1. The United States is the world's largest consumer of coffee, importing 16 to 20 million bags annually (2.5 million pounds), representing one-third of all coffee exported. More than half of the United States population consumes coffee.  The typical coffee drinker has 3.4 cups of coffee per day.  That translates into more than 450,000,000 cups of coffee daily.
2. The largest coffee importer center in the U.S. is located in the city of New Orleans, LA.
3. ALL coffee is grown within one thousand miles of our Earth's equator between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
4. The coffee tree produces its first full crop when it is about 5 years old. Thereafter it produces consistently for 15 or 20 years.
5. A mature coffee tree will produce ONE POUND of coffee per growing season.
6. ONE POUND of ground beans makes about 50 cups of java.
7. It takes 2,000 hand-picked Arabica coffee cherries to make ONE roasted pound of coffee - or approximately 4,000 beans.
8. Coffee berries do not ripen uniformly. The same branch may display ripe red berries, unripe green berries, and overripe black berries. Conscientious growers select only the ripe berries.
9. Coffee grows in more than 50 countries and is the second largest export in the world after oil (in dollar value). Over 25 million people are employed in the coffee business world-wide.
10. Brazil, the world's largest producer, grows approximately 35% of the world's coffee.
11. Colombia is the world's second largest Arabica coffee producer.
12. Green coffee is a major import of the United States; about two-thirds of the total comes from Central and South America, with Brazil and Colombia the two largest suppliers.
13. Ground coffee loses its flavor immediately unless it is specially packaged or brewed, like those offered at Discount Coffee.  Vacuum sealed and nitrogen filled foil plastic-and-paper combinations are used to protect freshly roasted and ground coffee and keep coffee fresh for up to 6 months.
14. Flavored coffees are created after the roasting process by applying flavored oils specially created to use on coffee beans.
15. Darker roasted coffees; ie. Espresso, contains Less Caffeine than any other roast because caffeine is lost during longer roast period.
16. Fine Mexican coffees now compare with those from Central America with a fine acidity, delicate body and pleasantly mellow flavor.
17. German immigrants in Guatemala developed a cultivation process to use in extreme weather conditions. They burn rubbish and pitch near the plantations during severe weather and the dense smoke protects the trees from frost and produces a smoky flavor in the beans.
18. "Coffee Arabica" is the species name assigned to the coffee tree by European botanist Linnaeus while categorizing the flora of the Arabian peninsula.
19. Arabica beans and fine wines both derive their flavors from the soil, altitude and microclimates in which they are grown.
20. Cappuccino is so named because the drink's peak of foam resembles the color of the robes worn by the Cappuicine Monks (cowl of a Capuchin friar's habit).
21. Jamaica Blue Mountain is often regarded as the best coffee in the world.
22. In 215 B.C. the first vending machine was designed by Hero of Alexandria to vend sacrificial water.
23. In 1615, the first European coffee was sold in drugstores as a medicinal remedy.
24. In 1625, Sugar was first used to sweeten coffee.
25. In 1650, the Dutch carried the descendants of the seeds of Baba Budan stole to Java, where coffee growing subsequently flourished.
26. In 1715, Jesuits began coffee cultivation in Haiti. Due to unstable political problems, Haitian coffees are difficult to find. Deep volcanic soil in combination with heavy rainfall produce coffee that is sweet, mellow, fair-bodied and rich in flavor.
27. In 1721, the first coffee house opened in Berlin.
28. In 1773, Americans revolted against King George's Tea Tax and the Continental Congress declared coffee the official national beverage.  If it had not been for the Boston Tea Party, we may have had a cup of "Folgers Tea" this morning.  :-)
29. In 1825, Coffee was taken to Hawaii.  Click here for More Coffee History.

If you know of any coffee trivia, please share it with us and email:   Mary@DiscountCoffee.com. 

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