Interesting Coffee Facts - Curious Information About Coffee II

Fascinating Coffee Tidbits and Interesting Coffee Anecdotes

How many people work in the coffee industry? About twenty-five million.

Who puts peppercorns in their coffee? The Moroccans, that's who!

Dissent may breed amongst the patrons of coffee houses who have time for lengthy discussion over a hot cup. Both the French and American revolutions had their origins in the protests formulated in coffee houses.

The process of evaluating a coffee for all of its fine qualities is known as cuppers and is done by professional coffee tasters who are trained in this art/science. Cuppers evaluate the coffee's body, taste, aroma, acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and aftertaste or finish.

What is a kahveci you ask? A kahveci is someone with an expertise in the preparation of Turkish coffee.

The world's most expensive coffee is Kopi Luwak, sometimes called Civet Coffee or Poop Coffee because by the time you get the coffee beans they have already been eaten by a civet and then defecated, gathered up and lightly roasted for your grinding and brewing pleasure - good to the last dropping! Expect to pay about ten dollars per cup.

Union soldiers in the Civil War were issued one hundred pounds of food, eight of which was ground and roasted coffee. Alternatively they could request ten pounds of green (unroasted) coffee beans.

How many coffee beans are in one kilogram of roasted coffee? About 4,500!

Vacuum packing began in 1898 allowing roasted coffee to be preserved much better for a longer time.

Interesting Coffee Facts - Curious Information About Coffee continued:

When Edward Lloyd opened his London coffee house his patrons were ship captains, merchants, and insurance brokers so Lloyd published a newsletter with the most recent business news to appeal to these clients. Soon insurance brokers began meeting clients at the shop, even renting booths to conduct business. Lloyd passed away in 1713 but business at the coffee shop continued to thrive. By 1774 it had become a broker-owned corporation, and today is one of the world's most important insurance companies, Lloyds of London.

The volume of coffee increases almost twenty percent during roasting.

America's first wholesale coffee roasting company was established in 1790, the very same year that the first newspaper advertisement for coffee was published.

What is Kona Snow, you ask? Kona Snow refers to the white and fragrant flowers of the Kona coffee trees when they begin to blossom on the trees. These highly aromatic flowers often give off a a scent with hints of jasmine and orange. To read about Kona Coffee Farms see Kona Coffee Farms, Tours, and Coffeehouses.

A scented postage stamp - the scent lasting about four years - was produced in Brazil in 2001 to promote the country's coffee.

When the Italian clergy asked Pope Clement VII to ban coffee as an un-Christian beverage in 1615, his response was to instead give it his blessings. By 1763 Venice had about 200 coffee houses.

If coffee is roasted too long the beans are flammable!

What is the finest grade of Kenya coffee beans? The answer is Kenya AA beans. Lesser grades include A, B, and also C grade Kenya coffee.

How much was a cup of coffee in the 1950s? The answer: Five to ten cents, usually including refills.

For tips on brewing the perfect cup of coffee see the Espresso Coffee Guides section on coffee brewing.

For easy to follow instructions on how to make great espresso drinks see Espresso Drink Recipes and the How to make Lattes and Cappuccinos. Also provided are tips on Pulling A Perfect Espresso Shot.

For the history of espresso and coffee see World's Best History of Coffee, and for a complete list of coffee terminology with detailed definitions see the Espresso Coffee Guides Coffee and Espresso Glossary.