5 weird and wonderful facts you may not know about coffee
Joe. Java. Fix. Whatever you call it, coffee is something nearly everyone drinks can’t get enough of. You might lap this drink up like mother’s milk, but there’s more to coffee than you may know. We’re not talking about some hidden health benefit of coffee - though the health benefits of coffee are often forgotten or go overlooked - but rather its history as well as how it has been used and perceived.
Europeans may have only known about it since the 17th century, but legends of coffee consumption and appreciation date back to as early as the 9th century. That is just one little factoid, and below are 5 more that will (hopefully) surprise you.
1. The original pick-me-up was an energy bar – the nomadic Oromo of Ethiopia would take ground coffee beans and animal fat sometime in the first millennium and make energy bars. In other words, the precursor to the coffee-drink revolution today.
2. The New York Stock Exchange used to be a coffee house – before it became the stomping ground for sweaty men in suits, the New York Stock Exchange began as the Tontine Coffee House in 1794. It burned down in 1835, but before then, it was the meeting place of brokers, merchants, and politicians.
3. It took one sip for the Pope to not consider coffee the devil’s work – either Pope Clement VIII or Pope Clement VIII supposedly grabbed their pompoms and cheered for coffee after being approached by anti-coffee fanatics. Asked to ban coffee, the Pope took one sip and allegedly proclaimed: “This drink is so delicious that it would be a sin to let only disbelievers drink it! Let's defeat Satan by blessing the drink, which contains nothing objectionable to a Christian."
4. Coffee cherries are something elephants never forget – because it’s their favourite snack! The fruit that bears our beloved beans (they’re actually seeds!) are regularly harvested by elephants looking to get their own fix. Even more bizarrely, some people harvest the seeds of the cherry from elephant dung and sell if for $500 per pound. It’s known to have a smooth, caramel taste to it. Uh, yum?
5. The two oldest cats drank coffee every. Single. Day – the reportedly oldest cat called Crème Puff – who lived to be 38-years-old - was fed coffee every morning. Along with bacon, eggs, and broccoli, it’s clearly the fountain of youth diet. This is uncanny, considering the holder of the previous record was fed the same diet and lived till 34.
ABOUT BIBIUM:
Founded in 2012 by Wyatt and Grace, Bibium’s mission is to democratise the coffee industry and supply both coffee and top rate commercial coffee machines to professional and domestic clients alike.
With a focus on supplying offices and hospitality companies all over the UK, Bibium know that when it comes to a good cup of coffee, you should never compromise on taste or quality. Their honest business practice prioritises Fairtrade with beans that are sourced ethically, roasted locally, and priced fairly. When possible, the coffee they source is also organic and Rainforest Alliance certified.
