Caffeine Trivia 05.31.14

The rapid expansion of production in Brazil and Java, among others, caused a significant decline in world prices. These bottomed out in the late 1840’s, from which point a strong upward movement occurred, reaching its peak in the 1890’s. During this latter period, due mainly to a lack of inland transport and manpower, Brazilian expansion slowed considerably. Meanwhile, the upward movement of prices encouraged the growth of coffee cultivation in other producing regions in the Americas such as Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador and Colombia.

Caffeine Trivia 05.30.14

My personal favorite quote:  “Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee.”  ~  Stephanie Piro

Caffeine Trivia 05.29.14

It was the Dutch who first started the spread of the coffee plant in Central and South America, where today it reigns supreme as the main continental cash crop. Coffee first arrived in the Dutch colony of Surinam in 1718, to be followed by plantations in French Guyana and the first of many in Brazil in the state of Pará. In 1730 the British introduced coffee to Jamaica, where today the most famous and expensive coffee in the world is grown in the Blue Mountains.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw the establishment across Brazil of vast sugar plantations or fazendas, owned by the country’s elite. As sugar prices weakened in the 1820’s, capital and labour migrated to the southeast in response to the expansion of coffee growing in the Paraiba Valley, where it had been introduced in 1774. By the beginning of the 1830’s Brazil was the world’s largest producer with some 600,000 bags a year, followed by Cuba, Java and Haiti, each with annual production of 350 to 450,000 bags. World production amounted to some 2.5 million bags per year.

Caffeine Trivia 05.28.14

The importance of coffee to the world economy cannot be overstated. It is one of the most valuable primary products in world trade, in many years second in value only to oil as a source of foreign exchange to producing countries. Its cultivation, processing, trading, transportation and marketing provide employment for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Coffee is crucial to the economies and politics of many developing countries; for many of the world’s Least Developed Countries, exports of coffee account for more than 50 percent of their foreign exchange earnings. Coffee is a traded commodity on major futures and commodity exchanges, most importantly in London and New York.

Caffeine Trivia 05.26.14

Remove strong odors from hands: If your hands smell of garlic, fish or other strong foods you’ve been handling, a few coffee beans may be all you need to get rid of the odor. Put the beans in your hands and rub them together – the oil released from the coffee beans will absorb the foul smell. When the odor is gone, wash your hands in warm, soapy water.  Coffee beans…they’re not just for grinding and brewing!!

Caffeine Trivia 05.24.14

Deja Brew:  The feeling that you’ve had this coffee before.  ~Author Unknown

Caffeine Trivia 05.23.14

Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee.  ~Stephanie Piro

http://www.stephaniepiro.com/

Caffeine Trivia 05.22.14

The aromas in coffee develop at the 10th minute of roasting.

Caffeine Trivia 05.21.14

Latte is the Italian word for milk. So if you request a latte’ in Italy, you’ll be served milk.

Caffeine Trivia 05.20.14

In December 2001 Brazil produced a scented postage stamp to promote its coffee – the smell was expected to last between 3 and 5 years.