Did you know coffee was discovered by goats?
What if I told you that it was George Washington himself who invented instant coffee?
Or that the Americano coffee takes its name from the American soldiers of the Second World War?
Well, all of that amazing stuff is entirely true.
Here are the 15 surprising things about coffee that nobody knows. Check out this guide drawn by TheOatmeal:
Source: TheOatMeal.com designed by Matthew Inman.
If you love OatMeal designs as much as we do, we recommend the following 2 books by the same author:
- How to be perfectly unhappy (in English):
- How do you know if your cat is preparing to kill you? (in English).
- Or his anti-stress coloring book 404 Not Found:A Coloring Book
A legend says that it was an Ethiopian shepherd who was the first to discover the virtues of coffee. One day he noticed that his goats became restless and "danced" when they ate the fruits of the coffee tree.
We used to ate coffee. Indeed, the tribes of Africa made a mixture of coffee tree fruits and fat to form... edible balls of energy.
The rise of Islam has greatly contributed to the spread and popularity of coffee. Indeed, the religion forbade alcohol, but tolerated coffee.
Coffee is grown only in the region known as the "coffee belt". This tropical zone is located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
In 1675, the King of England banned all coffee houses, on the pretext that it was there that his conspirators met to plot against him.
As a result, coffee houses were considered gathering places for terrorists.
Arabica has a sweet and aromatic taste. It accounts for 70% of world coffee production.
The Robusta has a more bitter taste but contains 50% more caffeine than Arabica. It accounts for the remaining 30% of world production.
Coffee grows on trees. And the coffee trees can reach almost 9 m in height. But to be able to harvest them more easily, they are pruned to about 3 m.
Coffee is a seed inside the red cherries of the coffee tree.
Coffee is the 2 th export product in the world. The 1 st is oil. Apparently we like to buy dripping black stuff...
The coffee cherries are picked, dried and then shelled until you get green seeds.
Arrived at their destination, the green coffee beans are roasted at around 250ºC. After a few minutes, they pop like popcorn and double in volume. A few more minutes and the kernels pop a second time. This second "explosion" means the coffee is ready.
George Washington invented instant coffee. But no, not the President of the United States! This is THE OTHER George Washington!
Instant coffee was invented in 1906 by George Washington, a Belgian businessman then living in Guatemala.
Espresso [ès-prè-so]:The term "espresso" does not refer to the roast, blend or variety of coffee beans.
Espresso is simply a method of preparation in which hot water under high pressure is passed through finely ground coffee.
The different types of coffee:
Coffee with Milk: milk froth, full of milk, espresso.
Coffee Mocha: Chantilly cream, milk, melted chocolate, espresso.
Cappuccino: full of milk froth, milk, espresso.
American: water, espresso.
Coffee brief: milk froth, cream, espresso.
Espresso: nothing but pure, full-bodied coffee.
"L'Americano" takes its name from the American soldiers of the Second World War who ordered their coffee diluted in water, because they were not used to the strong taste of Italian espressos.
What is the effect of caffeine on the body?
In your brain, there is a substance called adenosine, which only binds to a certain type of receptor. And when these two meet, they make you sleepy.
When caffeine hits the party, it binds to the receptors, which prevents adenosine from attaching to them.
Your pituitary gland hears the news and goes on high alert. It calls the adrenal gland to tell it to produce adrenaline.
At the same time, caffeine also increases your dopamine levels.
The result ? A big energy boost!
Do you know any other surprising coffee tips? Share them in comments with our community. We can't wait to read you!
