October 1st is celebrated as the International Coffee Day every year with the 77 Member States of the ICO (International Coffee Organization) and dozens of coffee associations from around the world. International Coffee Day is a celebration of the coffee sector’s diversity, quality and passion. It is an opportunity for coffee lovers to share their love of the beverage and support the millions of farmers whose livelihoods depend on the aromatic crop.
While coffee has now moved from a morning drink to a drink that you can consume anytime of day/night. Just take a little walk/drive down to the nearest high street to note the number of independent coffee shops or coffee chains or nearest Darshini style hotels to realize the extent of the human love affair with this favorite caffeinated beverage: kaapi or coffee.
While coffee is more than just a beverage. For many people, coffee is a passion. It even has its own subculture, language and lifestyle. For some it is a aromatherapy while brewing it, coffee paintings to jewelry, Coffee farmers to exporters and more and that’s why International Coffee Day is ideal for learning about coffee, embracing and celebrating it!
Learn About International Coffee Day
Whether a person favors straight espresso, Americanos, lattes or cappuccinos; iced, decaf, instant or filter coffee with chicory or pure – International Coffee Day is the day to savor and appreciate everything to do with this delightful humble beverage. And perhaps it will even be possible to pick one up for free at certain coffee stalls setup on highways near the coffee growing areas of Karnataka.
While not every human on earth agrees, a majority of people all over the world seem to think coffee tastes amazing. Plus, many people are also aware of the fact that it can give us a much-needed energy boost. After all, this is why people tend to have a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, isn’t it? However, what some people may not know is that the benefits of coffee extend a lot further than just a boost of caffeinated goodness.
Coffee can help to burn fat because it has been shown to increase the metabolic rate by as much as 11 percent. Not only that, but it is also a virtually calorie free drink, at least when it is consumed black, without milk or sugar. Read more on black coffee
Coffee also contains a number of essential nutrients, including niacin, magnesium (vitamin B3), potassium, manganese, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), and riboflavin (vitamin B2). And if that is not enough, coffee is thought to be the greatest antioxidant source in the Western diet.
Coffee has also been shown to enhance physical performance drastically. Coffee may also help people to live longer, according to a number of different studies. Also, according to something that has been noted in a study that was published by Harvard University, coffee may also be useful in helping to fight depression as well as making people feel just generally happier.
Coffee picker at Manjunatha Estate in Sakleshpura, Hassan Dist. Karnataka
International coffee day showcases the joy of coffee, flavors of baristas, aromas of drinkers, THE PLIGHT OF FARMERS
History of International Coffee Day
International Coffee Day is the ideal time to take a look at the long history of this drink. Whether it’s called Joe, Java, Dirt, Brew, kappi, kaffee, Cuppa or Daily Grind, coffee comes with a delightful and beloved history.
The properties of coffee beans are thought to have first been discovered in Ethiopia. The beans are actually the pits found in the coffee berry or cherry. The story goes that a 9th century goat herder noticed their stimulating effects on his goats and began experimenting.
Coffee drinking originally became popular in the Arab world, probably from around the 15th century, and then spreading across Asia then to Italy and across Europe and to the Americas – and finally to the coffee cup you’re holding in your hand right now!
It wasn’t until about 50 years ago, though, that third wave coffee shops started appearing in the scene. Going beyond the basic diner coffee brewed in large quantities, these unique coffee houses focused on serving high quality coffee–from the beans to the roasting to the individual brewing process. And that’s really where the coffee culture has developed into something rather unique.
The roots of International Coffee Day may go as far back as 1983 when an event was held in Japan by The All Japan Coffee Association. The International Coffee Organization in China seems to have celebrated their own version of coffee day as early as 1997, and it became an annual celebration in April 2001.
In the United States, this day, sometimes called “National Coffee Day” or simply “Coffee Day”, has created buzz here and there since 2005. But the first use of the term International Coffee Day seems to have been in an advertisement in 2009 to announce the New Orleans Coffee Festival. Taiwan’s first celebration seems to have come along in this same year.
International Coffee Day was acknowledged as a celebration in 2015 by the International Coffee Organization. It was launched in Milan, Italy to help raise awareness for the plight of coffee farmers and to promote fair trade and living wages.
Since there’s not a specific governing body, some countries seem to celebrate International Coffee Day on some different days. September 29 and October 1 (as per ICO) are the most common, but others may also range from April to August. The good news is that coffee is celebrated around the world, throughout many months of the year!
So when you drink your cup of coffee today, inhale its aroma, taste its dark and full-bodied flavor, and think about its story – but most of all enjoy.