Coffee Coffee Coffee

Coffee Coffee Coffee The Facts and Fun of Coffee
Contents
The History of Coffee .............................................................................................................................. 2 Coffee In Society ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Coffee Throughout the years .................................................................................................................. 3 The Effects of Coffee on Your Body ........................................................................................................ 4 The End ................................................................................................................................................... 4 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 5
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Coffee, yes, that makes 4 times that I have written it before I have even finished the first paragraph, thats how much I love it. Coffee Coffee Coffee, there I go again. I should probably admit that I have had 2 coffees in the last hour or so, which probably explains my new found love and need to write about this magnificent drink. I drink it every day and I suspect that most of the world does as well, so lets take a little look at this beautiful black brew that fuels modern society.
The History of Coffee

The history of coffee goes something like this, back in the 9th century when the most likely apocryphal Ethiopian goat herder Kaldi discovered that when his goats ate these certain berries they jumped around like. Well, goats I imagine. But he discovered that his goats had much more energy after they ate these magical berries. So he did as any self-respecting person would do, he tried some himself, and the world was forever changed. It took only a few centuries for coffee to spread though Africa, up through the middle east to Europe, and then eventually all the way to the Americas. The English word Coffee is derived from the Dutch Koffie which in turn was derived from the Turkish Kahve, which was in turn from the Arabic Qahwa which is short for Wine from the Bean. While it might be fun to say in any language, there is a dark side to the history of coffee. Coffee was a major factor in the slave trade for over 300 years, with millions of slaves stolen from their African homeland over to the Americas to work the Coffee Bean Crops. Sugar gets a bad reputation with regards to the slave trade, but it is important to consider that the Coffee trade had just as devastating an effect as the sugar trade.
Coffee In Society
Consider how many cultures drink coffee on a daily basis. Even though it was founded in Africa and cultivated by the Arab world, the per capita consumption of coffee is actually higher in the United States than it is in most other Middle Eastern Countries [1]. In Fact, the country that consumes the most coffee per person surprisingly Finland, with 12.0kg per person per year [1]!
Coffee is used in many religious ceremonies throughout the world, such as in Yemen and many parts of Eastern Africa [2]. In fact, because of this, Coffees home country of Ethiopias official Church went so far as to ban all consumption of coffee by non-religious people. Needless to say this went down like a tired, sluggish grumpy house on fire. There is nothing that I like more than to grab a coffee, and sit down with a friend to chat, and it has been this way for hundreds of years. Coffee Houses or cafes sprung up in countries almost as soon as it was introduced to their society. Scholars and philosopher drinking this wonderful beverage soon discovered that one cup could do wonders for their mental and verbal capacity, so much so that in Britain and Mecca alike coffee houses were actually banned for a number of years because of the dangerous ideas that were concocted inside of them. Ironically, many of these discussions were aimed at taking away power from corrupt and dangerous leaders who would do things like ban coffee houses.
Coffee Throughout the years

The cup of coffee that we all know and love took hundreds of years to come to be as it is now. Coffee was at first consumed essentially raw, being crushed up and either roasted and mixed with fat or dumplings. The first cup of coffee is said to have been made with the leaves, not the berries of the plant [3]. In the 16th century coffee was first introduced to The Ottoman Empire, it was here that the beans were roasted over a fire, then they were ground up and boiled in water. This new method of drinking coffee was what really prompted coffee to become popular and quickly spread around the world. Espresso machines were said to have been invented in France in the early 1800s, but it was in 1884 that the worlds very first espresso machine was patented by an Italian man. But this didnt become very popular until it was greatly improved in 1901 by Luigi Bezzara. After this, the French Press was the next major invention of the coffee world, first patented in 1929.
However you like your coffee, just be glad that it has come a long way from being crushed up with animal fat to be served to you.
The Effects of Coffee on Your Body

This is where it really starts to get interesting. Coffee has been linked to many positive health effects in human beings including [4]: Decreased risk of depression in Women Decreased risk of prostate cancer in men Increased fertility rates in both sexes Decreased risk of developing Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease Increased mental capacity and memory Decreased risk of cancer Increased weight loss in humans.
The list goes on and on, but there are also many negative effects of consumption and more importantly over-consumption of coffee, such as : Addiction to Caffeine Gastritis Problems Higher Blood Pressure Higher cholesterol in certain types of coffee Interaction with paracetamol can damage your liver
Combine this with the fact that many people dont consume their coffee without adding in spoonfuls of sugar and cream, can lead to serious health risks in some people. The important thing to remember is to take your coffee like you would anything else, sensibly and in moderation.
The End
Well, that was a short look at coffee. I hope you enjoyed it, now go out and enjoy one for me.
Bibliography
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_coffee_consumption_per_capita [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee [3] http://www.konajoe.com/first_cup_of_coffee.html [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_coffee

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Coffee Coffee Coffee The Facts and Fun of Coffee