International Coffee Day: What, when, and top coffee-making tips
It’s almost time to whip out your AeroPress, tuck into your Turkish coffee and enjoy all the fun of brewing your very best beans because International Coffee Day 2024 is just around the corner.
Each year, on October 1, people around the globe get to celebrate their love of all things caffeinated, and this year, things are bigger than ever.
The event, first established in 2015, aims to raise awareness of the work that goes into coffee-making and promote the fair trade of coffee.
Now in its ninth year, this year’s celebration will focus on collaboration and honor the work of everyone involved in the coffee trade.
From the coffee bean farmers in Central America to the baristas trained in making the perfect frothy coffee, everyone has a vital role to play in helping you wake up every morning on your commute to work. The International Coffee Day (ICD) organisers said: “This theme will emphasize the importance of embracing collaboration for collective action and its role in achieving sustainable development in the global coffee sector.
“This annual event will serve as a reminder that our favourite brew is the result of extensive, often unseen collaboration among countless actors across the global coffee value chain, all working together to deliver that perfect cup each day.”
Coffee is one of the best-loved beverages around the globe, and a recent study has shown two to three cups a day has health benefits, so it’s only right that there’s an international coffee day to celebrate it.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When is International Coffee Day?
International Coffee Day was established seven years ago in Milan by the International Coffee Organization.
While many countries actually celebrate a national coffee day, each year International Coffee Day is also recognised on October 1.
On this day, coffee lovers might visit their local coffee shops and enjoy a specialty coffee while celebrating all the hard work that goes into the industry.
This year, the International Coffee Organization is also launching a social media challenge that will coincide with International Coffee Day. Alongside the hashtag #CoffeePeople, the organisation is encouraging people to share a picture of themselves drinking a cup of coffee in the hopes of promoting a safe and healthy working environment in the coffee industry.
What is the history behind coffee?
Coffee comes with a rich history.
It is thought to have been discovered in Ethiopia around the ninth century. There, legend says a goat herder called Kaldi first discovered the potential of coffee when he noticed the stimulating effects it had on his goats and began experimenting.
Kaldi made a drink with the berries the goats ate and found that it kept him awake for long periods. He reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery and knowledge of the energising berries spread east towards the Arabian peninsula.
By the 16th century, coffee became well-known in Turkey, Syria, Egypt, and Persia, where public coffee houses began to appear.
European travellers in these areas brought back stories of an unusual dark beverage and, by the 17th century, coffee became popular across the European continent.
Not everybody was welcoming of coffee at first. In fact, when it first arrived in Venice in 1615, local clergy condemned coffee as the “bitter invention of Satan”.
The ban was lifted when Pope Clement VIII tried coffee for the first time at the end of the century and enjoyed it.
At around the same time, coffee houses were increasing in quantity in Britain, where people could drink coffee and engage in stimulating conversation. These coffee houses were better known as “penny universities” because it cost one penny for a cup of coffee.
There were more than 300 coffee houses by the mid-17th century, and they were attended by all sorts of people, from merchants to artists.
The demand for the beverage helped kickstart many businesses.
Coffee-making tips to try at home
If you’re serious about good coffee, here are a few tips.
• Make sure you’re using fresh, whole-bean coffee.
• Weighing your coffee beans will help you achieve the same great brew every time. If too much coffee is used, the brew may be under-extracted and it will taste sour but, if you don’t add enough coffee, the result will be flat and watery.
Although all coffees have a different mass, the general guideline is to measure one to two tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water. Or 20g of coffee to 300ml of water.
• You will also notice a significant difference if you stick to filtered water and pour it at the right temperature. The ideal water temperature is 90°C to 96°C, according to the National Coffee Association.