days, find coffee keeps them alert and awake. Second are marketing and public relations professionals, who always accompany their work meetings with a cup of coffee. Third are educational institution administrators. These and the others consider coffee the fundamental stimulus for their daily routine. And according to all of them, they would be unproductive if they didn't consume at least two or three cups of coffee a day.
7. Fertilizer for plants
Coffee grounds or leftovers serve as fertilizer to keep plants healthy. They provide nutrients to the soil and prevent the growth of fungi and bacteria.
8. Manual collection
Although most coffee-producing countries, including Brazil, harvest their coffee automatically, Colombia, the world's leading producer of mild Arabica coffee, harvests it manually, allowing the beans to be selected in better condition after the washing and drying process performed by our farmers.
9. UNESCO Heritage
The Colombian coffee-growing region, comprised of 47 municipalities and 411 rural areas in the departments of Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca, was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2011. The region's productive specialization, comprised of more than 24,000 coffee farms, promotes and facilitates the creation of markets in the country.
10. Coffee classes
There are more than one hundred species of coffee plants, but only two are used to prepare the beverage: Arabica, which accounts for 75% of global production and produces a more refined and aromatic coffee, is grown in mountainous soils. Second is Canephora, also known as Robusta because it is much more resistant than Arabica. It has more caffeine, is more acidic, and is grown on flat land.
Finally, I'll briefly share some other interesting facts you might not know about coffee: After water, it's the most consumed beverage in the world. Europeans once called coffee "Arabic wine" because it comes from Turkey. The country with the most coffee shops is Italy. Cappuccino gets its name from the brown habit worn by monks. In Japan, people bathe in pools of coffee. Dear reader, you already know a good list of interesting facts about our national drink, enough for you to share with your friends over a good cup of coffee .