National Coffee Day
By Sharon Schweitzer
People from around the world love their coffee. But the U.S. drinks more coffee than any nation. The typical American adult drinks 2.7 cups of coffee a day. One hundred-fifty million Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee per day and that amounts to 140 billion cups gulped down per year.
There are two types of people in the world: Those who can’t wake up without a caffeine boost and those who are naturally blessed with energy in the morning. From the moment the average coffee lover opens a fresh bag of coffee beans, the aroma beckons, percolating the senses. Even those who don’t drink coffee tend to enjoy the fragrance of roasted beans.
When determining the body of a coffee, the bean, the roast, and the brew are all factors. The bean affects the texture of the coffee, whether it’s silky, creamy, thick or thin on the tongue and throat. However, the darker the roast and how we brew it will alter the feel of a coffee’s body, too.
The region a coffee is grown also affects the flavor due to the acidity of the soil and environment. The higher the elevation where coffee is grown, the higher the acidity and the higher the quality. These coffees are considered brighter, dryer, even sparkling by cuppers. That may explain why Brazil produces more coffee than anyone else in the world. Columbia is second out of 50 countries that grow coffee.
Here are some interesting facts about today’s special coffee bean day:
- In the 1700s in England, coffee houses were dubbed “penny universities”. For the cost of a penny, one could drink a strong coffee and find an intelligent, engaging conversation.
- A French doctor in the 1600’s prescribed coffee au lait to his patients, inspiring people to add milk to coffee.
- Old legend indicates that a goat herder discovered coffee when he realized how the bean was making his goats react.
- Hawaii is the only state that commercially grows coffee; the U.S. imports the rest.
- Coffee beans are actually the pit of a berry, making them a fruit.
- The first webcam was introduced at the University of Cambridge to let students and staff know when the coffee pot was full.
- Espresso has 1/3rd of the caffeine in a regular cup of coffee.
- The coffeehouses in Constantinople were known as “houses of wisdom” because men would gather there to discuss arts and literature.
- Dark roasts have less caffeine than medium roasts – the longer the coffee is roasted the more coffee burns off.
- Coffee is the second highest traded commodity, averaging about $60 billion annually.
- The most expensive coffee beans come from the Asian Civet, who eats the berry, and then passes it through its digestive tract.
Although the exact origins of National Coffee Day are unclear, some say the National Coffee Association (NCA) first celebrated it in the United States in 2005. For the rest of the world, the day is celebrated globally on October 1st.
Photos by https://icc-ims.com/, https://learn.bluecoffeebox.com/
Sharon Schweitzer JD, is a diversity and inclusion consultant, cross-cultural trainer, etiquette expert, and the founder of Access to Culture. In addition to her accreditation in intercultural management from the HOFSTEDE Centre, she is an attorney and mediator. Sharon served as a Chinese Ceremonial Dining Etiquette Specialist in the documentary series Confucius was a Foodie, on Nat Geo People. Her Amazon #1 Best Selling book in International Business, Access to Asia: Your Multicultural Business Guide, won a coveted Kirkus Star, and was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books. She’s a winner of numerous awards, including the British Airways International Trade Award at the Greater Austin Business Awards.
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