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
Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Spain: Food & Drink
Here are some really interesting facts about food and drink in Spain. See how Spain is such an important place when you talk about food...
Spain makes 44% of the world's olive oil, more than twice that of Italy and four times that of Greece. More than a quarter of Spain's oil (10% of the total world production) comes from Jaen.
Nearly three-quarters of the world's saffron is grown in Spain.
The original paella was not considered a seafood dish but had chicken, rabbit and pork (and sometimes snails). There is some debate over the origin of the word.
Tapas is not a type of food but a way of eating it. Tapa means cover and was traditionally a slice of cheese or ham placed over a drink.
The Spanish (in particular, the people of Cadiz) claim to have invented fried fish. Great Britain had links to Cadiz in the eighteenth century and it is thought that the British imported the idea of fish 'n' chips from there.
'Dominations of Origin', common in wine labeling, is also used in Spain to guarantee the quality of ham, olive oil and even paprika.
Though Spain is more famous for its red wine than white, the majority of its vineyards have white grapes.
The fortified wine sherry comes from the city of Jerez in Andalusia. 'Sherry' is a corruption of Shariz, the Persian name for the city. In Spanish, sherry is simply called 'vino de Jerez' (Jerez wine).
Tomatoes, potatoes, avocadoes, tobacco, and cacao (for chocolate) were all imported into Europe by Spain.
Spain is one of the top five importers of Scotch whiskey in the world.
Source: gospain.about.com
Spain makes 44% of the world's olive oil, more than twice that of Italy and four times that of Greece. More than a quarter of Spain's oil (10% of the total world production) comes from Jaen.
Nearly three-quarters of the world's saffron is grown in Spain.
The original paella was not considered a seafood dish but had chicken, rabbit and pork (and sometimes snails). There is some debate over the origin of the word.
Tapas is not a type of food but a way of eating it. Tapa means cover and was traditionally a slice of cheese or ham placed over a drink.
The Spanish (in particular, the people of Cadiz) claim to have invented fried fish. Great Britain had links to Cadiz in the eighteenth century and it is thought that the British imported the idea of fish 'n' chips from there.
'Dominations of Origin', common in wine labeling, is also used in Spain to guarantee the quality of ham, olive oil and even paprika.
Though Spain is more famous for its red wine than white, the majority of its vineyards have white grapes.
The fortified wine sherry comes from the city of Jerez in Andalusia. 'Sherry' is a corruption of Shariz, the Persian name for the city. In Spanish, sherry is simply called 'vino de Jerez' (Jerez wine).
Tomatoes, potatoes, avocadoes, tobacco, and cacao (for chocolate) were all imported into Europe by Spain.
Spain is one of the top five importers of Scotch whiskey in the world.
Source: gospain.about.com
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Interesting Alcohol Facts
Here are some really interesting and fun facts about Alcohol. Hope you enjoy reading them.
The word “toast,” which means wishing good health originated in ancient Rome. A piece of toasted bread was literally dropped into wine back then.
The soil of one of the vineyards in France is considered so precious that it is mandatory for workers to scrape the soil off their shoes before they leave.
Anyone under the age of 21 should be careful of taking out trash bags in Missouri. If you are under 21 and the garbage contains an empty bottle of alcohol, you can be charged with illegal possession of alcohol.
Most people think that drinking alcohol raises the body temperature. Alcohol actually lowers the body temperature.
Here is a little surprise : The national anthem of United States “The Star Spangled Banner,” was written to the tune of a drinking song.
Although “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” is considered to be the shortest sentence that includes all the letters of the alphabet, alcohol lovers came up with one of their own “Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.”
Most vegetable and almost all fruits contain a small amount of alcohol in them.
The first Thanksgiving Day didn’t include mashed potatoes, turkey and all other foods that we usually eat on this particular day. However, there was beer, brandy, gin and wine.
Bourbon, the official drink of United States takes its name from Bourbon County in Kentucky.
The pressure in a champagne bottle is 90 pounds per square inch, that is three times the pressure in automobile tires.
Adolf Hitler was one of the world’s best known abstainers from alcohol.
Sir Winston Churchill was one of the world’s heaviest drinkers.
The longest permanent bar is 405 feet and 10 inches. It is located in Ohio. Some suggest that the longest bar is in Illinois which is 684 feet.
