Coffee beans contain a chemical called caffeine, which has a stimulating effect on the body: it gives people an energy boost and makes them more alert. Too much coffee can make people nervous, though, and may cause insomnia (difficulty sleeping). This is one of the reasons why decaffeinated coffee has earned its place on store Continue reading →
Until the late 1700s people in North America were primarily drinking tea. That is, until 1773 when a group of about 50 men boarded English ships in the Boston harbour to empty 343 tea chests into the water because the British King George III had imposed a high tax on all imported goods – including Continue reading →
A not-so-proud episode in the history of coffee is the fact that many slaves were used to harvest the beans in the colonies like Brazil. Women and children harvested and sorted the seeds. Men were forced to prepare the land, plant the trees, prune them and digging irrigation ditches. Later they were joined by poorly Continue reading →
Ethiopia – Kaldi Around 8500 AD, and Abyssinian goat herder named Kaldi witnessed his goats jumping around wildly after eating leaves and berries of a coffee plant. He then tried the coffee berries and leaves himself, and felt delighted and energetic. He showed the berries to monks in a nearby monastery, where the monks threw Continue reading →
The first coffee tree grew in the Kaffa region in Ethiopia (then called Abyssinia), which is in North-East Africa. The people there, called Abyssinians, initially did not drink coffee, though – they at the berries and the leaves. They also ground the beans and mixed the ground with animal fat or butter. The balls that Continue reading →
Coffee is the world’s second most traded commodity, after oil. It is made from the roasted beans (seeds) of the coffee plant. About 1.5 billion cups of coffee are being consumed every day. The large multinationals that control the market are: Procter and Gamble Sara Lee Kraft Foods Nestlé
Some people can’t get through a day without coffee. As a host, having the right coffee maker for visitors is a necessity. Coffee is also a wonderful conversation starter and makes your home smell good in a comfortable, familiar kind of way. Who doesn’t love to smell a good cup of coffee brewing?
