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The legend goes that goat herders first noticed the effect that coffee could offer around 800 AD. They watched as their goats appeared to 'dance' after eating the fruit of the Coffea plant. With a building curiosity, upon hearing of such a plant, a local monk used the produce to make a drink. He found that it kept him awake at night.
The first cup of caffeine had been consumed! It would only take another 1170 years for the first Starbucks to open...
Coffee was once banned
During the 16th century, leaders in Mecca believed that coffee stimulated radical thinking and caused 'satanic worshipping'. The substance was banned, an action that was later followed by Italian clergymen with the same concerns. However, the beans were reinstated by Pope Clement VII as a tradeable commodity due to his fondness for the drink.This brought about further issues, however. Due to its supposed ties to rebellious and religious sentiment, the Swedish government outlawed both coffee and all related paraphernalia. Basically, if you owned a coffee cup, you could look forward to a stint in jail.
The world's most expensive coffee costs $600 per pound...
...and the processing method is rather unique. Black Ivory Coffee comes from Thailand and is prepared by elephants. The gentle giants process the beans by digesting them, with their stomach acid breaking down the bean proteins.This method provides a robust flavour, but only a small amount can be produced at a time. As such, the stuff is pricey. A single cup will cost you around £40 when available. At present, this is the most expensive bean in the world.
World's largest coffee cup
How does consuming 22,739.14 litres of coffee sound? Fatal? You'd probably be right. Luckily, this was only an exercise for the Guinness World Record claim. Created by Alcaldia Municipal de Chinchina of Columbia on June 15, 2019, the massive cup contained 5001 UK gallons of Arabic coffee.In order to build this giant cup, some fifty people worked on the project for a month straight.
Coffee is a drug and you can overdose
It is not uncommon to find yourself addicted to coffee. Caffeine has proven itself to be an addiction, but you can overdose on the stuff akin to harder substances. One teenager in the U.S.A suffered a fatal 'caffeine-induced cardiac event causing a probable arrhythmia' courtesy of an overdose attributed to downing a Mountain Dew, a cafe latte, and an energy drink in quick succession.This potent cocktail caused a rapid and irregular heartbeat that disturbed the flow of blood and lead to low blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and death. Toxic levels that can lead to fatal overdoses are the equivalent of 30 cups of coffee within an hour.
Live forever! Sort of...
That said, coffee drinkers tend to live longer. Research has linked moderate consumption with a longer life span. Having around two cups of coffee per day can also have a positive effect against cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's - according to various outlets.For more information on coffee and UK sales figures, get in touch with our data team.
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