Fun with Food

15 Things You Didn't Know About Your Morning Coffee

Posted by Ashley Tomlinson on November 21, 2016

Every day you reach for a cup of coffee, but how much do you really know about what goes into making your morning cup? Coffee is everywhere, yet it is often misunderstood. Here are 15 fascinating facts and figures behind this incredible beverage.

Ashley Tomlinson

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It Starts with a Cherry

<p>Coffee, as we know it, is the seed of a fruit known as a coffee cherry. The centre of each cherry is made up of two coffee beans, which explains why one side of a typical coffee bean is flat. It's estimated that 5 percent of cherries have a mutation that causes them to grow with one bean inside. This round shaped bean is considered sweeter by some and is referred to as a peaberry.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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1 Plant = 2 lbs. of Coffee

<p>One coffee plant produces roughly 10 pounds of coffee cherries per year, which works out to be two pounds of green coffee after processing. Green coffee beans will lose additional weight during roasting.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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You Can Even Drink the Skins

<p>The skins of coffee cherries can be dried and turned into a delicious herbal tea or tisane called cascara. Once a byproduct of coffee processing, cascara is now gaining in popularity. The word cascara translates from Spanish to mean the peel or skin of a fruit.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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Your Favourite Mug Makes it Taste Better

<p>The colour of the mug you use can affect how you perceive the flavour of your coffee. Studies show, in comparison to transparent mugs and blue mugs, white mugs can make your morning cup taste less sweet.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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Note the Roast Date

<p>Although most coffee is sold with an expiry date, the most important date to pay attention to when buying or brewing coffee is its roast date. To achieve maximum flavour and freshness, it's best to enjoy beans a few days post roast for up to 6 or 7 weeks.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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Canadians Love Their Coffee

<p>Coffee is the most commonly consumed beverage in Canada. According to the Coffee Association of Canada’s annual survey, 67 percent of Canadians ages 18 to 79 drank a cup of coffee yesterday.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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Flavour Factors

<p>Much like wine, the terroir — or land and conditions a coffee is grown in — can influence the flavour of your morning cup. Soil, altitude, climate, and topography all play a role in shaping the taste and aroma of a coffee.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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Coffee is a Livelihood

<p>Coffee is responsible for the livelihoods of roughly 125 million people worldwide, creating nearly 100,000 jobs in Canada alone.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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There’s a Coffee Dictionary

<p>This year, World Coffee Research released its first Sensory Lexicon or dictionary of 110 flavours found in coffee and their references. Some of the flavours identified in coffee include: blueberry, rose, pineapple, hazelnut, vegetative, coconut, cinnamon, woody, petroleum, and strawberry.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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Brew-it-Yourself

<p>Seven out of 10 Canadian coffee drinkers choose to brew and enjoy their daily cup of Joe in the comfort of their home.</p>
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Coffee Can be Good For You

<p>Studies show moderate coffee consumption is good for you. Coffee is packed with antioxidants, plus it can help improve your mood and increase physical performance.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

<p>Used coffee grounds can be transformed into biofuel to heat homes and potentially power buses. Researchers have also found that our coffee waste can be added to foam filters to remove lead and mercury from water.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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Roast with the Most

<p>Coffee roasting is critical to the flavour and aroma of your morning cup and is considered both an art and a science. Light roast generally has more caffeine, acidity, and less oils than dark roast.</p>
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Coffee Champs

<p>Every year, baristas from around the globe compete to be the best at pouring steamed milk into espresso in the World Latte Art Championships. Competitors are judged on creativity, contrast, performance, and their ability to pour the same design twice.</p>
Ashley Tomlinson

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Know Your Caffeine

<p>Health Canada reports adults can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine per day which is the equivalent of between three to five 8-oz cups of coffee. The average 8-oz cup of brewed coffee has approximately 135 mg of caffeine.</p> <p><em>Ashley is a perpetual café tourist and student of specialty coffee. She is the founder of a coffee and lifestyle website called <a href="http://www.thelittleblackcoffeecup.com/" target="_blank">The Little Black Coffee Cup</a> where she develops recipes, takes photos, writes stories, and brews delicious coffee.</em></p>
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