25 Weird Coffee Trivia to Astound and Amuse You

How well do you know your coffee trivia? Bet there are a few here to keep you entertained for more than a nanosecond.  Awesome coffee photos.

1 - The famous writer and French philosopher Voltaire loved to drink coffee. Just how much did he drink in a day? 50 cups. No wonder the guy was wired for sound!

2 – True or False: Some green coffee beans are actually stored for years before they get around to roasting the little gems. True. Why? Well, if they manage to store the beans in a proper manner, some experts hold the belief that certain beans actually improve with age. And to think I got my chops busted for trying to preserve ground coffee in the freezer. Because these guys are “experts” they are qualified to do weird and get away with it…

3 - You know when they decaffeinate coffee, well, just what do they do with the caffeine they take out of the beans? They used to throw it away into the garbage. These days they figured out they could be “green” and make a profit by selling it to the pharmaceutical companies. I’ll have some caffeine coffee-flavored pills, pah-leez.

4 - More about roasting coffee beans: When the beans begin to cool, just how many chemical substances do they release that make up those awesome aromas? About 700. OK, sign me up for roasting duty so I can get high on the fumes for free. Wow, what do you think that does to your brain on prolonged exposure? Volunteers, anyone?

5 - What is consumed so much in the United States that it represents 75% of all caffeine consumed? Duh, Coffee. We all could have answered that one before our first morning cup. I thought you needed an easy lob over the net. Good, wasn’t it?!

6 - In what two countries is the oldest person always served their coffee first as a courtesy? Greece and Turkey. (I told you to color your hair before we went on vacation!)

7 - We all studied American history about the Boston Tea Party where the ticked off colonists were angry about the heavy tea tax imposed on us in 1773 and dumped chests of tea into the Boston harbor. What new custom became an expression of freedom after that? Drinking coffee, of course, the beverage of angry rebels. That might explain our country’s temperament all these centuries later.

8 - When did milk in your coffee become popular? It was recommended by a French physician in the 1680’s as café au lait for medicinal purposes. (And we have been following his prescription ever since in Louisiana all these centuries later!)

9 - By the time of the Civil War in the United States what suddenly became a newly issued food ration to the soldiers because of its popularity? Coffee beans. I wonder if they had to roast their own blend.

10 - By 1900 what could you expect to be delivered to your door in the United States by horse-pulled wagons besides blocks of ice? Coffee. Door-to-door salesmen, the kind you like to see coming.

11 - How do Italians regard the drinking of expresso? For them it is a separate event, given a special time of celebration and not drunk during meals. Expresso is the new holy water. Hey! Don’t look at me like that. I figured that out when I visited Rome one year! The Pope (Papa) and expresso are Italians’ two favorite subjects to discuss with admiration.

12 - What is regulated by the Italian government because it is considered essential to the quality of daily life? Expresso. These guys are on to something.

13 - In the ancient Arab world women often did not fare well under the law. (Not so sure times have changed all that much.) What law allowed them to separate from their husbands if he did not do one thing for his wife? His number was up legally if he refused to produce coffee for his wife. Moral of that story: If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy?

14 - Other than brewing coffee as we know it how do they like coffee in Africa? They soak the raw coffee beans in water and spices and chew on them like yummy candy! These guys might be on to something here; what a caffeine jolt it must be!

15 – In the last three centuries in the West, just how many folks over the generations have switched from tea to coffee? 90% (It took 15 generations of humanity to figure out a caffeine buzz was worthwhile? If I weren’t white I’d ask the obvious, OK, I will, “why are white people so stupid?” … and why does that phrase sound like the name of a blog?)

16 – During the American Revolution where did the founding fathers secretly meet to form their national strategies? Duh, coffeehouses, the choice of rebels and renegades.

17 – When did the first Parisian café open serving coffee? 1689.  In which country was the first prototype of the expresso machine created and when? France and 1822. (It took them that long to even try to figure out a coffee machine? What were they doing all this time?)

18 – Yeah, but who were the guys who actually succeeded in manufacturing the first commercial expresso machine when the French couldn’t do the deed and when? Italy and 1906. (C’mon, you couldn’t guess that one? Ya need another cup of joe to wake up?)

19 – What’s the average age of an Italian barista? The old geezer is usually around age 48. Hey! Barista is a respected job in Italy as they take their expresso seriously!

20 – What nation of usually very cool people are not very cool when it comes to coffee drinking and why? Our buds across The Pond: the Brits. These crazies actually drink instant coffee over fresh brewed by the stats of 10 to one, unbelievable! It boggles the mind! Help! I can’t wrap my brain around even conceiving of such blasphemy…

21 – Moving right along to our friends the Japanese, next in line to be skewered, wait until you hear about their doings. What do the Japanese consider a great idea for skin treatments to ward off wrinkles? These guys do it up right on the decadence meter: they bathe in coffee grounds fermented in pineapple pulp. I’ll have to get back to you as whether this kinky idea really works… sounds like decadent fun though.

22 – While we are on the subject of Japan, what do they call their coffee shops? Kissaten. That almost sounds like its taboo or forbidden and therefore greatly desired.

23 – How do our friends in Japan rank in the world for their coffee consumption? Number 3! Pretty amazing stat there for such a small country.

24 – Do you think of coffee as a world commodity? How do you think it ranks according to other commodities globally? It is second only to oil. So, we need oil to fuel our cars and coffee to fuel our brains. Sounds like a fair exchange!

25 – What historical heretic actually thought he could get away with, gag, putting mustard and champagne in his coffee? Frederick the Great. I don’t know how long that “Great” part of his title stuck after the people found out he was putting weird stuff in his coffee…

11^th commandment photo by allygirl520 @ flickr

Fab Photo by Cillian Storm @ flickr

Blurred Coffee Cup Photo by marfis75 @ flickr

Louisiana Community Coffee Photo by Digital Sextant @ flickr

Virtual Lady Coffee Drinker Photo by myvirtuallady @ flickr

Do you take palm trees in your coffee or just cream? Photo by billaday @ flickr

Do Stupid Things Photo by roland @ flickr

Sparkling Night Coffee Photo by scholastica ees/On & Off… @ flickr

Coffee Speaks I Listen Photo by INeedCoffee/Coffee Hero Bad Bob @ flickr

Coffee Reflection Photo by scholastica ees/On & Off… @ flickr

Your Brain on Caffeine Buzz! Photo by billaday @ flickr

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