What's In My Cup of Jo':
Basic Coffee Facts and Figures

Coffee as a beverage got its start in the Arabian peninsula in the 13th century. The word "coffee" actually comes from the Arab word "qahwa." Qahwa is defined as "that which prevents sleep" -- an apt and appropriate name for the caffeinated brew.

Coffee is the second most valuable and widely traded commodity in the world today. Annual coffee sales tops $70 billion. More than 50 percent of all citizens of the United States begin their days with a cup of Jo'. The typical coffee consumer will take in three cups of the beverage each and every day.

The oldest form of coffee is Arabica. Many people assume that the moniker Arabica is derived from "Arab." In reality, Arabica beans initially originated in Ethiopia and not anywhere in the Arab world.

As the use of coffee began to spread from the Arab world into Europe, many religious leaders condemned the beverage. The contented that coffee had intoxicating effects that had to be avoided by the faithful. In time, coffee was sold by pharmacists. Eventually, coffee would be served in cafes. Today, coffee is the single most popular drink to be found anywhere in the world.

Hawaii became a major source for coffee in the 19th century. The bulk of the coffee cultivated in Hawaii was grown around Kona -- Kona becoming and remaining to this day one of the most favored type of coffee on the market. 93% of all of the coffee grown in Hawaii is, in fact, grown at Kona.

Hawaii is the major coffee producer in the United States today. The state currently cultivates nearly 9 million pounds of coffee on an annual basis. Coffee is grown and harvested in Hawaii the year around. The primary coffee growing cycle includes a harvest that begins late in the summer and continues through the end of the year. Again, most of the activity in Hawaii occurs within the so-called Kona coffee belt.

Coffee beans actually are the seeds from fruit. When picked and harvested, coffee beans are red in color. The beans take on their more familiar brown coloration when they are roasted.

There are two methods through which coffee is processed in today's world. There is the dry method through which coffee beans are sun dried for several weeks. There is the wet method through which the coffee beans are placed in a large fermentation vat after which they are dried, either mechanically or in the sun.

The vast majority of so-called gourmet coffees are processed using the wet method. The demand for gourmet blends continues to increase with each passing year. Indeed, a record number of people from around the world are consuming more of the gourmet blends of coffee today than at any other point in coffee history. Coffee is expected to maintain its dominate position as the most popular beverage on the planet well into the future. Experts and analysts maintain that no other beverage will be able to overtake the popularity of coffee.