Coffee, generally consumed hot, is made from the coffee plant’s roasted seeds, named coffee beans. Considered the second-most traded commodity in the world, following to petroleum, it is hailed as modern man’s chief origin of caffeine for that extra burst of energy. The perceived profits and chances of this powerful beverage continue the subject of debate among coffee drinkers worldwide.
How did the word “coffee” come into being? This term 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 unnamed, although some think that the drink maybe came from the Kaffa region in Ethopia, where the plant earlier 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 huge popularity, the law was made obsolete shortly after. From then on, owing to the initiating attempts of the British and Dutch East India societies, coffee found its direction to Europe in the 16th century.
One of the 2 main species of the coffee plant is “Coffea Arabica,” its name implying that its root was the Arabian Peninsula, but it is indigenous in Ethiopia. Although Arabica is more prone to disease, coffee fans believe it to be more saporous than “coffea canephora” (robusta), which holds double as much caffeine. However, the later is proven to be a natural insecticide and stimulant, growing in places where the former can't grow. Thus, it is used as an cheap substitute for Arabica in commercial coffee blends and in almost totally instant coffee products.
Robusta compared to Arabica, 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 best affordability. In reality, Italian espresso blends are made from dark-roasted Robusta.
A few blend forms are so popular and in demand that they command a higher cost, examples of which are the Jamaican Blue Mountain and the Hawaiian Kona coffees. Frequently, these beans are mixed with other, less-expensive forms and the term blend is added to the label, such as “Blue Mountain Blend” or “Kona Blend”.
