The Legend and Economy of Coffee
It is hard to believe that a humble bean could generate so many romantic tales about its origins yet also be at the heart of so much hard-headed business acumen. You can be assured that from its beginnings to its present market prowess that this aromatic, dark and pungent liquid has enriched and fascinated people from all walks the world over.
Legends abound about the origins of the coffee plant. We have found that the most constant historic information puts coffees' discovery in Ethiopia somewhere around 500 BC. From there, upon observing the stimulating effects of its berries, travelers brought it with them to Arabia, where it acquired the name.
The Renaissance not only gave birth the arts and sciences but also to the growing production and distribution world wide of this new hedonistic drink. It was in the late 18th century that both plantations and drinking popularity now would spread around the world and across the ocean to both South and North America. People of every class and race were consuming this beverage.
History has been kind to coffee by ascribing the health effects of coffee as bordering on the miraculous. As with many acclaimed miracles, lets find the fact from the fiction. Studies have shown a reduction from cirrhosis of the liver. Asthma suffers have less sever attacks. Another study done at Harvard followed over 100,000 individuals for almost 20 years. Their conclusions were that moderate consumption of coffee can can help reduce diabetes.
As with wine, the antioxidants in coffee have been touted as helping keep hearts healthier, though debates rage about whether the pros outweigh the cons. Coffee is a diuretic and encourages more frequent urination, and some assert that the stimulation from caffeine leads to long term nerve degeneration. Caffeine withdrawal can lead to increased sleeplessness. And, caffeine is a natural insecticide.
What ever side you come down on in this debate coffee is here to stay. Just the sheer economics alone will guarantee that. As a commodity coffee is second only to oil. You will find it exchanges in New York, Hong Kong, London to Lima. There are currently over 500 billion cups of coffee consumed each year. Called 'black gold' we see it only growing in popularity. While in most cases adults drink only one or more cups daily, retail sales hovers near the $12 billion level annually.
Lets add the number of raw beans, grinders, roasters, brewers and cups bought for the home to those retail figures and the numbers reach amazing proportions. With the rise in both basic commodity and specialty retail prices, the future for coffee businesses continues to look bright. There are close to 24,000 coffee outlets in just the USA in 2006.
And specialty coffee shops are not the only outlet for a wide choice of blends and styles. Home roasters and brewers also can enjoy espresso, invented in 1901 and growing ever since. Straight shots, long shots or double shots are a snap now with home machines.
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