The first recruiting station of the U.S. Marines was a bar.
The world’s oldest known recipe is for beer.
It is illegal to run a “tab” in Iowa (source that we used says running a “tab” in Iowa is illegal. Iowa residents say it is legal. We will go with Iowa residents and rule this one out)
United States has the highest minimum drinking age in the entire world.
The alcohol content of a typical beer, wine or spirits are virtually identical. To a breathalyzer, a drink is a drink is a drink.
Brandy, rum and whisky can be either aged too long or not long enough.
It is estimated that there are 49,000,000 (forty-nine million) bubbles in a bottle of champagne.
Human body produces its own supply of alcohol naturally, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Beer started selling in bottles starting 1850 and in cans starting 1935.
In the 1600’s thermometer used to be filled with brandy instead of mercury.
The term “Dipsomania” refers to abnormal cravings for alcohol.
There is a cloud of alcohol in the outer space which is enough to make four trillion-trillion drinks.
It is illegal to feed alcohol to Moose in Alaska and fish in Ohio.
In some European countries McDonald’s serves alcohol. Some parents like to drink alcohol while kids munch on fries and chicken nuggets. McDonald’s decided they needed all the customers they can get.
Many high school cafeterias in Europe serve alcohol to students who choose to drink
Distilled spirits such as brandy, gin, rum, tequila, etc. contain no carbohydrates, no fats and no cholesterol of any kind.
A mixed drink that contains carbonated drink is absorbed into the body more quickly than straight shots.
Abraham Lincoln held a liquor license and operated several taverns.
All spirits (unlike beer and wine) are originally clear and colorless. The golden brown and other colors are achieved due to the aging process.
The French Wine “Fat Bastard” is banned in Ohio and Texas. (although the articles we referred to suggested that this was true, many readers have said that you can buy “Fat Bastard” in Texas)
Here is another one we found that relates to Texas : Texas state law prohibits taking more than three sips of beer at a time while standing.
The BATF (Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms) prohibits the use of word “refreshing” to describe any alcoholic beverage.
Source: cognac.com
The word “toast,” which means wishing good health originated in ancient Rome. A piece of toasted bread was literally dropped into wine back then.
The soil of one of the vineyards in France is considered so precious that it is mandatory for workers to scrape the soil off their shoes before they leave.
Anyone under the age of 21 should be careful of taking out trash bags in Missouri. If you are under 21 and the garbage contains an empty bottle of alcohol, you can be charged with illegal possession of alcohol.
Most people think that drinking alcohol raises the body temperature. Alcohol actually lowers the body temperature.
Here is a little surprise : The national anthem of United States “The Star Spangled Banner,” was written to the tune of a drinking song.
Although “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” is considered to be the shortest sentence that includes all the letters of the alphabet, alcohol lovers came up with one of their own “Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.”
Most vegetable and almost all fruits contain a small amount of alcohol in them.
The first Thanksgiving Day didn’t include mashed potatoes, turkey and all other foods that we usually eat on this particular day. However, there was beer, brandy, gin and wine.
Bourbon, the official drink of United States takes its name from Bourbon County in Kentucky.
The pressure in a champagne bottle is 90 pounds per square inch, that is three times the pressure in automobile tires.
Adolf Hitler was one of the world’s best known abstainers from alcohol.
Sir Winston Churchill was one of the world’s heaviest drinkers.
The longest permanent bar is 405 feet and 10 inches. It is located in Ohio. Some suggest that the longest bar is in Illinois which is 684 feet.
The first recruiting station of the U.S. Marines was a bar.
The world’s oldest known recipe is for beer.
It is illegal to run a “tab” in Iowa (source that we used says running a “tab” in Iowa is illegal. Iowa residents say it is legal. We will go with Iowa residents and rule this one out)
United States has the highest minimum drinking age in the entire world.
The alcohol content of a typical beer, wine or spirits are virtually identical. To a breathalyzer, a drink is a drink is a drink.
Brandy, rum and whisky can be either aged too long or not long enough.
It is estimated that there are 49,000,000 (forty-nine million) bubbles in a bottle of champagne.
Human body produces its own supply of alcohol naturally, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Beer started selling in bottles starting 1850 and in cans starting 1935.
