It’s not the name of a band, it’s the revered beings responsible for everyone’s favorite energy elixir, 2.25 billion cups of which are consumed daily worldwide.1 According to legend, Kaldi the Ethiopian goat herder discovered coffee when he noticed that his goats became energetic and would not sleep at night after eating berries from a certain tree. They were eating coffee cherries, and coffee beans are the seeds inside. Here are more fun facts to peruse as you enjoy your morning cup.
- Before becoming a drink, coffee was eaten. Early East African tribes would grind the cherries into a paste mixed with animal fat, forming small edible energy balls.2
- Each coffee cherry typically contains two seeds, but sometimes only one develops, creating what’s called a “peaberry,” which some consider to be superior in flavor.3
- The world’s most expensive coffee, Kopi Luwak, comes from partially digested coffee cherries eaten and defecated by Indonesian palm civets.4
- Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world after oil. It employs over 125 million people globally.5
- Brazil has been the world’s largest coffee producer for over 150 years. They produce around one-third of all coffee globally.6
Meanwhile, if you rock as hard as you reconcile, and you’re thinking of forming an office band and need a name (and “LIFO the Party” isn’t doing it for you), Kaldi and the Goats is probably available. I predict a strong cult following, especially among the barista set.
Enjoy responsibly
Too much caffeine can cause a variety of symptoms, including increased heart rate, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety, nausea, and headache. But what’s “too much,” four cups or 25? Fortunately, there is a helpful online calculator (of unknown provenance) that will let you know your lethal dosage amount (mine is 52.3 cups): www.caffeineinformer.com/death-by-caffeine.
