September 29 Is National Coffee Day

You missed it. Yesterday was National Coffee Day, with many coffee shops and coffee chains offering free cups of coffee. I suppose Sunday might typically be a slow day for coffee houses, so that’s why they decided to enjoy a cup on them.

Do you like espresso? Espresso is Italian for “forced out” -- as in forced out of the machine.

Coffee was the first food to be freeze dried.

Nearly half of the world’s coffee comes from South America, specifically Columbia and Brazil.

Kopi Luwak is the world’s most expensive coffee at $600 a pound. It’s coffee beans that are eaten then excreted by Sumatran wild cats.

Muslim rulers in the 16th century banned the drinking of coffee because of its stimulating effects.

Allowing kids to drink coffee isn’t a good idea. The effects of caffeine is more pronounced in children, and coffee should never take the place of things kids really need, like milk and fruit juice.

Be careful what you put in your coffee. Whole milk, sugar and cream add up quickly. A 16-ounce frappuccino with whipped cream packs 500 calories. Just using milk adds only 10 calories.

And watch those coffee sizes. A normal cup of coffee is considered 6 ounces. These monster cups of 12 and 16 ounces are double and almost triple a regular cup.