Quiz on coffee

On May 23, 1995, the first version of Java, the programming language, was released. This quiz is, therefore, all about coffee!

Caffeine shots

1 The first legend associated with coffee, originating around the 9th century, speaks of Kaldi, a young Ethiopian herder who noticed his herd behaving strangely. Which animal was he herding and what did he notice?

2 The first Indian coffee beans were said to be smuggled in by Baba Budan on his way back from a pilgrimage to Mecca. In which modern Indian state did he plant the beans and start the first plantations?

3 Coffee drinking was slow to catch on in North America, tea being much more popular. Which 1773 incident helped push coffee’s popularity in the continent?

4 Around 29 per cent of the world’s coffee is grown in Brazil. Which Asian country is the second largest producer?

5 The Kopi luwak coffee beans are among the most expensive in the world. What is unique about their process of creation?

6 Which coffee variant gets its name from the small hood worn by a particular monastic order in Italy?

7 Dalgona coffee is a beverage made by whipping equal proportions of instant coffee powder, sugar and hot water until it becomes creamy, then adding it to cold or hot milk, sometimes topping it with coffee powder, cocoa or crumbled biscuits. The brew became a rage during the early days of the lockdown. In which country did it orginate?

8 In which country is there a tradition of a bridegroom’s parents being served coffee by the bride-to-be on their first visit. If the groom is also visiting, the bride-to-be sometimes uses salt instead of sugar.

9 Which two-word name from a popular series did Warner Bros Entertainment secure the rights in 2018 in order to roll out a chain of coffee shops and cafes?

10 Which insurance and reinsurance market for ships literally started in a London coffee shop, popular with sailors and merchants, in the mid-18th century?

Answers

1 Kaldi was herding goats; they seemed to become more energetic after nibbling on some red berries. Those berries were from coffee bushes and Kaldi took the fruit to the local monastery.

2 Karnataka; the hills where he planted the beans are now known as Baba Budangiri (the Baba Budan Hills).

3 The Boston Tea Party. Not drinking British tea became a statement for revolutionaries.

4 Vietnam. Colombia and Indonesia are the next two.

5 The beans are partially digested and defecated by the Asian palm civet. The beans are harvested from the resulting faeces. Bean prices can reach $160 per pound.

6 Cappuccino — comes from the diminutive of Cappuccio, literally ‘small capuchin’.

7 South Korea. Dalgona is the name of a local sweet, though it is not actually used to make the coffee.

8 Turkey.

9 Central Perk, from the series Friends.

10 The Lloyd’s Register, which created the first register of ships and organised maritime insurance.

Joy Bhattacharjya is a quizmaster

Twitter: @joybhattacharj

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