Interesting Facts About Coffee

Coffee is a rather interesting drink with a rich history, almost as rich as some of the many, many blends available in single cup coffee packs. But seriously, this beloved beverage has a lot of history behind it that shows this drink has had quite an impact on the world and not just to perk it up.

• It all started when a sheep herder in Ethiopia was with his sheep in a field. While watching over his sheep, the herder noticed his livestock eating some berries; he didn't think much of it at the time because animals tend to eat whatever edible objects they find. However, he did notice later that his sheep were unusually active and even dancing; people realized later that what they goats had eaten were coffee berries. Of course, it was not yet called coffee. 
• Once coffee started to catch on, it became more widely available. However, in coffee's early days, it was not consumed via the cup but rather eaten. 
• Coffee managed to find its way to religion, no, not like that; rather, due to the rise of Islam, coffee gained much more popularity and at a fast pace. The rules of Islam prohibited the consumption of alcohol but they did not prohibit the consumption of coffee. 
• The coffee in the world is grown in the region labeled, "The Bean Belt." This region is between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. The only state in the United States that grows coffee is Hawaii. 
• In 1675, the King of England decided that coffee houses were risky to his throne so he had them banned from the kingdom. He believed that the coffee houses were where people would go to conspire against the King. 
• The vast majority of coffee drinkers in the world consume Arabica coffee (approximately 70 percent) while the rest of the world drinks the bolder Robusta coffee (30 percent). 
• Money may not grow on trees but coffee does. The coffee grows inside of berries on the trees (red berries). 
• The two most traded commodities on the planet are black liquids: Oil and then coffee. 
• Americano coffee started with the US GIs in WWII. The strong blends overseas were sometimes a bit too much for the American soldiers and so they would order their coffee blended with water to dilute the drink.
• Coffee wakes you up but how does it do it? Well, in your brain you have receptors that catch signals from the body saying it is tired. Coffee contains caffeine which when consumed, the caffeine blocks those receptors in the brain so your brain never actually receives those signals; thus, your body does not feel tired. However, your brain is a smart device and realizes the situation; consequently, it creates more receptors, this is when you start to feel tired again and need more coffee to not feel tired. 

Feel smarter about the coffee you're drinking? Good! FYI, these facts will make for great conversation while talking over a cup of the stuff! So go and enjoy your coffee, smartypants.