14 Fun Coffee Facts You Probably Didn't Know

Freshly brewed coffee is our favorite thing. But here's some stuff we didn't know until recently...

  • When it was first discovered in Ethiopia, legend has it that coffee was discovered by a goat herder when he noticed that the beans of a plant were making his goats crazy. 
  • The name cappuccino actually comes from a reference to the drink resembling the attire worn by Capuchin monks. 
  • Residents of New York consume nearly 7 times more coffee than any other city in the US.
  • In the 1600s, a French doctor suggested café au laits for his patients. This later inspired people to add milk to their coffee.
  • Some stories say that Voltaire, the famous French Philosopher, would drink up to 50 cups of coffee a day. 
  • The word espresso means “when something is forced out” in Italian.
  • Coffee was the first food that was ever freeze-dried.
  • The Italian government actually regulates espresso. The reason for this is that it is considered by many to be an essential part of their everyday life.
  • Hawaii is the only state in the US that grows coffee commercially.
  • Coffee beans are located in the pit of a berry, which technically makes it a fruit.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach wrote an opera about a woman who had a coffee addiction.
  • In Italy, the average age for a barista is 48 years of age. In America, they’re primarily in their 20s. 
  • The name coffee came from the Arabic phrase “qahhwat al-bun.” It was then shortened to “qahwa.” The Turks then turned this into “khave.” The Dutch changed it to “koffie”. Finally, the English changed it to coffee.
  • The first webcam was invented at the University of Cambridge to let people know if the coffee pot was empty or full...  (I tried to find a link, but it's not up anymore. Bummer!)