History of Coffee

Coffee is a drink full of caffeine and loved by millions around the world today. Coffee can be traced to as far back as the early thirteenth century. Its origin however is surrounded by myths.

Coffee is believed to have originated in modern day Ethiopia. It gets its name from the word Keffa and was first cultivated by the Arabs in the 14th century. The earliest evidence available that suggests the drinking of coffee comes from Sufi monasteries in Yemen during the 15th century and had reached the rest of the Middle East, North Africa, Persia, and Turkey in the 16th century. It then proceeded by spreading to the Balkans, Italy, and the rest of Europe, Indonesia, and then to the Americas. Some of the legends surrounding the discovery and first use of coffee vary.

One account of a Sufi missionary in Ethiopia tells of how he observed birds of unusual vitality. He then ate the beans that the birds were eating and experienced the same vitality. He then tried many different ways of preparing the beans due to their bitterness while chewing, including roasting and boiling. When boiled the beans turned the water into a brown fragrant liquid. After drinking he was refreshed.

The new drink was hailed as a miracle drug and he was made a saint. Another, of an Ethiopian goat herder, tells of how the herder noticed the energy of the herd he was watching over. When he tried the bright red berries that they had been eating and was exhilarated. He then brought many berries back to the nearest mission and showed them to the monks. One of the monks dismissed them and threw them into the fire.

The new enticing aroma brought out other monks to investigate the smell. The roasted beans were raked from the embers and dissolved in water, making the world’s first cup of coffee. These stories show a common trait, and that is that the people to try the coffee found its results amazing. The feeling of exhilaration and the refreshing smell and taste brought wondrous results to all who tried it. These factors cause millions of people today to drink it every day, making one of the most sought after beverages around the globe.

People love to drink it in the morning to give them an energy boost or after meals to refresh their pallet. This amazing beverage has shaped the way humanity goes about its day.