10 Fun Facts About Coffee You Didn’t Know

1. Coffee went global by the 18th century reaching South America and Southeast Asia, but it all started in 9th‑century Ethiopia — with goats that got a little too energetic after munching on coffee cherries!

2. Did you know that in the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey), coffee was not just a drink — it was a marriage essential? In fact, according to Feldmeyer from the Medium, wives could legally demand a steady supply of coffee, and if their husbands failed to provide it, that was considered valid grounds to ends a marriage.

3. Coffee beans are naturally so bitter that most animals steer clear — but elephants and civets (called luwak in Indonesian) happily snack on the sweet coffee cherries. Their unusual digestive journeys have even inspired some of the world’s most exotic brews. Ever heard of kopi luwak?

4. Did you know the world’s oldest coffee roaster is over 100 years old and still roasting beans today? Built in Germany, rescued from a barn in Serbia, and restored in the US, this Probat roaster proves that coffee culture is truly timeless

5. Coffee beans are actually seeds: The “bean” is the seed inside a coffee cherry. Sometimes, instead of two seeds, a cherry has just one round seed—called a peaberry—which roasts differently and is prized for its unique flavor.

6. Coffee was once called “the wine of the bean”: In Arabic, it was known as Qahhwat al-bun. Over centuries, the word evolved through Turkish (kahve) and Dutch (koffie) before becoming “coffee” in English.

7. Though, coffee is not the second most traded commodity in the world (after oil). Its global importance makes it not just a drink, but a major economic driver.

8. Did you know? For many people, a cup of black coffee doesn’t just wake up the mind — it also wakes up the digestive system! Coffee stimulates the colon and triggers the gastrocolic reflex (gastrin and cholecystokinin), which is why some folks find themselves heading to the bathroom shortly.

9. Espresso means “pressed out” in Italian: It refers to the method of forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee.

10. Love is brewing! Many couples around the world first met over a cup of coffee. Cafés have long been cozy spaces for conversation, connection, and even romance — proving that sometimes, the perfect blend isn’t just in the cup, but in the company.