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What’s the first thing you ingest shortly after waking up? Chances are it’s coffee. The aroma of those slow roasted beans and water percolating in a coffee maker is what many people consider their morning necessity, their afternoon pick-me-up and their late-night saving grace.
Many people view coffee as their go-to caffeine source and most enjoy its rich flavor, as evidenced by the increasing amount of coffee shops and other coffee-related beverages that have been spawned in the last 20 years. And based on recent findings, coffee drinkers are getting more than a jolt of caffeine with each cup, as studies have found that coffee has certain neuroprotective benefits that may help aid against cognitive diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
The History of Coffee
The glorious brown beverage was thought to have been first discovered in a part of Ethiopia centuries ago, and while the exact century of its discovery is unknown, there is documentation that supports coffees existence in the 9th century in Africa and parts of Egypt and Yemen. In the 16th century coffee was introduced to Turkey, Persia, northern Africa and the Middle East, and from there it made its way across Europe and the Americas.
How You Take It
Given its rich history, it’s no surprise that many countries have their own take on how coffee is brewed and served. Whether it’s drip brewed, percolated or coffee pressed, everyone has a preferred method and recipe for how they take their coffee.
And while drinking coffee is something people have been doing for at least hundreds of years, coffee producers and brewers are still experimenting with techniques for growing and brewing different types of coffee, as evidenced by the different varieties of coffee that are now available at your local supermarket, coffee shop and on the Internet. And the interest in different flavors from different locales is growing. Now, in addition to Colombian coffee, Italian and French roasts, there are coffees from all over the world that are available to consumers such as those from Kenya and Hawaii.
