01/15How many of these coffee facts do you already know?

How many of these coffee facts do you already know?

Coffee. This one word is enough to string up a bunch of pictures in your mind about one of the most savoured brews in the world. Even before Starbucks came into the picture, coffee has been at the centre of our social lives. In fact, its origin dates back to the 14th century. While it may have turned into a global phenomenon it also happens to be a much-cherished part of people's daily lives. But did you know that there's so much about your brew that you aren't aware of? Wondering what secrets we're about to spill? Take a look for yourself.

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02/15The lighter the roast, the more caffeine

The lighter the roast, the more caffeine

Most people think that the darker your coffee is, the more caffeine it contains. However, that's not the case at all. In fact, a light roast is much more likely to contain more caffeine as compared to a medium or dark roast. So, the next time you're feeling extra groggy in the morning, you know just what roast to opt for.

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03/15It wasn’t always called 'coffee’

It wasn’t always called 'coffee’

This might come as a surprise but coffee wasn't always called coffee. The word entered the English language sometime in the 16th century and even then it was said to be borrowed from the Italian word 'caffe' which was borrowed from the Dutch word 'koffie', taken from the Ottoman Turkish 'kahve', which stemmed from Arabic 'qahwah'.

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04/15Women were allowed to divorce their husbands over coffee

Women were allowed to divorce their husbands over coffee

So much was the love people in Instanbul felt for coffee during the 15th century that women were actually allowed to divorce their husbands if the latter didn't provide the former with adequate coffee. Well, now that's what we call a coffee addict.

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05/15Kopi luwak is the world’s most expensive coffee

Kopi luwak is the world’s most expensive coffee

The world's most expensive coffee is kopi luwak. One of the reasons it is so expensive is because is made via an unusual method - coffee beans are digested by Asian palm civet, an animal. It is one of the reasons kopi luwak is called cat poop coffee. This particular coffee contains unique properties and has a different taste.

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06/15Brazil remains the world's largest producer of coffee

Brazil remains the world's largest producer of coffee

Brazil is the world's largest producer of coffee. For 150 years, the country has been dominating the global coffee market. One of the reasons is because of Brazil's large plantation area and good climate which help to grow two coffee beans—Arabica and Robusta. The coffee from this part of the word is considered to be the finest because the coffee is low in acidity.

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07/15You can eat coffee cherries

You can eat coffee cherries

Not many people may be aware of this, but coffee comes from a fruit. Coffee grows on bush-like plants and its fruit, which is cherry-like, ripens over the course of many weeks. When they are ready for picking most coffee cherries have a gorgeous blood red colour. They become sweeter as they mature. The flavour is light and delicate. People used to mixcoffee berries with fat to make a rich snack out of it.

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08/15Nobody is sure who first discovered coffee

Nobody is sure who first discovered coffee

There are a number of different accounts about who first discovered coffee. Some records trace the origin to a goat herder named Kaldi in Kaffa, Ethiopia in the 9th century. Kaldi noticed how active his flock became after munching red beans from a coffee plant, and then tried some himself and felt a lot more active. Another similar account states that a Moroccan Sufi mystic, Ghothul Akbar Nooruddin Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, was once traveling through Ethiopia and observed unusually active birds. When he noticed they were all eating a specific bean, he tried a few himself and and quickly regained vitality.

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09/15People didn’t make a beverage out of coffee beans for years

People didn’t make a beverage out of coffee beans for years

The general agreement is that the plant was first discovered in Ethiopia in mid AD 800, when people simply chewed the berries. It wasn’t until the 15th century that traders from across the sea – precisely, Yemen – decided to boil the beans and make a beverage out of it.

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10/15Coffee was primarily consumed in the Islamic world

Coffee was primarily consumed in the Islamic world

For over a century, Yemeni farmers grew distinct and flavourful coffee beans and, by the 16th century, the local coffee gained regional momentum and spread through the rest of Arabia, Turkey and Persia. It was mainly consumed in religious contexts.

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