QUICKSAND BY THE NUMBERS » COFFEE
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The place coffee holds in the “most consumed beverage in the world” list, right behind water. Roughly 64 percent of American households drink coffee while nearly 98 percent of Brazilian households consume coffee daily. Coffee is also the second largest trading commodity globally, crude oil being the first. The century when coffee’s caffeine properties were recognized by a goat herder in Ethiopia. The herder realized that when his goats consumed coffee berries they had a substantial increase in energy. That information was then passed on to local monks, who then spread it to others, eventually reaching the rest of civilization. It is said that early African tribes had learned of coffee’s benefits prior to the 1500s, though they were known to chew the berries, whereas monks were known to consume it in liquid form. The number of places in the U.S.—Hawaii— where coffee grows. Hawaii’s rich soil, warm temperatures and high altitudes make for the perfect growing opportunities. Since that single area is rather small, the majority of the coffee in the U.S. is imported, with Brazil being the top supplier.
6 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2020
The year coffee was recognized as the No. 1 export of Brazil. Brazil is also home to some of the most expensive coffee, with some beans starting at $49.75 per pound. The number in dollars per week that an individual American spends on coffee, which comes out to be roughly $1,100 annually. That’s basically a brand new iPhone! The number of minutes in which espresso starts to lose flavor, which might be why baristas are in a hurry to get it to you! The flavor of drip coffee lasts 5 times longer than espresso, losing its taste about 15 minutes after it has been made. But don’t get too crazy with waiting; the more your cup of joe is exposed to cooler temperatures, the worse it can taste. The number of coffee beans that Beethoven requested in every single cup he drank. His reasoning was said to be for the consistency, so every cup tasted the same. It also regulated the caffeine—not too much and not too little.
