The English word "coffee" is first attested to in 1582, a loan word from Dutch "koffie." The Dutch had themselves imported the word from, ultimately, the Arabic, where it is known as "qahwah" or "quwwa," which is reference to the power or energy enjoyed by those who drank it. It was also known as Kaffa (also spelled Kefa) in a medieval Ethiopian kingdom that first exported coffee plants to Arabia.

Legend has it that coffee was first discovered by a goat herder in Ethiopia who noticed that his goats' energy levels increased after consuming the coffee fruit. Coffee then spread from Ethiopia to the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula in the 15th and 16th centuries.

From drip coffee to thick espressos, coffee is the world's second most-consumed beverage, behind only water. It is also the world's second-most traded commodity, behind only oil. Coffee as a beverage is so ingrained and loved by all cultures that contestants from South Korea, Greece, and Canada took the top spots at the 2019 World Barista Championships.

But excellent coffee is not as simple as you might believe, and some specialty coffees come with a hefty price tag. Take, for instance, a Black Ivory Coffee that cost $500 per pound in 2020. Aside from those high-priced small batches, coffee beans, mostly the Arabica and robusta species, are roasted in large quantities for mainstream consumption. As a result, Arabica beans account for 60% of the global market, with 2.5 million tons exported annually from Brazil alone.

Robusta beans are produced primarily in Vietnam, accounting for just under 40% of the market. They contain a higher concentration of caffeine, often have a bitter flavor, and are used primarily to make instant coffee.

Scientists have developed numerous varieties by cross-breeding these major coffee species, with the goal of tweaking unique flavor profiles and caffeine content. And as our technology improves, newly developed types can withstand harsher weather conditions, with the result that coffee can now grow in new and different regions around the planet.

Certain varietals are better suited to mountainous areas due to their preference for higher altitudes. Others require dry, hot conditions to produce the best beans. But thanks to advances in the chemistry of coffee, there are now over 70 countries that grow coffee, which is a good thing considering that global coffee consumption is expected to have reached 167.23 million 60 kg bags – or more than 10 million tons – in 2020/2021.

At SunriseCoffeeLA we're always exploring and tasting new offerings with the goal of providing our customers the best that the world has to offer. We invite you to explore our website and see what interests you!