Free Coffee Trivia: The Origin of Drip Coffee, Who Invented Cold Brew Coffee, and Where Does Arabica Originate?

Even after reading countless books, there are always some pieces of knowledge that are often overlooked because they are too trivial. Such knowledge is what we call "fun facts." Today, FrontStreet Coffee will share some fun facts about coffee!

There's No Spanish Latte in Spain

The Spanish Latte, a signature product of the well-known chain brand %Arabica, has gained immense popularity since its launch. It's a coffee made from espresso, milk, and condensed milk. Because the name contains "Spanish," people naturally associate it with a specialty coffee from Spain.

But did you know that if you visit a café in Spain, you won't find "Spanish Latte" on the menu? Even if you ask local coffee shop owners, they won't know what kind of coffee product this is because Spanish Latte doesn't actually exist in Spain! However, there is a local specialty coffee called "Café Bombón" (Candy Coffee) that is very similar to Spanish Latte. It's made only from condensed milk and espresso, without milk. Therefore, people speculate that Spanish Latte might be an adaptation of this "Café Bombón." (For related articles, you can click FrontStreet Coffee's portal to learn more → "How to Make Spanish Coffee~")

Cold Brew Coffee Wasn't Invented in Japan

Cold drip coffee is a method that uses special equipment to guide ice water to extract coffee! Because this equipment was invented in Japan, cold drip coffee is also known as "Kyoto coffee." Cold drip coffee is a type of cold brew coffee (evolved from cold brew), which often leads people to mistakenly believe that cold brew coffee was invented in Japan. But the fact is, that's not the case.

In Western countries, cold brew coffee is called "Dutch Coffee." As the name suggests, it's a coffee brewing method invented by the Dutch. Although the specific inventor can no longer be traced, according to research in the international coffee community, the birth of cold brew coffee can be traced back to the Age of Exploration! In the early 18th century, Dutch people traveling by sea to trade in Batavia, Indonesia, accidentally discovered a method of extracting coffee with ice water. The coffee extracted this way not only lacked the usual bitterness but was also exceptionally sweet, completely different from the freshly ground coffee of that time. This novel coffee brewing method then spread to various places with the Dutch travels, including the shogunate of the Edo period in Japan, where this extraction method was deeply loved by the Japanese.

As the Japanese fascination with cold brew grew, they continuously optimized the brewing process, and then cold drip pots based on ice water extraction were developed, opening a brand new era. However, we need to know that while the Japanese invented the cold drip pot, the cold brew coffee brewing method itself was not their invention.

Arabica Shouldn't Actually Be Called Arabica

Small-bean Arabica originated in Yemen and spread throughout Europe and then the world via Yemen's Mocha port. Influenced by the word "Yemen" on coffee bean sacks for a long time, people in Western countries believed that coffee beans originated in Yemen. This led to the Swedish botanist Carl von Linné, when writing his book "Species Plantarum," designating the scientific name of this small-bean coffee according to the binomial nomenclature: Coffea arabica L.

The scientific names of plants are mainly named based on their nature, characteristics, or origin. The so-called binomial nomenclature means the first noun represents the genus, the second noun represents the species, and finally, the name of the person who named it is appended. So translated, it means: Arabica species under the Coffea genus, named by Linné. But as we well know today with developed information, although Arabica originated from the Arab world, it didn't actually come from Arabia. Its true origin is from Africa, across from the Mocha port - Ethiopia. If Mr. Linné had known about Arabica's true homeland back then, he would have probably correctly named it Ethiopia! But as Mr. Han Huaizong mentioned in his book "Specialty Coffee Studies," this isn't necessarily a bad thing - the naming of Arabica is a beautiful misunderstanding. (For related articles, you can visit FrontStreet Coffee's portal to learn more → "Why Arabica Shouldn't Be Called Arabica")

- END -

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473