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Throughout the region that was once the Ottoman empire, people make coffee pretty much the same way: using coffee beans ground into a fine powder, then boiled in a little brass pot. But ordering "Turkish" coffee today doesn't go over well in some Balkan or eastern Mediterranean countries that have some lingering anti-Turkish feelings.

The bidding hasn't closed yet, but a charity auction of having a cup of coffee with Apple CEO Tim Cook has attracted offers of more than $600,000. The coffee klatch will take place at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. There is no word on whether refills are free.

Historians tell us that caffeine in coffee helped Western civilization "sober up" and get down to business. Now scientific research shows that at low doses, caffeine improves performance on mental tasks, especially in people who are already tired.

All this week on The Salt and on Morning Edition, we've explored the stories behind your ritual cup of joe. Watch archived video of our Coffee Week conversation in our first Google+ Hangout.

When the comedian asked the NPR host whether he knew what a macchiato is, Inskeep had to confess he didn't. And this happened during Morning Edition's "coffee week!" Seinfeld was amused. Inskeep says he's now going to go try one of the coffee drinks.

Coffee is present throughout Latin song, but it's rarely just about a cup of joe. The drink, its colors and its flavors are often used as ways to discuss sociopolitical realities.

Today's commercial coffee production is based on only a tiny slice of the genetic varieties that have grown since prehistoric times. And that's a problem, because it leaves the world's coffee supply vulnerable to shocks like climate change, or the leaf rust currently ravaging Latin American coffee farms.

After years of not understanding coffee, Jerry Seinfeld says he's finally discovered the delight of meeting someone over a cup. "You have coffee and for some reason it makes you talk a lot," he says.

You think clovers and hearts are impressive? Wait till you get a load of these Japanese latte drawings. A culture that values the beauty of the ephemeral has brought us a new level of art in foam.

About a century ago, a beautiful tradition emerged in the Italian city of Naples: Cafe-goers would buy a cup of coffee anonymously and in advance for a less-fortunate stranger. With much of Europe now in tight financial times, the custom is spreading across the continent.