English Comp.

Sept. 27, 2020

Lisa Gonzalez

Essay - Rough Draft

My Favorite Drink… COFFEE!

You just woke up. It is 5:30 am and you are exhausted! Some people like to get up and

take a cold shower. Some like to go for an early morning job. Ugh! Not me. I am just your

typical morning-cup-of-coffee kinda girl! I grew up watching my parents follow this ritual and I

have only continued it into my adulthood. Coffee is something that I have grown up loving! It is

my guilty pleasure, if you will. In this essay I will be telling you about all the unique qualities

and preferences for this simple beverage. I am going to tell you where it came from and about

how popular this beverage has become around the world, how the caffeine in coffee works on the

body to keep you alert, and how the flavors preferences and modifications differ over the world.

First off, coffee is a drink that is known throughout the world. It was first discovered on

the Ethiopian plateau by none other than a goat herder! He had realized that his goat would

become full of energy after eating the fruits from a certain tree. This man told other locals and

then the news spread. It spread all to the Arabian Peninsula, to Europe and then to the America’s

in the mid-1600’s. Coffee bagan to replace the more common breakfast drinks -- beer and wine.

People started to notice that they felt more energized in the morning and work quality was much

improved. Thomas Jefferson said, “Coffee - the favorite drink of the civilized world”. (NCA)

The coffee beverage became more and more popular all over the world. Now, coffee is the
second most sought commodity. Second only to crude oil. The United States alone accounts for

19.4% of total coffee imports. (Coffee Imports).

We all can recognize the jolt of energy you get after drinking your Grande, double-shot

White Chocolate Pumpkin Mocha every morning. But, how is it that we feel the burst of energy

from something that we drink? This happens because it reacts with your central nervous system.

When the neurons react a signal is sent to the brain that causes alertness. Because of this reaction

the caffeine part of coffee has been added to manage drowsiness, headaches and migraines. But,

keep in mind that if you indulge too much your body could become dependent on that amount of

caffeine in order to function. If it is taken away, it can cause headaches from withdrawal.

(Highline).

We all have our own preference to how we like our coffee to taste. This is true all over

the world. Every country has its own idea of what the perfect brew or flavoring is. The coffee

beans themselves vary in flavor simply from the type of soil the tree grew in. Here in the United

States, it is very common for flavored creamers and sweeteners to be added. In Europe, however,

this is much less common. Southern Europe and the Middle East prefer their coffee brewed very

strong and add nothing to it. In Thailand and Vietnam, they like more of an iced coffee with

flavoring. The Vientnamese will sometimes drop an egg in to richen the drink up since dairy is

so hard to come across there. Italians are known for the Espresso and the Cappuccino while the

French like their coffee strongly brewed with some frothy milk. As you can see all cultures have

their own unique preferences for a simple drink. (Eat Cultured)

So, as you have read above, this simple bean has created so many unique and extensive

possibilities for people all around the world. Everything from the growth of the tree to how you

choose to ingest this dark, bitter brew. I have told you of how this magical bean came to be so
popular, how it can affect our brain to cause alertness after consumption and some of the

different preferences there are on how and/or if it is flavored from all over the globe. How crazy

is it that such a huge franchise came about simply from a goat herder and his energetic goats!
References:

Eat Cultured, (2017, Dec.). Coffee Culture Around the World.

https://eatcultured.com/blogs/our-awesome-blog/coffee-culture-around-the-world

National Coffee Association (NCA). (n.d.). What is Coffee?

https://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee

Olsen, Natalie, (2018, Sept.). The Effects of Caffeine on Your Body. Healthline.com
https://www.healthline.com/health/caffeine-effects-on-body#Reproductive-system

Workman, Daniel, (2020, Sept. 10). Coffee Imports by Country 2019.

http://www.worldstopexports.com/coffee-imports-by-country/