October 1st: International Coffee Day

International Coffee Day pays homage to one of the world’s most consumed and loved beverages.

Table of Contents

International Coffee Day

International Coffee Day is celebrated on October 1st every year. This day was created by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and took place for the first time in 2015 as part of one of their annual meetings in Milan.

In this first edition, 70 events were held with the participation of 35 countries.

The decision to create the festival was made to promote the second most consumed beverage after water and to honor the millions of producers around the world.

What is the origin of the festival?

To go back to the origins of the festival, we must talk about the following key moments that, over time, have allowed the consolidation of International Coffee Day:

In 1983, Coffee Day was introduced in Japan for the first time, an initiative of the Japan Coffee Association, which proposed September 29 as the date for the celebrations.
Back then, the decision was made to offer half-price or even free tastings to get the Japanese used to the celebration of the drink.
In 1997, China celebrated Coffee Day for the first time. But it wasn’t until the beginning of April 2001 that it became an annual festival.
In 2005, the United States decided to join the commemorations, largely because they were involved in various negotiations with Japan, thereby increasing the popularity of Coffee Day.

Another factor that contributed to the United States deciding to popularize the day was the global growth of major coffee chains.

Americans wanted to replace the instant coffee they consumed at home and in the office with better brewed coffee. As a result, the specialization of the coffee bars and thus the barista became more and more important.

The name “International Coffee Day” was first used on October 3, 2009 by the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, which held a press conference to mark the occasion and announced the first coffee festival in New Orleans.
Countries disagreed on whether September 29 should be declared International Coffee Day. There were countries in Europe that were considering this, but this was not the case in Latin America.

For this reason, the International Coffee Organization had to open the debate until consensus was finally reached in 2014, led by Brazilian Roberto Oliveira, and it was announced that International Coffee Day should be observed on the first day of every October.

Since then, the 77 members of the International Coffee Organization have been celebrating this day. The same applies to dozens of coffee associations around the world.

Why is International Coffee Day celebrated?

The International Coffee Organization aims to achieve the following with International Coffee Day:

Recognizing the work of people who are part of the coffee world, such as farmers, roasters, baristas and shopkeepers.
All celebrations that take place worldwide in honor of coffee are to be unified.
The festival is set to become an enduring tradition.
Bringing together the coffee exporting and importing countries to identify the challenges facing the global coffee sector.
To raise awareness and awareness of the plight of millions of growers around the world.
Make visible the whole journey that the coffee has to go through. From cultivation on the farms to preparation and subsequent sale in the coffee shops.
Raising awareness of good practices and the application of sustainable practices in the coffee industry.

Curious facts about coffee

Here are some fun facts about this popular drink that you probably didn’t know.

The name coffee comes from the Arabic word “Qahhwat Albun”, which means something like “wine of the bean”.
More than 100 million families around the world depend on coffee growing.
About 3 million cups of coffee are consumed worldwide every day.
Coffee is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water.
Coffee is consumed the most in the Nordic countries, especially in Finland, where around 11 kg is consumed per person per year.
Coffee comes from the coffee tree, a 10-15-meter-tall shrub that grows at altitudes between 1,000 grown up to 2,000 meters above sea level.
Next to Coca-Cola, coffee is the most traded product in the world.
Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world. Its harvest corresponds to about 30.16% of the world coffee production. Countries like Ethiopia, Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia, Honduras and Colombia follow.
In 2018, the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest cup of coffee was broken at 18,000 litres.
Coffee speeds up human metabolism by 3 to 11%.
The most expensive coffee in the world is the Kopi Luwak, which is made in Indonesia (the beans are made from civet cat feces) and costs up to $75 a cup in places like the United States.
A cup of black coffee has one calorie.
Coffee is a drink with an antioxidant effect.
Korea and Japan have anime-themed cafes. There are also cat cafes where you can have a cup of coffee with these animals.
Alphonse Allais was the inventor of instant coffee.
Italy is the country with the most coffee shops in the world. It is estimated that there are more than 100,000.
In Japan, there is a coffee shop that has a coffee-covered pool where you can have fun while bathing, and Yunessun Spa resort is called.
The first coffee house in the world was the Kiva Han in Istanbul, which opened in 1475.
Saudi Arabia is the country with the most searches for coffee on Google and YouTube.
Decaffeinated does not mean that it has no caffeine, but that it contains less caffeine than regular coffee.
Caffeine is rapidly absorbed by the body and typically stays in the bloodstream for 2 to 4 hours, although this can sometimes extend to 10 hours.
There are more than 75 coffee producing countries.
There are many types of coffee, the two most commonly used to make the drink are Arabica and Robusta.
A moderate coffee consumption corresponds to 400 milligrams per day, i.e. about 3 to 4 cups.
Pregnant women should not consume more than 200 milligrams of coffee per day.

How can you celebrate International Coffee Day?

There are many ways to celebrate International Coffee Day, for example:

Plus, a cup of your favorite coffee.
Eating a meal or dessert that includes coffee as a main ingredient.
Go to a coffee shop with friends for a coffee tasting.
Share coffee recipes in a video on social media using the hashtag #InternationalCoffeeDay.
Watch a movie where coffee is the main theme of the plot.
Take part in one of the events commemorating this day.
Give a greeting card to a coffee-loving friend.
Organize a networking event to share knowledge about the world of coffee.
If you work in a coffee shop, you can offer free or discounted coffee.
Find out about campaigns to support coffee producers.
Give a loved one a bag of your favorite coffee and add a story about coffee.

National Coffee Days

Below you can find out when some countries celebrate their National Coffee Day.

January 3: Mongolia
April 14: Portugal
May 6: Denmark
May 24: Brazil
June 27: Colombia, North Korea.
August 22: Peru.
September 28: Switzerland.
September 29: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ethiopia, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Norway, Philippines, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, United States, Pakistan, Poland.
October: Bolivia, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom.

Conclusion

International Coffee Day is a very special day because it gives us the opportunity to enjoy the love, passion and traditions that revolve around the world of coffee.

It is therefore a good opportunity to review the history of coffee and its spread in Asia, Europe and America.

Undoubtedly, International Coffee Day is a celebration to share with family or friends. For this reason, we invite you to celebrate it soon and enjoy it to the fullest.