COFFEE WHAT A PASSION
Ristretto, long, macchiato, decaffeinated, with cold milk, with hot, bitter, very sweet milk, in a large cup, in glass, boiling, or rather, burning, cold or slightly warm.
The important thing is that it is coffee!
Coffee is the favorite drink of Italians: as many as 97% of the population between 18 and 65 consumes coffee or coffee-based drinks, at least occasionally.
An indispensable pleasure, therefore, which for Italians has different values:
- serves to recharge the batteries; coffee for breakfast is essential for most Italians, but also during the day, to regain energy;
- it is a moment of conviviality; coffee is often an opportunity to meet up with friends, at home or at the bar, an excuse to chat at any time of the day;
- it is a good way to “take a break”: the ideal way to disconnect from work, from daily commitments, to take a moment to yourself.
There are many curiosities about coffee. Let’s see some of them!
Who Discovered Coffee?
Several folk tales relate the story of Kaldi, a young shepherd from the Ethiopian region of Kaffa who lived around 850 AD.
Legend has it that one day the shepherd was surprised to see his sleepy goats start dancing after chewing red berries: Kaldi tasted them too and found them invigorating.
Later, a monk, observing the cheerful shepherd decided to try the berries and, noting the invigorating effect they had on his mind, decided to pass on the discovery to the other monks.
It is obviously not sure that the discovery of this drink is really due to the cheerful goats, but it is certain that the first plants were found in Ethiopia.
From Ethiopia, coffee plantations spread rapidly to neighboring areas: Yemen, first and then to Arabia and Egypt where the practice of making an infusion from roasted beans was established and coffee as a drink soon became a real and own habit.
When did coffee spread in Europe?
In 1683 the Turks, defeated at the gates of Vienna, abandoned numerous sacks containing strange and dark grains on the battlefield: the Austrians soon discovered that the Turks were preparing an aromatic drink with the powder of these mysterious grains.
The custom of drinking coffee was already known in other European cities but it is here in Vienna that it has taken on a particular influence in public life, becoming a widely consumed drink; the first cafes were born here, for all social classes where people met not only to drink coffee but also to read the newspapers and talk about the events of the day, a custom that soon spread throughout the rest of Europe.
And in Italy?
Coffee made its appearance in Venice around 1570 thanks to the Paduan Prospero Alpino, botanist and doctor, who brought some sacks from the East.
Initially, coffee was sold in pharmacies and only the wealthy could afford the luxury of buying it.
Coffee in Italy was also initially opposed by some Christian fanatics who wanted to ban its use, considering it “the devil’s drink.” Pope Clement VIII decided to taste it and fell in love with it to the point of exclaiming, “this devil’s drink is so good… that we should try to deceive and baptize it.”
Thanks to papal approval, coffee soon spread throughout the country.
In 1763, almost two hundred years after the arrival of coffee in Italy, in the city of Venice alone there were as many as 218 “coffee shops.”
Is it better to drink tea or coffee?
According to an ancient Swedish tale, while in Europe the habit of regularly consuming coffee began to spread, some rumors claimed that this was a harmful drink.
King Gustav III of Sweden thus decided in 1771 to carry out a “scientific” experiment in this regard: to carry out what is jokingly defined as the first Swedish clinical study, the king imposed on two twins, held in prison for murder, to drink the one three cups of coffee a day and the other three cups of tea a day.
The experiment would have shown which of the two substances shortened life.
How did it end? the king died murdered twenty years later and even the doctors did not survive the twins: the man who drank tea died first, at 83, the coffee-fed twin is said to have exceeded a hundred years!
Which country in the world is the largest consumer of coffee?
When we think of coffee, the first image that comes to mind is that of the cup in the bar, our classic “espresso,” but coffee is appreciated everywhere; just think that it is the most consumed drink in the world after water.
It is therefore not surprising that Italy is “only” in thirteenth place in the recent ranking of consumption drawn up by the International Coffee Organization, with 5.8 kg consumed in a year. In the first places there are Finland with 12 kg, Norway with 9.9 kg and Iceland with 9 kg.
Is coffee good for health?
Coffee has always been the subject of numerous medical studies to verify its effects on humans: although in large doses it is lethal (do not worry! We are talking about 80-100 cups of coffee consumed within a few hours!), Many are its virtues, now well established.
Let’s see some of them:
- Caffeine reduces migraines as it induces vasoconstriction with an analgesic effect. Clearly in small doses: excessive consumption can cause vasodilation with a consequent risk of migraines!
- coffee removes the risk of major cardiovascular diseases and performs a protective function on some types of oncological pathologies.
- Coffee is good for mood: recent research has shown that two cups of coffee a day significantly reduce depressive states thanks to the stimulating effects of caffeine on the brain.
The positive effect of moderate consumption of caffeine on mood thus adds to the already known effects such as increased concentration, attention and alertness.
Of course there is no need to exaggerate: the recommended dose is approximately 300 g of caffeine per day.
How much caffeine does a cup of coffee contain?
This question is not easy to answer, since the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee is determined by adding several factors: the origin or composition of the blend, the extraction method, and the duration of the contact period between hot water and coffee.
In addition, the two species of coffee plants on the market, Arabica and Robusta, have different amounts of caffeine: Arabica contains half as much caffeine as Robusta.
Approximately, an espresso, about 30 ml, contains 60-120 mg of caffeine, as much as a coffee made with mocha, which is about 50 ml. The same amount of caffeine can be found in 100 ml of filter coffee, the drink made with infused coffee, so loved in Northern Europe and other parts of the world: often much more is drunk of filter coffee, sometimes even the double.
Just think that the smallest cup served by Starbucks, the famous American coffee shop chain, is equal to 225 ml. The largest? The “thirty,” equal to 591 ml!
Where does the irresistible charm of drinking a good coffee come from?
It seems that the answer must be sought in our DNA! In fact, an international team of researchers has found that people who have a DNA variation in a gene called PDSS2 tend to drink fewer cups of coffee than people who don’t have this variation: the gene in question reduces the ability of cells to break down caffeine, keeping it longer in the blood; the effects of caffeine would therefore be active for longer, reducing the desire to take other coffees.
There are many curiosities that revolve around this wonderful drink!
To discover all its secrets, starting from the knowledge of the different raw materials, up to the constants and variables that allow us to obtain an excellent coffee, we advise you not to miss the L’Espresso Perfetto course, with master Manuel Terzi, an internationally renowned professional.
Source: https://www.ascuoladigusto.it/aspetti-curiosita-caffe/