Coffee trivia...

The coffee tree is native to Ethiopia. From there it spread throughout the Middle East. Until the 17th century all the coffee of commerce came from Arabia. Slowly, the efforts of Dutch merchants spread cultivation to the East Indies. Coffee cultivation began in the Americas in the early 1700s.

Most of the coffee trees of the Western Hemisphere are said to be descended from a single plant. It was carried from a botanical garden in France to the island of Martinique in the West Indies by Capt. Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu, a young military officer. He kept the tree alive during an arduous voyage by sharing with it his limited ration of drinking water.

Coffee cultivation spread quickly through the West Indies in the next few years. Coffee was first grown in Brazil in 1729. Brazilian coffee exports achieved importance by 1809, and since the mid-1800s Brazil has by a considerable margin been the world's leading coffeegrowing nation. Between 1850 and 1900 other Latin American nations developed extensive coffee plantations.
Commercial coffeegrowing began in central Africa about 1900. Africa, however, became a major source of coffee only in the period following World War II.

The origin of man's use of coffee is lost in the timeless legends of the Middle East. One of the most appealing relates that some monks, after observing the liveliness of sheep which had eaten coffee cherries, began to eat the cherries to help keep themselves awake through long nights of prayer.

Consumption of coffee probably began by the 6th century AD. A reference to coffee appears in a medical manuscript of AD 900. It was at first used as a food, as a medicine, and as an ingredient in wine. Coffee as a beverage similar to that of today a water extract of roasted beans appeared around 1300. In the middle 1600s the beverage was introduced into Europe and North America.

Coffeehouses soon became centers for literary and political discussion. Rulers periodically attempted to suppress them; King Charles II of England termed coffeehouses "seminaries of sedition."

When it became known that roasting coffee beans brought out their flavor, roasted beans were crushed, boiled in water, and then consumed grounds and all. Spices were often added to the brew. In Egypt soon after 1600, sugar was added to cut the bitterness of coffee. The use of milk became common in the late 1600s. In Scandinavia and colonial America, eggs were added to reduce bitterness.

Espresso, which is brewed by forcing steam through finely ground darkly roasted coffee beans, became popular in the 1940s. It was the main beverage served in the coffeehouses that began to flourish near college campuses. Again the centers of literary and political discussions, as well as poetry and folksinging, coffeehouses were favorite spots for the beatniks and hippies of the 1950s and 1960s.
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CAFFEINE

We have heard a lot of "buzz" words about caffeine... (caffeinated,
decaffeinated, reduced caffeine) but actually caffeine's proper name is
"trimethylxanthine".
This natural substance is a result of photosynthesis within the coffee
plant.
The substance is also found in cocoa, tea, and the cola nut. It acts on the central nervous system to
stimulate mental alertness.

In moderation, coffee is a heathful,
natural beverage humans have been enjoying for hundreds of years.
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A couple of scoops of coffee grounds in a small dish in your refrigerator
absorbs odors almost instantaneously. Also works in garbage cans,
unplugged refrigerators, etc.

A barista is the one who makes coffee drinks.

America is the world's largest consumer of coffee with over
1/2 million cups consumed per day.

During the Civil War, when coffee supplies became scarce,
the soldiers who were desperate for coffee, would roast sweet
potatoes or Indian corn, grind it and brew it.

Did you know that dark roast coffee has less caffeine than
medium roast? More of the caffeine is burned away during the roasting.

Until the 10th century, coffee was considered a food.

Ethiopian tribesmen would mix coffee berries in animal fat,
roll it into balls, and eat them on long journeys.

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Pindead, Pindrop, Pinocchio, Pincushion, Pinwheel, Pinochle, PinM&M

[This message has been edited by Pinhead (edited 04-12-2000).]