Coffee & Espresso Facts

Some more really interesting facts about coffee...


When Coffee first arrived in Europe it was called “Arabian Wine.”

The first people to brew coffee were the Arabs. The word “coffee” originates from the Arabic word qahwa which is pronounced as either “Qahweh,” Kahwe” and “Ahwi.”

In the 1680’s a French physician recommended that Cafe au Lait be used for medicinal purposes. This is when adding milk to coffee began to become popular.

In 1689 Cafe Procope was the first Parisian cafe to serve coffee.

In 1732 Bach wrote a coffee cantata. The coffee cantata was considered a satirical comedy with the amusing story of coffee addiction. At the time coffee addiction was considered a social problem in the eighteenth century.You can watch this YouTube video to hear the Bach Coffee Cantata

In the year 1763, Venice, Italy had over 200 coffee shops.

In 1773 the heavy tea tax imposed on the American colonies caused the “Boston Tea Party.” This resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. Drinking coffee was seen as an statement of freedom.

During the American Revolutuon the founding fathers of the U.S. developed their national strategies in local coffeehouses.

In early America, coffee was drunk between meals and after dinner. It was not part of the meal as is customary today.

In 1790, there were two coffee firsts that happened in the United States: 1) the first wholesale coffee roasting company began business, and the first newspaper advertisement featuring coffee.

In 1822 France created the first espresso machine prototype.

By 1850, the manual coffee grinder was found iin most upper-middle class kitchens in the United States.

During the Civil War in the United States soldiers went to battle with coffee beans as part of their rations. This elevated the popularity of coffee to new heights.

In 1900, horse and wagon delivered coffee door-to-door in the United States.

In 1906 Italy Pavoni manufactured the first commercial espresso machine.

In Italy, coffee and espresso are synonymous as they are so much part of the culture. Drip coffee is not as popular in Italy as it is in the rest of the Western world.

The average age of an Italian barista is 48 years old. In Italy being a “Barista” is a respected job title. The average age requirement for a Starbuck barista is 17.

It is not common for Italians to drink espresso during meals. It is considered to be a separate event and is given its own time.

In Italy the government regulates the price of espresso as it is deemed an essential element of daily life.

A recent “census” shared that Italy now has over 200,000 coffee bars/cafes and this number is still growing.

In Greece and Turkey, the oldest person is generally served coffee first.

In the ancient Arab world coffee was a staple in family life. One of the reasons allowed for marital separation was a husband’s refusal to make coffee for his wife.

In parts of Africa raw coffee beans are soaked in water and spices. These are then chewed like candy.

During the last three centuries, it is estimated that 90% of people in the Western world have switched from drinking tea to coffee.

In the United States coffee represents 75% of all the caffeine consumed.


Source: Aviva Directory , Interesting Facts , Interesting Facts