The website The Oatmeal has published an excellent series of infographics entitled "15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee". It has some of the most interesting facts on coffee that I've come across on the web. Here's a sampling of some of the facts:
- Legend has it... that Ethiopian shepherds first noticed the effects of caffeine when they saw their goats appearing to become frisky and "dance" after eating coffee berries.
- The rise of Islam contributed greatly to the popularity of coffee. The religion prohibited drinking alcohol, but coffee was considered an acceptable drink.
- Coffee is the second most traded commodity on Earth. Oil is the first. Clearly humanity has a thing for black drippy liquids.
- George Washington invented instant coffee! A belgian man living in Guatemala by the name of George Washington invented it in 1906.
For more fun facts like these read: 15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee.