The Fascinating History of Coffee
Have you ever wondered how the small shiny red fruit of a certain tree was first made into the drink that is enjoyed all over the world today? Well, the history of coffee is a remarkable one. It’s truly amazing how one small bean picked from a tiny tree in Ethiopia eventually turned into the second largest commodity traded internationally today. So prepare yourself to be taken on a remarkable trip through time and across continents.
· Around the world, over 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed daily.
Where Did Coffee Get Its Start?
This is an easy question to answer. At the very beginning, it came from Ethiopia (then called Abyssinia). The most popular origin story involves a goat herder named Kaldi and his goats. Sometime in 700 AD, Kaldi noticed that his goats were acting very strangely - they appeared to be dancing! He also discovered that they were dining on some red berries and put two and two together.
Kaldi passed on his story about this magical fruit to a monk, who was overjoyed to find something that might help him stay awake longer as he prayed and meditated. However, a different legend has it that Kaldi gave some beans to a monk who disapproved of them and tossed them contemptuously into a fire. The result, as you might imagine, was a wonderful and enticing aroma emanating from the world’s first roasted coffee beans. Following this, the beans were ground up and boiled to produce the ambrosia we are familiar with today.
Across the Waters – Into the Middle East
The story of Kaldi is a great one, but, of course, we cannot know if it is true. However, one thing is certain: coffee did come from Ethiopia. Another thing we know for sure is where coffee went next. In the 15th Century, it traveled north across the Red Sea into Yemen.
· The port where the beans first arrived was called Mocha.
Coffee was grown in Yemen and became popular in Egypt, Persia, and Turkey, where it was known as the Wine of Araby. Coffee houses opened up all around Arabia and were known as Schools of the Wise because they were the places where you went to hear and share information. The coffee houses became the epicenters of social activity.
However, in the early 1500s, the court at Mecca declared that coffee was forbidden because of its stimulating effect. Similar bans were instituted in Cairo and in Ethiopia. Riots erupted in the Arab streets until the coffee drinking people got justice, and the prohibitions were lifted.
History of Coffee - Into Asia and Europe
Arabia was the gatekeeper for coffee. If a country wanted coffee beans, they had to be purchased from Yemen. The Yemeni authorities liked it that way and tried to ensure that nobody could take their fertile beans and plant coffee trees themselves.
Then in 1670, along came Baba Budan, a Sufi saint from India who was on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Baba managed to smuggle some fertile beans into his home country and began growing coffee in Southern India.
Some years earlier, the Dutch had smuggled coffee plants into Holland from Yemen, but due to an inhospitable climate, their attempts at cultivation failed miserably. However, friends in Ceylon (now renamed Sri Lanka) gifted some coffee seedlings to the Governor of Java, Indonesia (then a Dutch colony). After several initial cultivation failures, coffee from Indonesia became a staple.
· Java became another household term for coffee.
Conclusion of Part 1
We hope you have enjoyed this story, but the history of coffee doesn’t end here. So stay tuned for Part 2.
Operant Coffee is dedicated to offering the finest coffee from all over the world. Our signature blends are roasted only with Fair Trade Certified coffee beans, and our roasters are committed to sustainable business practices. This ensures coffee that is not only of high quality but also environmentally friendly. Drop in at our online store to buy your coffee.