Articles

For the Love of Coffee!

Many people – including SHRM of Greater St. Louis members – appreciate the extra kick that a cup of coffee or espresso provides them each morning but may be unaware of the origins of these famous beans that yield our caffeinated cups of gold.  

Legend has it that Ethiopian goat herders in Northern Africa in 800 A.D. noticed their animals acting strangely after eating fruit from the coffee plant. This incident was reported to a local monk who then made a drink with the seeds that kept him awake for prayer…thus birthing the world’s love of coffee. Coffee beans are technically the pits of cherry-like berries found on the flowing shrubs, and people used to mix these berries with fat to create an energy-rich snack ball…yum???

Arabica and Robusta are the two most widely used species of coffee, with Arabica equating to about 60% of coffee consumed worldwide. While only Hawaii and California grow coffee in the U.S., Brazil grows the most in world. Robusta beans are hearty and can be grown at low altitudes, while Arabica is more vulnerable to weather and pests and must be growth at higher elevations. Although Robusta is cheaper and has a higher caffeine count, its flavor is significantly blander than Arabica.  Robusta is also much worse for the environment due to mono-cropping and clear-cutting forests for the crop that can be grown in more places. Such techniques can often lead to soil becoming almost unusable - which lead to additional clear-cutting projects. 

A 1.5 oz shot of espresso has around 90-100 mg of caffeine, while a standard cup of drip coffee has up to 128 mg. However, espresso is more concentrated in a shot, which can be consumed faster and hit your central nervous system differently than if you sipped a cup of coffee over time. Other potential benefits of coffee include its use as a source of nutrients and antioxidants. Caffeine’s effect on the body has historically spurred some people to ban its use. In 1511, leaders in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) outlawed coffee - believing that it stimulated radical thinking. The Swedish government in the 1700’s made it illegal for supposed ties to rebelliousness. When coffee arrived in Europe in the 16th century, some Italian clergymen labeled it Satanic and pressed for it to be banned, but legend has it that Pope Clement VIII liked the taste so much that he gave it his blessing.

Other fun coffee facts include:

• Light roast coffee actually has more caffeine that dark roast because it’s roasted for a shorter time.
• One antioxidant found in coffee - chlorogenic acid - that has been linked to helping reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels.
• The caffeine taken out of drip coffee to make decaffeinated blends is often sold to soda companies and pharmaceutical companies.
• Between 1984-2004, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned high concentrations of caffeine from all Olympic events. Today, however, Olympic athletes are permitted to enjoy a cup of coffee before competition.