Quiz of the Day
The World in a Cup — Coffee
Thursday, 1 October 2026
Anchored to International Coffee Day (Oct 1), a tour of coffee's history, geography, botany, and global café culture
1. International Coffee Day is celebrated each year on which date?
- October 1
- September 29
- August 14
- November 3
International Coffee Day was launched by the International Coffee Organization and first officially celebrated on October 1, 2015, in Milan. The day promotes fair trade and raises awareness for the millions of coffee farmers worldwide. Many countries had previously held their own national coffee days before this global date was agreed.
2. The wild coffee plant Coffea arabica is native to the highlands of which country?
- Brazil
- Yemen
- Ethiopia
- Colombia
The coffee plant Coffea arabica is native to the highlands of Ethiopia, particularly the region historically known as Kaffa. From there, coffee spread across the Red Sea to Yemen, where it was first cultivated and traded on a large scale by the 15th century. The word 'coffee' is often traced to the Arabic 'qahwa.'
3. Which two species account for nearly all of the coffee produced and consumed in the world?
- Arabica and Liberica
- Arabica and Robusta
- Robusta and Excelsa
- Liberica and Excelsa
Coffea arabica makes up roughly 60 to 70 percent of global production and is prized for its smoother, more aromatic flavor. Coffea canephora, commonly called Robusta, is hardier, more disease-resistant, and higher in caffeine. Other species like Liberica and Excelsa exist but are grown in tiny quantities.
4. Which country has been the world's largest producer of coffee for over 150 years?
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
- Brazil
- Colombia
Brazil has led the world in coffee production since the 1840s and today grows roughly a third of the global supply. Its vast plantations, favorable climate, and mechanized harvesting keep it far ahead of rivals. Vietnam ranks second and is the leading grower of Robusta beans.
5. The concentrated brewing method known as espresso originated in which country?
- Italy
- Turkey
- France
- Austria
Espresso grew out of Italian steam-driven coffee machines, from Angelo Moriondo's bulk brewer patented in Turin in 1884 to Luigi Bezzera's single-cup machine patented in 1901. The name comes from the idea of coffee made expressly and quickly for the customer. Modern espresso forces hot water through finely ground beans under high pressure to produce a small, intense shot topped with crema.
6. In the legend of coffee's discovery, a goat herder named Kaldi noticed his goats became energetic after eating coffee cherries. In which region is this legend set?
- India
- Ethiopia
- Arabia
- Persia
The popular legend tells of Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder who saw his goats dancing with energy after nibbling bright red coffee cherries. Curious, he tried the berries himself and felt invigorated. Though almost certainly folklore, the tale reflects coffee's genuine Ethiopian origins and was popularized in European writings centuries later.
7. The cappuccino is said to take its name from the robes of which religious order?
- Jesuit priests
- Franciscan nuns
- Benedictine monks
- Capuchin friars
The word cappuccino refers to the brown, hooded robes worn by Capuchin friars, whose color resembles that of espresso mixed with steamed milk. The order's name itself comes from the Italian 'cappuccio,' meaning hood. The drink in its modern form became popular in Italy during the 20th century.
8. The part of the coffee plant that is roasted and ground is technically what?
- A flower bud
- A seed
- A root nodule
- A dried leaf
Although we call them coffee 'beans,' they are actually the seeds found inside the fruit of the coffee plant, known as a coffee cherry. Each cherry typically contains two seeds pressed flat against each other. Occasionally a cherry produces a single rounded seed called a peaberry.
9. Coffee grows best in a band of the globe often called the 'Bean Belt.' Between which two lines does this zone lie?
- The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
- The Prime Meridian and the Equator
- The 40th parallels north and south
- The Arctic and Antarctic Circles
The Bean Belt spans the tropical regions between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, roughly 25 degrees north to 30 degrees south of the equator. This zone offers the warm, frost-free climate and elevation that coffee plants require. It includes major growing nations across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
10. Which country consistently ranks as the world's highest consumer of coffee per person?
- Finland
- Italy
- Brazil
- United States
Finland tops global rankings for per-capita coffee consumption, with adults often drinking the equivalent of many cups a day. Finnish workplaces even have legally recognized coffee breaks. The Nordic countries as a whole dominate the top of the consumption charts.
11. Kopi Luwak, one of the world's most expensive coffees, is made from beans that have passed through the digestive system of which animal?
- A civet
- A parrot
- A monkey
- An elephant
Kopi Luwak is produced from coffee cherries eaten and excreted by the Asian palm civet, a small mammal found in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Enzymes in the animal's gut are said to alter the beans' flavor. Its rarity and unusual production make it extremely costly, though animal-welfare concerns surround farmed operations.
12. Compared with Arabica beans, Robusta beans generally contain roughly how much caffeine?
- About the same amount
- About twice as much
- Almost none
- About half as much
Robusta beans typically contain around 2.2 percent caffeine by weight, compared with roughly 1.2 percent for Arabica. The higher caffeine content helps the plant resist pests, which is one reason it is hardier. This is also why Robusta is often used in strong espresso blends and instant coffee.
13. Turkish coffee, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, is traditionally brewed in a small long-handled pot called a what?
- A cezve
- A chemex
- A moka
- A siphon
Turkish coffee is prepared by simmering very finely ground coffee in a small long-handled pot known as a cezve, often with sugar and sometimes cardamom. It is served unfiltered, so the grounds settle at the bottom of the cup. UNESCO added Turkish coffee culture and tradition to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013.
14. The term 'mocha,' now associated with chocolate-flavored coffee, originally comes from a port city in which country?
- Turkey
- Morocco
- Yemen
- Egypt
Mocha, or Mokha, was a bustling Red Sea port in Yemen that dominated the global coffee trade from the 15th to the 17th centuries. Beans shipped from there became so famous that 'mocha' turned into a general term for quality coffee. The chocolate association came later because some Yemeni beans had naturally chocolatey notes.
15. A commercially successful method of decaffeinating coffee was first developed in the early 1900s by a German merchant named Ludwig Roselius. What brand did his process become known by?
- Nescafé
- Folgers
- Sanka
- Maxwell House
In the early 1900s Ludwig Roselius developed a commercial process to remove caffeine from coffee beans, reportedly after his father's death was blamed on excessive coffee drinking. Sold in Germany as Kaffee HAG, the decaffeinated coffee was marketed in France and later the United States as Sanka, a name derived from the French 'sans caféine,' meaning without caffeine. Sanka went on to become a well-known decaf brand across Europe and America.