Quick answer: A few favorite fun facts about coffee: coffee beans are really the seeds of a cherry-like fruit, Brazil is the world’s biggest producer, decaf still contains a little caffeine, Hawaii and California are the only US states that grow coffee commercially, and a Cambridge coffee pot became the world’s first webcam. Here are 18 coffee facts in all.
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks on the planet, but how much do you know about it?
Here are 18 fun facts every coffee lover should know, with legends labelled as legends.
In this guide 19 sections
- 1. Where does the word “coffee” come from?
- 2. Coffee beans come from a fruit
- 3. Coffee may first have been eaten, not drunk
- 4. Legend says goats discovered it
- 5. There are two main types of coffee
- 6. Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world
- 7. Coffee paid Brazil’s way to the Olympics
- 8. One of the world’s most expensive coffees passes through a civet
- 9. Only two US states grow coffee commercially
- 10. Decaf doesn’t mean caffeine-free
- 11. You can have too much caffeine
- 12. Coffee drinkers tend to live longer
- 13. Coffee doesn’t really dehydrate you
- 14. A coffee pot inspired the first webcam
- 15. Beethoven and Theodore Roosevelt loved coffee
- 16. Finland drinks the most coffee per person
- 17. Coffee was said to be grounds for divorce
- 18. Many attempts have been made to ban coffee
- Frequently asked questions
1. Where does the word “coffee” come from?
The word traces back to the Arabic qahwa, a word that was also used for wine.
In Turkish it became kahve.
From there it passed into European languages, including Dutch koffie, from which English borrowed “coffee”.
The word appeared in English around the end of the 16th century.
2. Coffee beans come from a fruit
Although they’ve always been called beans, they are seeds that come from a cherry-like berry that grows on a bush. At the center of the fruit is the seed, which is what we roast to make coffee.
They are called beans because they look like legumes.
3. Coffee may first have been eaten, not drunk
While most of us are used to sipping it, a widely told story says coffee was first eaten in Ethiopia, with ground berries mixed with animal fat into energy-rich snack balls.
4. Legend says goats discovered it
Legend has it that a goat herder discovered the coffee plant in the 9th century. Here’s how it happened:
The Ethiopian herdsman noticed strange effects in his goats after they ate their meals. Each time his herd nibbled on a small, red fruit of a bush, they appeared to dance energetically.
Led by his curiosity, the herder tried them out and was intrigued by the effects, so he presented it to a local monk who made a drink with the berries.
After drinking the coffee, the monk was able to stay up all night, and that was how the first cup of coffee was born. It is a legend rather than recorded history; read more in our history of coffee.
5. There are two main types of coffee
There are two main types of coffee grown in the commercial market: Arabica and Robusta. Most growers plant Arabica, which varies in taste characteristics and yields more nuanced flavors. Robusta is cheaper to grow and has about twice the caffeine, but tastes harsher and more bitter. See our guide to coffee beans from around the world.
6. Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world
Brazil produces more coffee than any other country, and has for a very long time. Vietnam, a major robusta grower, is second.
7. Coffee paid Brazil’s way to the Olympics
In 1932, Brazil was experiencing a shortage of funds so much so that it was unable to send its athletes to the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. So the athletes sailed with a cargo of coffee to sell along the way to finance the trip.
8. One of the world’s most expensive coffees passes through a civet
Kopi luwak is one of the most expensive coffees in the world, and it is collected from the droppings of the Asian palm civet, a small cat-like mammal.
The cat-like creature consumes the bright red coffee cherries, but its body is unable to digest the coffee beans. The beans pass through its gut, are collected from the droppings, cleaned and roasted. Some kopi luwak comes from caged civets, which raises serious animal-welfare concerns.
9. Only two US states grow coffee commercially
Coffee trees require specific conditions to grow well, and they include high altitudes, tropical climates, and rich soil. Only two US states grow coffee commercially: Hawaii and California.
Hawaii is famous for Kona coffee, while California is a newcomer with small farms selling premium beans.
10. Decaf doesn’t mean caffeine-free
Decaffeination removes most of the caffeine, but not all of it.
According to the FDA, an 8-ounce cup of decaf typically has 2 to 15 milligrams of caffeine. Here is how coffee is decaffeinated.
11. You can have too much caffeine
The FDA says 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is an amount not generally linked to negative effects for most healthy adults, and that toxic effects such as seizures can occur with rapid consumption of around 1,200 milligrams.
Sensitivity varies a lot from person to person. See signs you are drinking too much coffee.
12. Coffee drinkers tend to live longer
Research summarized by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health links habitual, moderate coffee drinking with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease and a lower risk of early death.
These are associations from population studies, so they don’t prove coffee itself is the cause. More in is coffee good for you?
13. Coffee doesn’t really dehydrate you
Coffee has always been said to cause dehydration because it is a diuretic, but that’s not the case. A 2014 study in PLoS One found that moderate coffee intake in regular coffee drinkers hydrated about as well as the same amount of water.
Read more in is coffee a diuretic?
14. A coffee pot inspired the first webcam
Ever wondered what led to the development of the first webcam? In 1991, researchers at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory got tired of walking to the only coffee pot in the building to find it empty.
They pointed a camera at the pot so they could check it from their screens, and in 1993 it went onto the web, becoming the first webcam (Cambridge’s own timeline).
15. Beethoven and Theodore Roosevelt loved coffee
Many high-profile people are ardent coffee lovers, and history is filled with many of them. Beethoven reportedly counted out 60 beans for each cup.
Theodore Roosevelt reportedly drank up to a gallon a day, which is far more than anyone should.
16. Finland drinks the most coffee per person
Finland doesn’t grow coffee, but it is usually ranked as the world’s biggest coffee-drinking country per person, ahead of its Nordic neighbors.
17. Coffee was said to be grounds for divorce
A popular story says that in Ottoman Turkey a woman could divorce her husband if he failed to keep her supplied with coffee.
Historians doubt it was ever a formal law, but it shows how central coffee was to daily life.
18. Many attempts have been made to ban coffee
You might think coffee is a great beverage, but many people didn’t always see it that way. For instance, leaders in Mecca banned coffee in 1511 because they believed it caused radical thinking and stimulation.
Around 1600, Pope Clement VIII was asked to rule on coffee and, according to the story, approved it after tasting it. Also, coffee was banned several times in Sweden and was almost banned once in Prussia because the King wanted people to drink more beer.
Frequently asked questions
Is coffee a fruit?
Coffee beans are the seeds of the coffee cherry, a small fruit that grows on the coffee plant. The fruit itself is also used: dried coffee cherry husks are brewed as cascara.
Why is coffee called joe?
Nobody knows for certain, but there are several popular theories. We look at them in why is coffee called joe.
Which country drinks the most coffee?
Per person, Finland is usually ranked first. Brazil grows the most coffee.