Are you that person who can't go on a day without coffee? Is coffee your favorite drink over any other beverage? You might be that coffeeholic who's always updated on what's the new cafe shop in town, or you might be the one who's knowledgeable about every scent and aroma of a brewed coffee?
If coffee is your thing, don't you think it's time for you to know some interesting facts and details about the drink that you are fascinated of-COFFEE. ☺️
Disclaimer: I am NOT a coffee snob as you might be thinking, but my first visit to a coffee farm(1st visit to be exact which I posted on my blog) left a seed of curiosity in me.
The more the farm guide discussed and shared some nuggets of wisdom about coffee, ( especially the planting of coffee and the harvesting of coffee cherries) my curiosity and inquisitiveness about this very interesting drink was spurred the whole time. And so, I did my research to satisfy my curiosity. 🧐
So in this blog, I'll be sharing the things I learned and which I also compiled for you about the facts, details, processes, and trivia of your favorite drink coffee.
I divided this blog into three parts;
A. The fact and Stats about Coffee (US and Philippines)
B. The health benefits of Coffee
C. Planting to Harvesting of Coffee which I learned at the Coffee farm.
Note: I acknowledge all the sources from which I have my readings about coffee, and which I also cited here in my blog.
Fact and Stat about Coffee
☕Who and How coffee was discovered?
In the 19th Century. A goat herder noticed the effect caffeine had on his goats, who appeared to "dance" after eating the fruit of the Coffea plant. A local monk then made a drink with the product and found that it kept him awake at night, thus the original cup of coffee was born.
☕There are two main types: Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica is referred to as shade coffee and the most grown coffee.
Robusta is slightly more bitter, a sun-grown coffee.
The coffee farm I went to last time grew Robusta as this is easier to grow in the Philippines because of our climate.
☕The world's most expensive coffee can cost more than $600 a pound.
The most expensive coffee is animal waste. One of the most coveted varieties comes from the feces of an Asian palm civet. The cat-like creature eats fruit including coffee cherries but is unable to digest the beans. The excreted seeds produce a smooth, less acidic brew called kopi luwak, but the means of production has drawn criticism from animal welfare activists.
☕Who's the Coffee Lover?
Finland is home to the biggest coffee lovers.
The average adult Finn goes through 27.5 pounds of coffee each year, according to the International Coffee Organization.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a30303/facts-about-coffee/.
Coffee Stat and Facts -United States
☕The average U.S. coffee drinker consumes between two and three cups of coffee each day. (Statista)
☕Last year alone, Americans consumed an estimated 3.3 billion pounds of coffee (Statista)
☕The U.S. ranks 25th in the list of countries that drink the most coffee per capita (World Atlas)
☕Surprisingly, 42.9% of Americans report that they drink coffee, not for the energy boost, but because they like the taste (Statista)
☕Just under half of all U.S. coffee drinkers who buy coffee from a retail establishment do so via drive-through (National Coffee Association)
☕Americans drink about 146 billion cups of coffee per year.
(Coffee-Statistics.com)
This statistic clearly shows just how obsessed Americans are with this tasty beverage. Still, when it comes to coffee consumption, they don’t even rank among the top ten countries in the world.
https://disturbmenot.co/coffee-statistics/#:~:text=The%20Most%20Amazing%20Coffee%20Statistics,compared%20to%2062%25%20of%20men.
☕Starbucks is the most popular coffee shop chain in America and leads significantly in popularity over Dunkin Donuts (World Coffee Portal)
☕Starbucks has 14,875 locations throughout the United States, with a staggering average of 297.5 stores per state (World Coffee Portal)
Coffee Stat and Facts- Philippines
☕Coffee was introduced to the Philippines in 1740.
☕The average Filipino consumed 3.05kg of coffee in 2020.
☕70% of Philippine coffee shop coffee is imported.
☕5,000 metric tons of coffee are imported to the Philippines every year.
☕The country produced just over 62,000 metric tonnes of coffee in 2019.
☕Starbucks was the most popular coffee shop chain in 2020.
☕Philippines millennials are willing to spend P100 ($1.90) on a cup of coffee.
https://coffeeaffection.com/coffee-shops-in-the-philippines-statistics/#:~:text=The%2012%20Coffee%20Shops%20In%20The%20Philippines%20Statistics%3A&text=The%20average%20Filipino%20consumed%203.05,tonnes%20of%20coffee%20in%202019.
Coffee Health Benefits
☕Boost energy level
Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that has been shown to increase energy levels and decrease fatigue by altering levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.
☕You could live longer.
Recent studies found that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from some of the leading causes of death in women: coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease.
Some potential health benefits associated With Trusted Source drinking coffee include protection against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, and liver cancer. Coffee consumption may also support cardiovascular health.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270202
☕It May be linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes
Regular coffee consumption may be linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the long term.
☕Could support brain health
Some research suggests that drinking coffee could help protect against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cognitive decline.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee#The-bottom-line
☕Your DNA will be stronger.
Dark roast coffee decreases breakage in DNA strands, which occur naturally but can lead to cancer or tumors if not repaired by your cells.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-reasons-why-the-right-amount-of-coffee-is-good-for-you
Planting and Growing Coffee
This I learned at the farm during my visit.
A coffee bean is a seed, it's only called a bean because of its resemblance to a legume.
In planting and growing a coffee, there are a few ways that you can use. If you plant a seed it will take 9 years to bear coffee cherries, well it depends on the variety, some yields fruit at 3-4 years only.
Another way of planting is through its cut branch. You can plant automatically the 'cut' to the soil that you prepared.
Some ways also are through steaming where you covered your seedling with plastic containers. During the steaming process, the dew and the moisture will help your seedling grow faster.
Growing. In growing coffee trees you have to consistently trim the coffee branches to prevent them from going large and bunchy. Because if not, it will be hard for you to harvest the cherries as the branch areas are crowded and huge. Another technique in growing coffee is Bending, Bending is used to allow new branches to grow below the trunk. This is to give space and maintain the grown branches according to place for easier harvest.. once the new branches are fully grown, The old branch being bent is now cut. (Cutting the old for the new ones to grow)
Harvesting
Harvest is done Manually,
The cherries are dried first, and sorting will follow. Sorting is a very meticulous process because this is when farmers check and sort the beans one by one intensively.
After sorting out, the coffee beans are set for roasting. Roasted beans are then packed and ready for selling. At the farm I went to, they grind the coffee first and then packed it.
After all the processes that the coffee went through, it is now ready for brewing and drinking. And Cheeerrsss!!! ☕
Those are some crazy and interesting facts about coffee. I believe next time you drink your cup of joe, you will appreciate it even more and maybe a good starter communication next time you go to a cafe shop.
Again I knowledge all the sources I have for my readings about these amazing facts about coffee.
And if there's more you can add, or an article you can recommend as an additional source of information I'd be glad to read so.
Have a great coffee day Hivers!.😊