Sip a cup of joe to these 5 facts about coffee

From seed to bean, coffee has made its impact

ORLANDO, Fla. – Coffee enthusiasts may know their favorite brew or how to flavor their perfect cup of java, but coffee actually has a rich history that's changed the way society does breakfast and business. 

Here are five facts spewing with interesting details behind your morning cup of coffee.

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Who is Joe?

Most of us have had a cup of Joe, but few have ever met him.

The phrase stems from Joseph Daniels. He was secretary to the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson. During World War 1, he was trying to crack down on the moral standards of naval life. He made a few changes, such as getting more chaplains onto naval bases and banning alcohol. A "cup of Joseph Daniels" was coined by sailors as an insult for the lack of liquor and over time, was shorted to a cup of Joe.

 

Coffee is a hot commodity

With coffee shops and cafes in just about every neighborhood, coffee culture is apparent. Turns out, coffee beans are one of the most valuable legally traded commodity in the world. Right behind oil, it is one of the most consumed products globally. 

Coffee is booming with business and impacts the global economies in ways that are not always seen. From seed to brew, coffee beans generate tax dollars, create jobs and help give farmers a consistent income. 

In the U.S., the coffee industry generates about $28 billion in taxes, according to the National Coffee Association. That includes elements of the coffee economy like importers, creamers, sweeteners, maintenance and machinery. 

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"Bean Belt" makes flavor

Found between latitudes 25 degrees north and 30 degrees south is  the perfect spot to grow beans to brew.

The Bean Belt is by the equatorial zone, an area with the ideal conditions for coffee trees to thrive. Coffee connoisseurs know this could provide the rich cup of coffee that many enjoy.

Anything can affect coffee flavor, though. The variety of the plant, the chemistry of the soil, how much sunshine the tree gets and even the precise altitude can affect the taste of the final product.

Ban the beans

Before coffee could rise up to be the breakfast beverage, it was banned. According to coffee historians, in 1511, coffee was believed to promote radical thinking. Coffee houses, much like today, were places to exchange ideas and information. In Mecca, this scared the governor at the time, so he called for the closure of all coffee houses for fear of an uprising. Anyone caught drinking or selling coffee at that time was beaten. This ban was overturned the same year.

Coffee pot cam

Ever heard of the legend of the Trojan Room coffee pot? 

It was a coffee machine at the University of Cambridge that would inspire the world's first web cam. It was located in the Trojan Room, which was next to the old computer laboratory. A camera was set up to provide a live picture of the coffee pot to all desktop computers on the office network. In 1991, people could check to see if the pot was filled or not, without having to make the trip to the other room. 

The camera was eventually connected to the Internet and the coffee pot gained its fame as one of the pioneering projects for the World Wide Web. The camera was retired in 2001.

Have any other facts about America's favorite breakfast beverage? Make sure to leave them in the comments and tell us how you like to drink your coffee.


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