It is thought that the first place coffee was consumed was in Africa where it is said a goatherd saw his goats acting frisky after eating some berries. When he tried the berries himself he noticed he had renewed energy. Needless to say word spread quickly and before you know it they were being cultivated in the Arabian Peninsula. Coffee was introduced in Europe in the 1600's and they started growing coffee in Brazil (where most of it is grown today) in the 1700's. Instant coffee was invented in 1901, decaffeinated in 1903 and freeze dried in 1938. Today, coffee is the second largest commodity after petroleum!

The average person drinks over 10 pounds of it a year and about half of the US population partakes of the beverage - worldwide yearly consumption adds up to over 400 billion cups! Half of the consumption occurs at breakfast and 35% drink it black. Coffee has displaced tea as a favorite beverage - in fact it was quite popular after the Boston Tea Party and considered very patriotic to drink coffee instead of tea!

Almost ¾'s of the worlds coffee comes from Columbia and Brazil where it is mostly hand picked. It is a

Coffee is good for you! It contains anti oxidants as well as minerals all of which are thought o help in the prevention of some disease. In fact, drinking coffee is thought to decrease the risk of diabetes and Parkinsons disease. It has bacteria fighting elements that can help fight tooth decay and some if its anti oxidants are thought to stimulate enzymes that may protect against colon cancer. It is well known that the caffeine in coffee can help keep you alert and aid in concentration, but it can also help relieve the symptoms of asthma by dilating bronchial tubes and get rid of tension headaches.
About the Author

Lee Dobbins is a writer for Online Gourmet Foods where you can find out more about gourmet foods and coffee