Coffee is a drink that can be consumed hot or cold. It is actually one of the most widely consumed drinks in the whole world and one of the most widely traded food crops.
The coffee drink is made from coffee cherries which grow on trees in Latin America, Southern Asia and Africa. The cherries contain the seeds which are commonly called coffee beans (although not actually true beans) and it is these beans that are processed and roasted to create the drink. The degree to which the beans are roasted strongly influences the flavour of the end product. Different varieties of the evergreen coffee tree (Coffea) are cultivated and the most sought after is Coffea arabica which is grown on a commercial scale. Coffea canephora (robusta) is also a widely grown variety and it is more able to fight off than the arabica.
The drink produced from the coffee beans is very dark and has an acidic flavour and a stimulating effect on the human body. This biological effect is because of the caffeine content and it is this compound that also gives the bitter taste. Caffeine is the plant’s natural defence against being eaten. Caffeine levels vary between the different coffee varieties. Arabica contains far less than robusta. Caffeine was first extracted from coffee by Friedlieb Runge in 1820.
People have drunk coffee for hundreds of years and the first country of origin was Ethiopia. The popularity of coffee then spread from the Muslim countries to the rest of the world and there are no signs that people are tiring of it.
Coffee is served in many ways these days. Café’s offer a sometimes bewildering selection from espresso, cappuccino, American and latte to iced coffee or decaf.
The most exclusive and pricey coffee is Kopi Luwak or Civet Poo Coffee. Civets are excellent at picking out the best coffee cherries and the seeds contained within them pass through the animal’s digestive tract unhurt. The excreted seeds are then collected and turned into coffee. Although some say it is the best coffee in the world, Kopi Luwak is controversial because in many cases the civets are caged, and animal cruelty has been recorded, making the product unethical for many.
There are many ways you can get your coffee fix now, from roasting your own beans at home to getting a barrista at a café to make you an espresso. You can make a cup of instant at home or get something from a coffee vending machine and with the improvements in vending machines now, you don’t have to compromise on taste.
For the millions of coffee lovers out there, there seems to be something for everyone.