Fun Facts About Coffee

10 Fun Facts About Coffee That Will Perk You Up!

1. Coffee Was Discovered by Dancing Goats Legend has it that coffee was discovered by Ethiopian goats. A goat herder named Kaldi noticed his goats getting extra energetic after munching on some red berries. Curious, he tried them himself and soon experienced the same buzz. And just like that, coffee was born!

2. Coffee Beans Are Actually Seeds Despite being called “beans,” coffee beans are actually the seeds of the coffee cherry. The fruit is edible, but most of us are only interested in the roasted goodness inside.

3. Coffee Can Help You Live Longer Studies have shown that coffee drinkers may have a lower risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and even some types of cancer. So, your daily cup might be doing more for you than just keeping you awake!

4. Espresso Means “Pressed Out” in Italian The word "espresso" comes from the Italian word meaning "pressed out." It refers to the way hot water is forced through finely-ground coffee to make the concentrated drink we all love.

5. The World’s Most Expensive Coffee Comes From… Animal Poop? Kopi Luwak, one of the priciest coffees in the world, is made from beans eaten and digested by civet cats before being collected and processed. Sounds strange, but coffee lovers say the fermentation process in the animal’s stomach gives the beans a uniquely smooth flavor.

6. There’s a Coffee That Can Keep You Awake for 18 Hours If regular coffee doesn’t cut it for you, Black Insomnia coffee might. With an insanely high caffeine content, this brew claims to be one of the strongest in the world. Sip wisely!

7. The First Webcam Was Made for Coffee In 1991, researchers at the University of Cambridge set up the first-ever webcam—not to monitor security, but to keep an eye on the office coffee pot. This way, they could see if there was coffee left before making the trek to the breakroom!

8. Brazil Produces the Most Coffee in the World Brazil has been the world’s leading coffee producer for over 150 years, growing about one-third of the world’s supply. That’s a lot of morning fuel!

9. Decaf Coffee Still Has Caffeine Think decaf means zero caffeine? Not quite! Decaffeinated coffee still contains small amounts of caffeine—about 2 to 5 milligrams per cup, compared to the usual 95 in regular coffee.

10. Coffee Was Once Banned Believe it or not, coffee has been banned multiple times in history. In the 16th century, rulers in Mecca tried to outlaw it due to its stimulating effects. Even King Charles II of England attempted a coffee ban in 1675, fearing that coffeehouses were places for political rebellion.