Brew Up Some Knowledge: Fun Coffee Facts

It’s a Matter of Coffee Fact

You and your friends love everything coffee and it’s becoming increasingly harder to wow them with your coffee knowledge. Fret not! We’ve compiled a list of coffee facts so strange and bizarre that your friends will start calling you factuccino before long! Okay, maybe they won’t give you the moniker of factuccino, but they’ll certainly be impressed that you know these 5 incredible coffee facts!

1. Dancing Goats and Coffee Monks

Coffee can trace its usage back to around 800AD thanks to a tale involving…you guessed it, dancing goats and coffee monks! The story goes that a local goat herder called Kaldi, in 9th century Ethiopia, noticed that his goats would behave strangely after consuming the fruit of the Coffea plant. Post-consumption of the plant, the goats were said to be restless at night and even danced wildly. 

Kaldi later reported his strange observation to the abbot of a local monastery. The abbot brewed a drink out of the berries of the plant which gave him energy and kept him awake during the night, which surprised and delighted him. He then made more of the drink and shared it with other monks, and from there, the legendary properties of energizing coffee beans were known. Over time, as word traveled, coffee ended up in the Arab Peninsula, where it would become a staple of the world.

It’s strange to think that dancing goats and coffee monks were not only the first recorded tales of coffee consumption and its effects but also responsible for coffee’s spread around the world!

2. Brazil vs Finland

This isn’t an obscure reference to a football match, but rather the two countries that are responsible for different coffee records. Brazil is the country that produces the most coffee in the world at 3,558,000 metric tons (7,844,000,000 pounds) per year. This is twice the amount as Vietnam, the second-highest producer of coffee, globally. 

Finland, meanwhile, is the country with the highest coffee consumption per capita in the world. On average, an adult Finn will consume 12.5 kg (27.5lbs) of coffee a year. To give this some context, the average adult American only consumes 5kg (11lbs) of coffee a year. 

3. Coffee Beans aren’t Beans?

Nope. Coffee beans are actually seeds that come from a cherry-like fruit. The pits are just called beans because of their resemblance to legumes. One of the most fun ways to prove that coffee beans are seeds is to mention that in the past coffee berries (which can’t produce beans) were crushed into pulp and fermented into wine! Can you imagine a wine that perks you up? Is this a business idea yet?

4. What’s The Most Expensive Coffee in the World?

The Asia Palm Civet is a Southeast Asian wild feline that resides mainly in forested areas is integral to the production of the world’s most expensive coffee. Feasting on a diet of fruits including coffee cherries, which contain seeds (not beans), the Asia Palm Civet digests the cherry, but not the seed. When it err…answers the call of nature, the seeds emerge changed. The flavor profile ends up being less acidic and much smoother, which makes for a delicious coffee brew.  In Indonesia, where this special type of coffee culture is found, Palm Civet coffee is known as Kopi Luwak. Kopi means coffee and Luwak is the local name for the Palm Civet. 

Now that you know the facts surrounding Kopi Luwak, just how much does Kopi Luwak cost?  Well, on average, it costs up to USD600 per pound (0.45kg)! 

5. Low Calorie and Great for Skin

While a lot of us think of coffee as a rich, decadent indulgence, it certainly doesn’t have to be this way. A single cup of black coffee only contains 1 calorie! However, when we add milk, sweeteners, and all the other additives we enjoy, the calorie counter quickly gets ramped up. 

Continuing on the trend of coffee facts about health, did you know that coffee grinds are actually great for your skin as natural exfoliators? Because of their slightly rough and coarse texture, you can make a homemade mask or scrub with coffee grinds to help lift off dead skin. The result is smoother and brighter skin that helps you look and feel your best!

Use These Coffee Facts to Stimulate any Coffee Conversation

Coffee is a fascinating hobby and is a great launching pad for stimulating conversations. However, since so many people love coffee these days, it’s hard to really stand out when discussing coffee if you’re not a connoisseur. Unless, that is, you know five of the most fascinating coffee facts out there! So, next time you’re out with friends and the topic of coffee comes up, don’t be afraid to flex your knowledge and perk up the conversation with your awesome coffee facts!