Coffee is a beverage, served hot or with ice, prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant. These seeds are almost always called coffee beans. Coffee is the second most commonly traded commodity in the world (measured by monetary volume), trailing only petroleum, and the most consumed beverage.
The first coffee plants are said to have come from the Horn of Africa on the shores of the Red Sea. Originally, coffee beans were taken as a food and not as a beverage. East African tribes would grind the coffee cherries together, mixing the results into a paste with animal fat. Rolled into little balls, the mixture was said to give warriors much-needed energy for battle. Later, around the year 1000 AD, Ethiopians concocted a type of wine from coffee berries, fermenting the dried beans in water. Coffee also grew naturally on the Arabian Peninsula, and it was there, during the 11th century that coffee was first developed into a hot drink.
According to one story, goat-herder noticed that his herd became friskier than usual after consuming the red cherries of a wild coffee shrub. Curious, he tasted the fruit himself. He was delighted by its invigorating effects, and was even spotted by a group of nearby monks dancing with his goats. Soon the monks began to boil the bean themselves and use the liquid to stay awake during all-night ceremonies. The other story is about a Muslim dervish who was condemned by his enemies to wander in the desert and eventually die of starvation. In his delirium, the young man heard a voice instructing him to eat the fruit from a nearby coffee tree. Confused, the dervish tried to soften the beans in water, and when this failed, he simply drank the liquid. Interpreting his survival and energy as a sign of God, he returned to his people, spreading the faith and the recipe.
Uses of coffee:
1. Antioxiditants: We consume fats and sugars that produce free radicals, and vitamins can't fight them alone. They need antioxidants. Coffe has antioxidants.
2. Great conversation starter with friends and business associates.
3. Ease Tension: It's a stimulant drink.
4. Being Active: Morning coffee keeps you alert and more active. Cup of coffee can help in the performance of tasks requiring sustained attention, even during low alertness situations such as after lunch, at night or when a person has a cold.
5. Fertilizer: Coffee grounds are a good fertilizer in gardens because of their high nitrogen content. coffee diluted with four times its volume of water can be used to amend soil acidity.
6. Art: Some use coffee to create art. Latte art involves designs in the foam of espresso-based drinks. Arfé is the use of coffee as a coloring for painting or other visual effects.
7. Well being: There have been associations between coffee consumption and lowered rates of certain illnesses, like suicide, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, Type II diabetes, colon cancer, Sirrhosis and heart disease.
So what are you waiting for? Just go grab a cup of coffe. Remember, keep the consumption under control. Wait! these benefits are seen only under exposure to moderate dose of coffee.
