Coffee – The Germans’ favourite drink

Every German drinks between three and four cups of the black brew every day. Most coffee drinkers live in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, where as many as 3.8 cups are drunk per capita every day. Pure enjoyment – i.e. black without milk or sugar – is appreciated by about one-third of men, but only one-fifth of female consumers.

Overall, about one in two Germans drinks coffee several times a day, while just under four percent indulge in coffee only once a week or even less often. The most popular is still the good old filter coffee, closely followed by cappuccino, latte macchiato, espresso and café crema. Even the less digestible instant coffee has many fans because it is so easy to prepare.

Besides Brazil, Vietnam and Indonesia, Ethiopia and Colombia are the largest producers. There the coffee plant is cultivated and harvested on huge plantations. The coffee plant thrives particularly well in these areas because it needs a balanced and, above all, warm climate in order to thrive optimally and deliver maximum yield.

Two different methods are used to separate the individual beans from the coffee fruit. With the so-called picking method, the coffee cherries are harvested by hand. The other variant of harvesting is called stripping method. All cherries are stripped from the branches at once. In this species, the final harvest is not quite as high-quality as in the picking method, as little consideration is given to the degree of ripeness and quality of the individual fruits.

After harvesting, the fresh coffee beans are processed. Mostly local workers sort out the bad beans. The good coffee cherries are then cleaned and sorted so that they can be further processed.

In the roasting plant, the beans are roasted under high heat and pressure. Since various chemical processes take place during this process, the coffee not only acquires its typically bitter aroma, but is also preserved. A single coffee bean contains up to 1,000 different flavours which are extracted during roasting.

Opinions differ on the effects of the drink on human health. On the one hand, consumption is supposed to increase blood pressure and rob us of healthy sleep, and on the other hand, coffee reduces the risk of developing diabetes. In the past, the drink was generally regarded as an unhealthy vice. However, this view has been revised to date. However, the rule of thumb still applies that coffee consumption should be restricted if it leads to rapid heartbeat, sleep disturbances or stress. Not everyone can tolerate coffee equally well. In general, however, the Germans’ favourite black drink can by no means be described as harmful to health. First and foremost, the drink should be seen as a means of consumption rather than a foodstuff.

However, it is not true that coffee dries out the body. This property has long been attributed to it because the bladder activity is stimulated by consumption. Nevertheless, the organism can absorb and process the water it contains. In the meantime, coffee can even be added to a person’s daily fluid requirements and is considered as liquid-donating as mineral water or other beverages. See more.