In the 1600’s thermometer used to be filled with brandy instead of mercury.
The term “Dipsomania” refers to abnormal cravings for alcohol.
There is a cloud of alcohol in the outer space which is enough to make four trillion-trillion drinks.
It is illegal to feed alcohol to Moose in Alaska and fish in Ohio.
In some European countries McDonald’s serves alcohol. Some parents like to drink alcohol while kids munch on fries and chicken nuggets. McDonald’s decided they needed all the customers they can get.
Many high school cafeterias in Europe serve alcohol to students who choose to drink
Distilled spirits such as brandy, gin, rum, tequila, etc. contain no carbohydrates, no fats and no cholesterol of any kind.
A mixed drink that contains carbonated drink is absorbed into the body more quickly than straight shots.
Abraham Lincoln held a liquor license and operated several taverns.
All spirits (unlike beer and wine) are originally clear and colorless. The golden brown and other colors are achieved due to the aging process.
The French Wine “Fat Bastard” is banned in Ohio and Texas. (although the articles we referred to suggested that this was true, many readers have said that you can buy “Fat Bastard” in Texas)
Here is another one we found that relates to Texas : Texas state law prohibits taking more than three sips of beer at a time while standing.
The BATF (Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms) prohibits the use of word “refreshing” to describe any alcoholic beverage.
Source: cognac.com
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Interesting Facts about Coffee
Below are some really interesting facts about coffee
Coffee is the second-most traded commodity in the world economy, after oil.
The global coffee industry earns $60 billion annually. Coffee farmers earn as little as 4 cents a pound for the coffee they pick by hand.
Most of the world's coffee is grown by small-scale coffee farming families.
25 million families around the world work in the coffee-fields and totally depend on the coffee crop as their only source of income.
One coffee tree yields slightly less than 1 pound of coffee per year.
For every pound of gourmet coffee sold, small-coffee farmers receive between 12¢ and 25¢.
When shopping for perfume, take some coffee with you in your bag and have a good sniff in between smelling each perfume to refresh your nose!
Sprinkle spent coffee grounds around the base of your garden plants and it will stop snails and slugs from munching them!
A mixture of coffee grounds and sugar, fed to a potted plant and watered regularly, will revive houseplants that have turned yellow in winter.
Some of the worlds most powerful business, including Lloyds of London and the New York Stock Exchange, started life as a coffee house.
In December 2001 Brazil produced a scented postage stamp to promote its coffee - the smell should last between 3 and 5 years.
A coffee tree has a lifespan of about 50 to 70 years.
When it is in bloom, the coffee tree is covered with 30,000 white flowers which begin to develop into fruit after 24 - 36 hours.
A coffee tree can flower eight times in any one year - depending on rainfall.
Coffee is consumed at the rate of 1400 million cups per day.
Coffee is the world's second most popular drink after water.
Source: ics-intl.com
Coffee is the second-most traded commodity in the world economy, after oil.
The global coffee industry earns $60 billion annually. Coffee farmers earn as little as 4 cents a pound for the coffee they pick by hand.
Most of the world's coffee is grown by small-scale coffee farming families.
25 million families around the world work in the coffee-fields and totally depend on the coffee crop as their only source of income.
One coffee tree yields slightly less than 1 pound of coffee per year.
For every pound of gourmet coffee sold, small-coffee farmers receive between 12¢ and 25¢.
When shopping for perfume, take some coffee with you in your bag and have a good sniff in between smelling each perfume to refresh your nose!
Sprinkle spent coffee grounds around the base of your garden plants and it will stop snails and slugs from munching them!
A mixture of coffee grounds and sugar, fed to a potted plant and watered regularly, will revive houseplants that have turned yellow in winter.
Some of the worlds most powerful business, including Lloyds of London and the New York Stock Exchange, started life as a coffee house.
In December 2001 Brazil produced a scented postage stamp to promote its coffee - the smell should last between 3 and 5 years.
A coffee tree has a lifespan of about 50 to 70 years.
When it is in bloom, the coffee tree is covered with 30,000 white flowers which begin to develop into fruit after 24 - 36 hours.
A coffee tree can flower eight times in any one year - depending on rainfall.
Coffee is consumed at the rate of 1400 million cups per day.
Coffee is the world's second most popular drink after water.
Source: ics-intl.com
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