15 surprising and funny facts about coffee

We drink coffee every day, sometimes without thinking about it. But behind every cup lies a world of science, curious traditions, little oddities… and big surprises.

Here are 15 fun and surprising facts to enjoy this summer, on a terrace or by a lake, with your favorite coffee from Café Castelo.

1. The aroma of coffee can reduce stress
   According to a South Korean study, simply smelling freshly ground coffee activates brain areas linked to relaxation and memory. Even without drinking it, coffee makes you feel good. (Yes, we smell it every morning in Limoilou.)

2. Before brewing, we ate the coffee.
   In some ancient Ethiopian tribes, coffee cherries were mixed with fat to form a caffeinated energy ball. It was the warriors' snack. Quite a contrast to a flat white.

3. In Ottoman Türkiye, refusing coffee to one's wife could lead to divorce.
   It's true. Coffee was considered a basic necessity. A negligent husband could therefore lose his marriage for forgetting… coffee. A rather amusing legal precedent.

4. Pope Clement VIII "christened" coffee
   Initially viewed as a "pagan" beverage, coffee could have been banned in Christian Europe. But after tasting it, the Pope is said to have declared: "It's too good to be the work of the devil." Thank you, Your Holiness.

5. The world's largest cappuccino was over 4,000 liters
   This record was set in Milan in 2013 by a team of baristas. It contained milk, coffee… and probably enough foam to fill a swimming pool.

6. Coffee has inspired… major inventions
   It was while sipping coffee that the German engineer Melitta Bentz invented the first paper coffee filter in 1908. She used her son's blotting paper to keep the grounds out of her cup. and filed a patent. Since then, his name has become a globally recognized brand.

7. Coffee grounds repel insects
   Ants, mosquitoes, slugs: they hate the acidity of the coffee grounds. It's also an excellent fertilizer for houseplants. A great way to give your Castelo infusion a second life.

8. The smell of coffee is among the most loved in the world.
   Researchers from Oxford have ranked the smells perceived as most pleasant across cultures: freshly ground coffee is in the world's top 5, along with warm bread and vanilla.

9. Coffee can be used… as natural ink
   Artists around the world use brewed coffee as a pigment for painting or writing. The brown hues are warm, organic, and perfectly eco-friendly.

10. In Ireland, a political party financed itself… by selling coffee
    An environmental movement used the sale of fair trade coffee as a fundraising campaign. Their slogan: "Change begins with a cup." Literally, activist coffee.

11. In Scandinavia, they drink coffee… with cheese
    In northern Sweden and Finland, they practice kaffeost: a firm white cheese is dipped into hot coffee. The cheese absorbs the liquid and melts slightly. Strange? Perhaps. Traditional? Absolutely.

12. The best coffees grow at high altitudes.
    The most complex coffees in terms of aroma are often grown between 1,000 and 2,000 meters above sea level. This is the case for several of our single-origin coffees, such as Maragogype from Guatemala or Tarrazú from Costa Rica.

13. The brain starts to react to coffee after… 10 minutes
    No need to wait half an hour: caffeine starts working 10 minutes after ingestion. It reaches its peak effectiveness in 30 to 45 minutes. So if you're reading this with a latte, you're almost ready for action.

14. There is an espresso machine… in space
    NASA and Lavazza have developed an espresso machine capable of operating in zero gravity. It was sent aboard the International Space Station to help boost the morale of the Italian astronauts.

15. At Castelo's, theThe most anticipated coffee of the year... is not in the summer!
    The Ho-Ho-Ho, our exclusive Christmas blend, returns every year… and disappears almost immediately. Some customers even write to us in July to ask if there's any left. It just goes to show, coffee is also about loyalty.

Ready to enjoy your coffee differently? Whether it's to feed your curiosity or simply to shine at the next coffee break with friends, you now have 15 more reasons to love your coffee — and perhaps discover a new kind with us.