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Portal:Coffee

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Introduction

A cup of black coffee

Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially available. There are also various coffee substitutes.

Coffee production begins when the seeds from coffee cherries (the Coffea plant's fruits) are separated to produce unroasted green coffee beans. The "beans" are roasted and then ground into fine particles. Coffee is brewed from the ground roasted beans, which are typically steeped in hot water before being filtered out. It is usually served hot, although chilled or iced coffee is common. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways (e.g., espresso, French press, caffè latte, or already-brewed canned coffee). Sugar, sugar substitutes, milk, and cream are often added to mask the bitter taste or enhance the flavor.

Though coffee has become a global commodity, it has a long history tied closely to food traditions around the Red Sea. The earliest credible reports of coffee drinking pertain to the plant's use among the Sufis of Yemen (southern Arabia) in the middle of the 15th century. Up to the end of the 17th century, most of the world's coffee was imported from Yemen. But as the beverage gained in popularity, coffee started to be cultivated in Java in the 17th century, as well as in the Americas from the 18th century onward. (Full article...)

Coffee: A Dark History is a 2005 book that examines the history of coffee. It was written by Antony Wild and was published by Norton. Wild had previously worked as a buyer for a specialty-coffee company for over ten years. He argues that coffee has had major effects on the economy of the British Empire. He also maintains that First World consumption of coffee and the accompanying free trade policies have had a negative impact on Third World coffee farmers. (Full article...)

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A coffee cup and saucer

A coffee cup is a cup for serving coffee and coffee-based drinks. There are three major types: conventional cups used with saucers, mugs used without saucers, and disposable cups. Cups and mugs generally have a handle. Disposable paper cups used for take-out sometimes have fold-out handles, but are more often used with an insulating coffee cup sleeve.

Coffee cups and mugs may be made of glazed ceramic, porcelain, plastic, glass, insulated or uninsulated metal, and other materials. In the past, coffee cups have also been made of bone, clay, and wood. Disposable coffee cups may be made out of paper or polystyrene foam (often mistakenly called Styrofoam). (Full article...)

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A Grole with 8 spouts
A Grole with 8 spouts
Credit: Mit-Mit
A Grole is a multi-spouted, and often ornately carved, wooden bowl with a small lid. Traditionally, a grole is used to serve a hot drink comprising a base of black coffee to which are added a variety of liquors.

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Roasted coffee beans
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