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Coffee Facts You May Not Know

Coffee Facts – The Plant

An unpruned coffee tree will grow to 30 feet in height, but commercially grown plants are kept to a size which makes harvesting of the coffee been easier.

The average coffee tree matures five years after it initially sprouts its first leaf and produces coffee berries. These berries are red when ripe. A single mature coffee tree will be able to produce five pounds of roasted coffee beans on average, of which only one pound will make the finest grade.

Coffee berries that contain three coffee beans are seen as a sign of good luck for most people who are in the coffee industry. Coffee berries are usually handpicked from the coffee tree. Most countries that produce coffee commercially are found along the Equator. The only states or territory of the United States of America that grows coffee commercially are Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Coffee Facts – The Commodity

Coffee is one of the most widely traded commodities in the world. In some coffee producing nations coffee has at times been a more stable medium of exchange than the local currency. Fortunes have been made and lost growing, processing and marketing coffee. Huge market fluctuations have occurred, caused by perceptions of supply and demand. Brazil is currently the largest coffee producer. Brazil is responsible for over 35% of the coffee in the world.

Coffee Facts – The Beverage

While many people are quite happy with instant coffee as their beverage of choice, there are many who think that the only ‘real’ coffee is brewed coffee. It is absolutely a matter of personal choice, based on taste and preparation requirements. An indisputable coffee fact is that any processing is detrimental to coffee quality and flavor, so a coffee ground and brewed yourself should be technically superior to an instant product.

Considering this, it is a credit to coffee processors that can produce such enjoyable instant products. This is all the more so for decaffeinated coffee, which goes through a demanding process to have the caffeine removed.

A coffee fact most people wouldn’t argue with is that it is one of the three top beverages in the world today. It is undisputedly one of the most popular beverages enjoyed by many.

Coffee was originally consumed as a beverage for its medicinal properties. The coffee facts regarding coffee’s medicinal properties are due to coffee containing a high amount of antioxidants.

These coffee facts may be interesting to coffee enthusiasts, or they may be just a bit of trivia for you to discuss over your next cup of coffee. Whatever it is, it can be useful to know some coffee facts regarding your favorite drink.