Coffee: The Most Consumed Accidental Beverage

Morning coffee has become a daily ritual and most of us can’t wake up without it. Either we are running late, being lazy, sleepy or hung over from last night, coffee is always there to save us. Coffee lovers must be intrigued to know the history behind this amazing drink. This article will take you through the journey of coffee also known as ‘cup of joe’. There is history and a process behind the coffee that we know and see today.

We know more than 50 different recipes of coffee alone and we use coffee as an ingredient in several desserts. It’s not only used for eating and drinking purpose but also for cleaning purpose and other home remedies. To understand the phenomenon that we know as coffee today let’s start from the beginning.

History of Coffee

The discovery of the world’s favorite and most consumed beverage is just an accident. If you are going to ask when coffee was invented, then here is a short but concise history. It is as valuable as petroleum. It is said that almost 400 million cups of coffee is consumed every day around the world.

Over the period of time coffee has been used as a currency and it was even banned by the Muslim rulers in 16 century. It was noticed that coffee has an unusual stimulating effect on the body. There are many coffee regions in the world which proves its importance. These areas and their history show us origin of cup of joe.

Coffee was first time discovered in the mountains of Yemen by a shepherd. His goat ate the plant accidentally and started acting weird. That’s how it was discovered for the first time. People started eating the beans to keep themselves awake and energized. Once they discovered the golden crop of coffee and understood how it really worked, there was no coming back. They later cultivated coffee for the first time in India. Now, Brazil and Colombia are the biggest contributors in coffee around the globe, it is also famous by the name of cup of joe origin.

Texture of Coffee Beans

By looking at the coffee plant it’s not something that you see in commercials or that you see in pictures. It comes in the form of coffee berries that contain two coffee bean, sometimes it also comes in the form of “peaberry” that contains only one coffee bean. It is usually said that the “peaberry” has more taste than the usual coffee bean that we find within a coffee berry. The reason might be because peaberry only occurs 10-15% of times but this is not scientifically proven that best coffee beans in peaberry are better and richer in taste than the usual coffee beans.  They are actually seeds but they are called beans because they resemble the shape of an actual bean.

Espresso Beans Vs Coffee Beans

When we talk about espresso beans VS coffee beans, it is also a long discussion about the texture of coffee. There is a simple question, why do they call it coffee joy? One more theory holds that coffee arrives to be known as joe, for the reason that joe itself is a vernacular term for an ordinary fellow. Simple, coffee known a cup of joe as this was well thought-out the common man’s drink including Alcohol.

Alcohol is one of the biggest issues facing our modern societies. In the US, it is estimated that more than 7% of adults have a drinking problem, with around 5 million people ending up in a rehabclinic in order to treat alcoholism every year. Alcoholism over time can lead to a number of chronic health conditions, as well as adversely affecting the addict’s life and relationships. Less common but even more destructive are addictions to illicit drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

Types of Coffee

The two most common types of coffee include Robusta and Arabica. Arabica, as the name represents, is cultivated at the Arabian Peninsula whereas Robusta has more caffeine and so, it is rarely planted. There are two types of coffee beans, one is green and the other is red. They are not only different in color but also taste and smell. Red beans because of less acidity have light and a nice smell.

Another famous type is coconut coffee, a lot of people like it due to its unique taste. This is the reason they are used to make lighter coffees. They are handpicked and separated manually without any machine. The process is slow and this is the reason laborer has to be very skilled to increase the speed of the process. There is another famous type which is commonly known as roasted coffee beans.

Manufacturing and Processing of Coffee Beans

The coffee fruit is discarded and the beans or in other words seed is used. They are roasted, ground and brewed to prepare the finest coffee that you and I drink. The beans are handpicked and then they are soaked in order to remove the fruit, sometimes they are also extracted by using the rubbing or scouring method. Eventually, the beans are washed to remove the debris of the fruit completely, they are then dried in sunlight. Beans at this stage become dry retaining only 12% of water in them.

If you are wondering what’s in coffee beans then here’s the best reply for you. The beans are separated on the basis of their size and color, mostly this work is done by machine but formally it was a manual process. The beans that are not useful are discarded while other are sent to be polished. Just like wine, it is believed that coffee tastes better when it is old, this process might take almost 8 years.

The beans are then roasted at 400F, as a result, they increase in size and become brown. In few weeks beans are grounded. Brewing, grinding, and roasting processes are different in various countries making them unique everywhere. Blade grinder, burr grinder and even pastel and mortar are used to grind the best coffee beans. For brewing, there are several methods that include pressure brewing, boiling, steeping, and gravity.

In the boiling method, hot water is passed through the coffee ground which is later filtered in order to remove the grounds. In pressure method, hot water is passed through grounds at high pressure. While in gravity method, water is dripped onto coffee grounds and it is later filtered. In steeping however teabags are used.

Best Coffee Beans In The World

There are some famous brands and types of coffee beans which are known as the best coffee beans in the world:

How Coffee Works?

Ever wonder why you feel instantly better and more ready for work after coffee. Everyone knows coffee contains caffeine but how caffeine actually works is the main question, let’s explain how coffee actually works and when you drink it every morning how your body reacts to it. Your body is very responsive to everything from a microscopic organism to anything you eat. Before drinking coffee people use to eat the beans. This provides a better result and instant energizing than other sources. Roasted coffee beans make the body active.

When you wake up and pour yourself with a cup of coffee, you are ready to rock and roll your daily routine. Caffeine blocks the adenosine hormone that causes drowsiness. When adenosine is blocked you feel more awake and energized. The tolerance level depends on the person, BMI, and consumption. Some people feel ready for work just after a single cup of coffee while others need more than one. Some of us are fond of bitter black coffee while others like to prefer decaffeinated. After some time of consumption, once it flushes out of your system, you feel crash which leaves you craving for more.

Benefits of Coffee

It is a commonly known fact that coffee keeps you energized and awake but there is more to coffee then just keeping you awake. A Recent study concluded that coffee reduces the muscle soreness. So, if you are thinking of hitting the gym, coffee is best for you. Coconut coffee is amazing for health. Caffeine reduces the muscle inflammation, making it easy to relax.

Adverse Effects of Coffee

Drinking coffee in the morning without any breakfast causes acidity. In simple words, there is a substance in coffee known as catechol that produces more acid and this substance increase the production of acid in the stomach. So, if you feel heartburn after drinking coffee this might be the reason.

Constant use of coffee can stain your teeth making it yellow and in worst case even brown.

During pregnancy, women are asked to avoid coffee. Although it is not scientifically proved yet it is said that it is better to avoid coffee.

Fun Facts About Coffee

Coffee is not just any beverage, it has a legacy to it. There are companies cashing this legacy every day working as producers of coffee and also as the restaurants who serve coffee only. Starbucks is one of the well-known companies that is included in fortune 500 companies, it only serves coffee. There are other interesting coffee facts and the crop of coffee that are interesting and threatening at the same time when we talk about fun facts about coffee.

Coffee was banned in 16 century by Muslim rulers who believed that it has an unusual effect on the mood and human behavior. Later it was banned in 17 century when a group of women claimed that coffee makes men as unfruitful as dessert. As a result of this rumor, it was banned in the 17^th century in England. Coffee places became the frequent meet up place for scientists like Isaac Newton and other literary people.

So which coffee drink is your favorite? and what do you know more about coffee that you want to share with others? Do let us know in comments and share your views.