Take Your Coffee IQ!

By Joe Wilkes

1. Is the coffee bean really a bean? No. It's actually a berry from the coffee tree. In fact, it has one of the highest antioxidant levels of any berry, which may be why so many health benefits have been attributed to it, including protecting you against liver damage, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and gallstones.
2. What 1773 event occurred that helped popularize coffee in America? The Boston Tea Party happened in December 1773 as a response to the astronomical taxes levied by the British government on tea. In addition to the protest in Boston Harbor, Americans began switching to coffee as their caffeinated beverage of choice, and the habit has stuck centuries later. In fact, 75 percent of the caffeine consumed in the U.S. today comes from coffee.
3. What country produces the most coffee in the world? Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer, contributing 35 percent of the world's coffee. The U.S. is the biggest consumer, drinking over one-third of the coffee produced in the world. Americans drink an average of 450 million cups of coffee a day.
4. Which has more caffeine, dark or light roasts? Dark roasted coffee has less caffeine than lighter roasts, so if you want more bang for your buck, order a lighter roast. Roasting actually burns off much of the caffeine. In fact, espresso actually has less caffeine than its drip counterpart but gives more of a jolt because of its concentration.
5. Who played the title role in the 1973 film Coffy? The one and only Pam Grier. As the promotional materials promise, "No one sleeps when they mess with Coffy!"