Hidden Facts About Coffee- Adding Character to your Brewing Experience

The first step when starting on your coffee journey is to discover which beans and blends you love the best, whether it's the dulcet spicy sweer notes of silky coffee brewed out of Arabica beans, the earthy zest of Robusta in barista blends, or the controversial flavour arising from the Liberica bean, which has been described both as 'deliciously smoky' and 'like burnt garbage'! However, while we throw around the word 'bean' about these fragrant pods of goodness, coffee beans are seeds that pith the cherry-like coffee berry but are closer in their resemblance to legumes. The most common varieties of these plants are the delicate Coffea Arabica, with its large oval dark-green leaves and elongated beans, and the more resilient Coffea Canephora, with its smaller and rounder beans obtained from hardier berries.

Coffee is a cultural pillar in a mosaic of lands, serving a place of honour in every corner of the globe, from the vintage coffee bars of Italy and indulgent chocolaty tones of Turkish cezve-brewed coffee to the addictive egg coffee served that is a street stall stable in Vietnam. However, while many know that the humble bean (or seed, rather) sprouted from the highlands of Ethiopia, the details of its origin story are less renowned. Our privilege of waking up to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee came about in 800 A.D. when goat herders were blown away by their goats starting to 'dance' after nibbling at Coffea plants! Afterwards, some local monks brewed a drink from the beans and discovered that it kept them up at night, making this the first-ever cup of coffee.

While the decaffeinating of coffee beans removes around 98% of caffeine, the process used largely determines whether or not the beans will emerge 'tasteless' and the worse for wear. Therefore, if you are looking forward to a decaf brew, double-check if the beans have been subjected to a chemicalised solvent-based procedure or a non-solvent based proves, the latter being better for retaining maximum flavour using a charcoal filter.

From French toast coffee and caramel Frappuccino to creations like rose petal beetroot and activated charcoal lattes, it's clear that you can go decadently sugary or innovatively nutritional with this versatile beverage. However, if you're aiming toward a low-calorie diet, plain black coffee without any creamer, sweetener, or new-fangled gimmick, contains only one calorie per cup, so you don't have to sacrifice your favourite pick-me-up! If you're on the lookout for premium coffee solutions for your unique lifestyle needs, venture no further than Damn Fine Coffee.

Coffee is also widely used in face, body, and hair scrubs, and here's why! The coffee bean is rich in antioxidants, such as caffeic acid, which help enhance collagen levels that increase skin elasticity and youthfulness, while together with chlorogenic acids and stimulants, they also help reduce inflammation, unclog pores, and treat acne.