21 Surprising Coffee Facts: Coffee Beans Are Seeds, Drinking Coffee Helps You Live Longer

When you hold a cup of sweet specialty coffee with citrus notes from Yirgacheffe, have you ever wondered about some things about coffee? Coffee has fascinating background stories behind it. FrontStreet Coffee invites you to explore another side of coffee, adding rich stories to your coffee experience.

This Beverage Can Be Traced Back to 800 AD

Legend has it that 9th-century shepherds noticed the effects of caffeine on their goats - the goats seemed to "dance" after eating the fruits of coffee plants. A local monk made a beverage with this product and found it kept him awake all night, thus the first coffee was born.

Coffee Beans Are Technically Seeds

They are the pits of cherry-like berries found on flowering shrubs, but we call them "beans" because of their similarity to legumes.

There Are Mainly Two Varieties: Arabica and Robusta

Growers primarily plant Arabica varieties. Although less popular, Robusta has a slightly more bitter taste and contains more caffeine.

Brazil Is the World's Largest Coffee Producer

According to the International Coffee Organization, Brazil's coffee production accounts for about one-third of the world's supply today, approximately twice that of the second-largest producer, Vietnam.

Only Two States in the US Produce Coffee

Kona coffee is America's gift to the coffee world. Since coffee traditionally grows best in equatorial climates, Hawaii's weather is ideal for harvesting coffee beans. California has recently joined the coffee game, with dozens of farms now producing expensive, premium bags.

Espresso Means "Pressed Out" in Italian

This refers to how espresso is made - forcing boiling water through pressed coffee grounds. Although a shot of espresso contains more caffeine than coffee, it takes three espresso shots to equal the caffeine in one regular cup of coffee.

The World's Most Expensive Coffee Sells for Over $600 Per Pound

One of the most coveted varieties comes from the feces of the Asian palm civet. This cat-like creature eats fruits, including coffee cherries, but cannot digest the coffee beans. The excreted seeds produce a smooth, less acidic coffee known as kopi luwak (civet coffee), though this production method has drawn criticism from animal welfare activists.

Many People Attempted to Ban Coffee

As early as 1511, leaders in Mecca believed it stimulated radical thinking and banned the beverage. Some 16th-century Italian clergy also tried to prohibit coffee because they considered it "satanic." However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and baptized coffee in 1600.

Even in the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and coffee paraphernalia (including cups and saucers) illegal because of its association with rebellious sentiments.

You Can Overdose on Coffee

Don't worry - you'd need to drink about 30 cups in a short period to approach a lethal dose of caffeine.

Finland Is Home to the Biggest Coffee Lovers

According to the International Coffee Organization, Finns drink an average of 27.5 pounds of coffee per person annually. In comparison, each American consumes a mere 11 pounds.

Coffee Drinkers Tend to Live Longer

According to Harvard Health Publishing, studies show that moderate consumption (about 3 to 4 cups daily) is associated with longer lifespans and reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson's disease.

A 9-Foot-Tall Cup Filled with the Largest Cup of Coffee Ever

The 3,487-gallon serving earned a Guinness World Record in 2012.

The Boston Tea Party Boosted Coffee's Popularity in America

On the eve of the Revolutionary War, PBS reveals that drinking Java instead of tea became patriotic. The Civil War also made the beverage more common as it helped energize weary troops.

Decaf Doesn't Mean Caffeine-Free

According to the Mayo Clinic, an 8-ounce cup of decaf coffee actually contains 2 to 12 milligrams of caffeine. In comparison, a regular cup provides 95 to 200 milligrams, while a can of cola contains about 23 to 35 milligrams.

The Word "Coffee" Comes from the Arabic Word for "Wine"

Qahwah later became the Turkish kahveh, then the Dutch koffie, which is where we get the English word coffee.

Starbucks Opens an Average of Two Stores Daily

Forty-seven years after opening its first store in Seattle, you can now order a Venti latte at more than 29,000 locations worldwide.

A Cup of Black Coffee Has Only One Calorie

Adding sweeteners, cream, and other mixtures can quickly increase the total. A Venti Java Chip Frappuccino from Starbucks contains 88 grams of sugar and 600 calories - more than a McDonald's Big Mac!

Teddy Roosevelt Reportedly Created Maxwell House's Slogan

According to the Smithsonian website, our nation's 26th president loved coffee so much that one of his sons described his custom cup as "more like a bathtub." In 1907, while visiting Andrew Jackson's home, the Commander-in-Chief dubbed a cup of Maxwell House joe as "Good to the Last Drop" - the slogan still used today.

You Can Order Coffee in 25,000 Different Ways at Dunkin'

The recently renamed donut chain calculated the possibilities for its customizable java beverages. It sells 2 billion cups globally annually, enough for customers to choose each option 80,000 times.

Coffee Grounds Can Beautify Your Skin

Save your leftover grounds for a DIY scrub. "Coffee grounds are physical exfoliants that can remove dead skin cells and make skin feel smooth and look brighter," says Danusia Wnek, chemist at the Good Housekeeping Beauty Lab. "And caffeine is thought to improve blood circulation to the skin, but there's not enough clinical data yet to prove its use in topical products."

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