Today is a day that people who are connoisseurs of a certain kind of bean can get in on. It is National Coffee Day! Now, I know, every day is a celebration of coffee, right? Well, maybe not to the members of the faith that I was raised in, but I can drink the beverage guilt-free now! So how did you celebrate the day?

Stores across the nation had special deals on some coffee drinks. Ironically, the store one would think would offer their customers some kind of bargain on their specialty item did not really have a sale, but Starbucks celebrated today, and will continue to celebrate through Sunday by having no menu boards. Instead, Starbucks is sharing information with customers about how their coffee purchases have made a difference, and will educate on the company’s commitment to coffee from ethical and sustainable sources.

Several other offers were available. A local coffee shop in our area used 20% of the proceeds made today on purchases to go toward Puerto Rico’s hurricane disaster relief.

Fun facts about coffee:

 80% of adults consume caffeine every day in the United States.

The Food and Drug Administration says the average intake is 200 milligrams,which is about two five-ounce cups of coffee.

The original definition of coffee means “wine.”

Coffee was originally named qahwah, came from the Yemen term for wine. The Turks called it kahveh, then the Dutch referred to it as koffie. Donald Trump prefers covfefe. Just kidding, I had to get the joke in somehow.

Decaf is not really caffeine-free.

An eight ounce brewed cup of decaf coffee actually has two-to-12 milligrams of caffeine, while a regular cup of coffee has anywhere from 95 to 200 milligrams. Not a whole lot of caffeine, but you are not escaping it altogether by pouring the decaf in your cup.

 Brazil produces most of the world’s coffee.

40% of the world’s coffee comes out of Brazil- twice as much as Colombia and Vietnam(who come in 2nd and 3rd in production).

Coffee is the second most traded commodity on our planet.

The Global Exchange tells us that there are approximately 25 million farmers in over 50 countries involved in producing coffee. It comes in 2nd to oil.

Mormons aren’t the only ones who have banned coffee.

The first ban seems to originate in Mecca in 1511. Why?  Leaders believed it stimulated radical thinking.  Italian clergymen in the 16th century tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” That ban was lifted by Pope Clement VII, a coffee lover in 1600. Ottoman leader Murad IV created punishments for coffee drinkers in 1623  which included beatings and being thrown into the sea. In 1746, Swedes weren’t even allowed to have cups or plates for coffee. In 1777, Frederick the Great of Prussia declared that beer was superior to coffee, so he proclaimed a manifesto to prevent coffee from being chosen over beer.

There may be some health benefits to drinking coffee

According to WebMD, research shows that coffee drinkers, compared to nondrinkers, are less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. They also have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems, and strokes.

 

Now I leave you with Ralph’s World “The Coffee Song.” Let me know what your favorite drink is by leaving a comment below!