coffee maker

Nothing perks up a lazy morning like coffee. What is this dark-colored substance made of and why can’t some people survive a day without having even just one sip of this stimulant?

Coffee
normally taken hot
is made from the coffee plant’s roasted seeds
called coffee beans. Considered the second-most traded commodity in the world
next to petroleum
it is hailed as modern man’s chief source of caffeine for that extra burst of energy. The perceived benefits and hazards of this potent drink remain the subject of debate among coffee drinkers worldwide.

How did the word “coffee” come into being? The term “coffee” is known by many names among various peoples of the world. It came to England in 1598
via the Italian “caffe.” The Turkish term for it is “kahveh
” while the Arabic word for it is “qahwa.” Its origin is still unknown
although some believe that the drink possibly came from the Kaffa region in Ethopia
where the plant originally named “bunna
” the precursor of coffee
came from.

Did you know that coffee drinking was outlawed in Mecca in 1511
and in Cairo in 1532? Due to coffee’s immense popularity
the law was made obsolete soon after. From then on
owing to the pioneering efforts of the British and Dutch East India companies
coffee found its way to Europe in the sixteenth century.

One of the two main species of the coffee plant is “Coffea Arabica
” its name implying that its origin was the Arabian Peninsula
but it is indigenous in Ethiopia. Although Arabica is more prone to disease
coffee lovers consider it to be more flavorful than “coffea canephora” (robusta)
which holds twice as much caffeine. However
the later is proven to be a natural insecticide and stimulant
growing in places where the former cannot grow. Thus
it is used as an inexpensive substitute for Arabica in commercial coffee blends and in almost all instant coffee products.

Compared to Arabica
robusta is more bitter
with a burnt-rubber smell and taste. Robusta of finer quality are used in espresso blends for a foamy effect and for better affordability. In fact
Italian espresso blends are made from dark-roasted Robusta.

Some blend varieties are so popular and in demand that they command a higher price
examples of which are the Jamaican Blue Mountain and the Hawaiian Kona coffees. Often
these beans are mixed with other
less-expensive varieties and the term blend is added to the label
such as “Blue Mountain Blend” or “Kona Blend”.

So beat those morning blues with an adrenaline-pumping sip of this favorite drink among caffeine addicts worldwide.