10/03/2019
-COFFEE FACTS and TRIVIA
1.There are only four varieties of coffee that grow in the Philippines. These are Robusta, Excelsia, Arabica and Liberica. It’s very easy to remember. Think REAL.
2.There is no such thing as Benguet Barako. Coffee growers in Benguet only use the name for marketing purposes.
3.Instant coffee has a 90% market share in the Philippines. Hooray for big companies like Nestle who manufacture instant coffee.
4.A coffee tree can bear fruit in as early as 18 months and as long as 5 years.
5.Contrary to popular belief, Batangas is not the largest coffee growing area in the Philippines. This distinction belongs to Sultan Kudarat. (For the geographically challenged, that’s in Mindanao.)
6.The city of Lipa, Batangas became a very rich town because of coffee. It became so rich that our ancestors in Lipa used to wear diamonds in their slippers
7.There is such an area called coffee belt. The Philippines belongs to this area.
8.The Americans brought the convenience of instant coffee to the Philippines in the 1950s.
9.Coffee only grows in elevated regions like Batangas and Benguet
10.Coffee doesn’t expire. As long as you store it properly — in an air tight container — it can last for years.
11.The Philippines used to export coffee. Now, we import coffee from nearby Asian countries and Brazil.
Okay, I think that is enough Philippine coffee facts and trivia for now. Next time you go to Starbucks or other coffee shops with your friends, try to impress them with these.
