8 Amazing Facts About Coffee
What makes coffee amazing, well actually quite a lot. Here are our top 10 facts about coffee that you might know know
Fact 1: Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world
Well actually… it’s hard to tell what the most traded commodity is, it depends on the metric. Oil is certainly the most traded commodity on earth, and it has long been believed that coffee is second. This may have been true in the 70’s but probably isn’t the case now. However not matter what way you look at it coffee is unimaginably big with 2.25billion cups of coffee consumed every day….
Fact 2: Coffee Originates In Ethiopia
When you think of coffee you may not think of Ethiopia, but that’s exactly where the crop come from. It was discovered by goat herders who noticed that goats feeding on the crop become excited and ‘frisky’. From Ethiopia, it began to be traded through the port of Mocha in Yemen in the 1300’s and grew in popularity throughout the Ottoman Empire. It was not until the 1600’s that coffee become a drink of choice for Europeans.
Fact 3: Coffee is more complex than wine
Wine has always been the benchmark of flavour complexity, with its master sommeliers, 1000’s of years of growing tradition, high prices and intricate descriptions. Nevertheless, roasted coffee has over 800 flavour and aromatic compounds while wine only has 200-300 flavour compounds. Just check out the SCA flavour wheel https://sca.coffee/research/coffee-tasters-flavor-wheel. From berry to meaty (barfff!!) flavours, coffee is unbelievably complex. As the third and fourth wave of coffees continue to grow and coffee is getting the expertise it deserves the industry is starting to treat coffee a bit more like wine (hopefully without the snootiness’)
Fact 4:The highest auction price for coffee is $601
Every year the top 1% off the world’s coffee is auction at the Cup of Excellence auctions throughout central and south America. In 2017 in Panama a 100 pound lot from the farm estate Hacienda La Esmeralda sold for $601 per pound. The top-scoring Hacienda La Esmeralda lot (94.11) is a natural-process Geisha coffee that was purchased by Korea’s Kew Specialty Coffee Co. Geisha is generally considered the best and most expensive coffee variety in the world.
Fact 5: There Are Over 300 Varieties Of Coffee
Just like apples, there are different coffee varieties with different characteristics and tastes. There are over 100 know coffee species, although many of the Ethiopian varieties have not been recorded, often just listed as ‘Heirloom’. Typica is the most widely grown Arabica coffee variety.
Fact 6: Finland Drink The Most Coffee
Finland drinks the most coffee per captia of any country in the world, consuming an average of 12kg per person per year. Many Finish consumers drink up to 9 cups of the black stuff per day and 85% of population drink coffee. Maybe it’s the weather?
Fact 7: The Oldest Cat Ever Was a Coffee Drinker
WelI know this sounds ridiculous but its actually true. Crème Puff, The oldest ever-recorded cat to have lived (died aged 38) drank coffee every day (with lots of heavy cream)…. Just saying.
Fact 8: Coffee’s Actually Good For You.
No I’m serious, break out the coffee grinder and go wild. Coffee always has had a pretty bad rap sheet when it comes to health, and more consumers than ever are cutting back on caffeine consumption but its all lies. Dont take my word for it just watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly1NjibK79U
One Comment
Coffee Diff
Thanks for a concise rundown of interesting factoid about coffee. It was fun to read. Like the coffees in your shop. Would you recommend good links resources to coffee varieties and their relationships between each other? Thanks.