Did you know that.... 

• Coffee was first known in Europe as Arabian wine.
• The coffee tree produces approximately 4,000 beans annually, which is equivalent to one pound of roasted coffee.
• The espresso machine was invented in France but was perfected and first manufactured in Italy.
• Seedlings smuggled from Paris in 1727 became the first coffee plants to be cultivated in Brazil. Brazil is now the world's largest producer of coffee.
• One homemade ice cube, when melted, makes about one ounce of water.
• The average age of an Italian barista is 48. A barista is a respected job title in Italy.
• Raw coffee beans soaked in water and spices are chewed like candy in many parts of Africa.
• Coffee as a world commodity is second only to oil.
• A coffee plant requires more than 70 inches of water per year to thrive.
• The first coffee drinkers in the Middle East used cinnamon to flavor their coffee.
• The Average American adult consumes over 10 pounds of coffee per year.
• Refrigeration does not increase the shelf life of roasted coffee beans, it just makes them cold!
• The coffee plant is native only to Eithiopia and Yemen.

                                                                         Roasting....

The Arabs discovered the process of roasting late in the 1300s.

The process of roasting coffee using hot air was developed in 1885 when the beans were first placed in a chamber heated by natural gas.

Before roasting, green beans may be stored for years, as experts believe that certain beans improve with age if stored correctly.

After roasting, the size of the coffee bean will have doubled and it's color changed from green to brown because of the caramelization of the sugar.

In general, the lighter the roast the higher the caffeine content and brighter the flavor.

Darker roasted beans are stronger and more bittersweet but contain less acidity and caffeine.

As the beans are cooling after being roasted, they release about 700 chemical substances that result in the vaporizing aromas.

Roasted coffee is a highly perishable product. It is vulnerable to moisture, light, and most of all, oxygen. Oxygen can cause the coffee oil to become stale, decreasing the coffee's aroma and flavor.