Surprising Little Known Coffee Facts For Trivial Pursuit

The word we use today to describe the popular black beverage, coffee, was once used to describe wine. Indeed, this drink was often interchanged with wine and sometimes used instead of wine in the religious ceremonies of the Mohammedans, because it had the result of keeping believers awake during the long night of prayers.
That's just one of many, many more amazing coffee facts.
All over the world, people drink coffee, but depending on which country you come from you may drink your coffee a little different. For example, in Italy, Italians drink coffee fast and they sweeten it with sugar. The Germans, Belgians and the Swiss, however, add hot chocolate, while Mexicans favor cinnamon. Austrians like whipped cream, and Moroccans peppercorns, while Ethiopians add salt. The Egyptians and Turks prefer strong and thick coffee with no milk at all.
The story of caffeine
Believe it or not, caffeine is a prohibited substance for the International Olympic Committee. In fact, if athletes test positive to more than around 12 micograms of caffeine per millilieter of urine, which translates to about 5 cups of coffee, they may well be banned from competition.
The human body absorbes about 300 milligrams of caffeine during intake. That translates to about four cups. After four cups, the body no longer absorbs the caffeine, so even if you drink more the body does not display any further stimulation. But the body releases about twenty percent of caffeine intake every hour.
International facts and figures
Germans are now the world's second largest consumers of coffee. Previously, a German government hired a special force to uncover illicit coffee traders.
Over 53 countries grow coffee. Costa Ricans grow a lot of coffee, but the coffee plant was imported by the Spaniard, Navarro, in 1779.
A French national invented the percolator. That was in 1827. An Italian invented the espresso machine. That was in 1903. Greeks and Turks traditionally brew coffee over a strong fire and using a tiny pot called a briki.
Before that, coffee beans were roasted over a charcoal fire. Actually, though we call them coffee beans, they are actually coffee berries. Each year over seven million beans are produced.
More coffee facts and trivia
The Japanese celebrate official coffee day on October 1st. The Japanese are the third largest consumers of coffee in the world.
Germans are more likely to sweeten their coffee than Americans.
Americans kicked off the flavored coffee trend back in the 1970s.
Dark roasted coffees have less caffeine than medium roasts. That's why espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee.
Centuries ago, coffee was thought of as a meal. Ethiopians mixed coffee beans with animal fat and rolled them into balls, to have an an energy power snack.
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