Where did coffee come from and why did people turn to, or start using coffee in the 15th century?
Believe it or not, coffee has a legend about it- so, the legend goes that in the Ethiopian plateau a goat farmer, Kaldi, noticed his goats became way more energetic after eating some coffee plants. After this discovery Kaldi reported his new finding to the abbot of the local monastery- who then proceeded to try the drink out himself. He found that the drink kept him awake throughout the day, and the new drink was spread throughout the monastery. Coffee cultivation and trade began in the Arabian Peninsula and by the 15th century coffee plants were being grown in the Yemeni district of Arabia. By the 16th century the caffeinated drink was known to Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.
When European travelers brought back news of a rich, dark drink to Europe coffee was introduced to Europe (17th century). Yet, coffee wasn’t as accepted as you might think- in fact some called coffee the “bitter invention of Satan.” Even the clergyman of Venice condemned coffee. The controversy was so great that Pope Clement VIII had to intervene, so the Pope drank the rich brew and found it to be a delightful treat. In the mid-1600s coffee entered the New World. It was first brought to New Amsterdam and though coffee houses did appear tea was still the favored drink. That is until the Boston Tea Party (1773), after that America’s drink preference was forever changed to coffee.
“Coffee- the favorite drink of the civilized world” - Thomas Jefferson
The Dutch became involved in the coffee world (17th century) when they tried to cultivate coffee outside of Arabia. Their first attempt to start a coffee plantation in India failed, but their second attempt in modern day Indonesia (Batavia, Island of Java) was a success. The Dutch then expanded to the islands Sumatra and Celebes.
Finally, coffee reaches the Americas. In 1714 the Mayor of New Amsterdam presented a seedling to King Louis XIV of France, who had it planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens. In 1723 a naval officer, Gabriel de Clieu, obtained a seed from the gardens and underwent a grueling journey to transport the seed to Martinique. That single seed is the parent to over 18 million coffee trees on Martinique Island, and is also the parent of all coffee trees in the Caribbean, South, and Central America.
What was the main use of coffee during that time, and how has it evolved?
In Arabia coffee was accessible by public coffee houses, qahveh khaneh, and also enjoyed in many homes. These coffee houses were a center for social activity; the patrons drank coffee, watched shows, listened to music, engaged in conversations, discussed news, and played chess. Since these coffee houses were such popular hot-spots for information they became known as “Schools of the Wise.” And so those visiting the city of Mecca from all over the world news of the “wine of Araby” began to spread.
So of course coffee comes to Europe, but it was quite the controversial subject. However, despite the controversy, coffee houses popped up and became popular communication centers in major cities of: England, Austria, France, Germany, and Holland. You could even purchase a cup of joe for a penny in England. In fact coffee replaced the traditional morning drink- which resulted with people being more energized throughout the day (which is believed to lead to the office coffee service system). By the mid-7th century there were over 300 coffee houses in London- and many attracted the attention of merchants, shippers, brokers, and artists.
When did we begin to add other supplements to coffee?
When you think of coffee- how often do you think of that straight black liquid your drink starts out as? Not a lot, right? That's because we add sugar, milk, syrup, and other supplements to our morning (or afternoon- I don’t judge) cup of joe, but it wasn’t always like that. The cappuccino was named by Italian after the color of robes monks and nuns wore in the Capuchin order. Adding milk to coffee is said to have originated in the 1600s from two different sources.
First, in Asia the Chinese had a trade relationship with the Dutch and coffee was made available;e to China. The first time milk was added to coffee was by Nieuhoff, a Dutch ambassador in China (1660). He tried it just like how the Chinese elite in the Qing Dynasty did- continued on from the Manchu’s time.
Second, milk coffee was introduced to Europe through Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki coffee shop. He was a hero during the Siege of Vienna where he used his milti-lingual skills to save the city- then was rewarded by the Turkish with coffee bags and money. He used his reward to open a coffee shop and begin the craft of brewing coffee, he used a Turkish technique of boiling the grounds in a pot and serving after the beans had settled- but it didn’t stand with the Europeans. So, Jerzy tried two new tricks; first he filtered the grounds from the water (which was one of the first steps towards filtered coffee), and second he added sweetener. Now, during the 17th century only two types of sweeteners were known- milk and honey. Jerzy added both milk and honey to his filtered coffee and just like that Europe now knew of milk coffee, although sugar would later replace honey.
How did major chains such as Starbucks utilize coffee to create a brand new market?
The first Starbucks was opened up in 1971. From the day they first opened up to today their goal has always been to, “share a great cup of coffee and make the world a little better.” The first Starbucks is located in Pike Place Market, Seattle, and the name is inspired by Moby Dick to “evoke the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders.” Then, in 1981, Howard Schultz (the future CEO) fell in love after he visited the coffee shop.
Here is a brief timeline of Schultz tango with Starbucks:
1981; Howard Schultz has his first experience with Starbucks
1982; Schultz joins the company
1983; Schultz travels to Italy and is enthralled by the Italians take to coffee and their coffee houses. He dreams of bringing the coffee houses to America as a place “... between work and home.” He leaves Starbucks and starts his own coffee shop brand
1987; Schultz returns to the company and buys it with the help of local investors
As of today the current CEO of Starbucks is Kevin Johnson, and Starbucks' official mission is: "to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. "
What kind of economic impact has coffee had on the economy?
Think coffee doesn’t affect the economy? Think again! A recent study commissioned by the National Coffee Association and conducted by the experts at Technomic has revealed some shocking information of all the ways that coffee contributes to the U.S economy. The final report, which was produced in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association of America, has resulted in the first study of the impact of coffee on the U.S. economy; here are the results!
To begin with, it is already known that coffee is the most consumed beverage in America, consumed more than tap water, and the SCAA 2014 Economics of the Coffee Supply Chain report offered insight to the coffee supply chain. Yet, coffee touches many communities throughout the nation, from tax dollars to creating jobs to dairy farms. Second, the coffee industry isn’t just about the beverage itself, there are plenty of other elements to be found, such as; transportation, roasters and packaging, milk, creamers, sweeteners, flavorings, disposable products (cups, straws, etc), maintenance, equipment sold (consumer and commercial), indirect services (accounting, marketing, and promotion), wages, and taxes. Now, here is a list of numbers to ingest:
The total economic impact of the coffee industry in the US was $225.2 billion
1.6% of l U.S. gross domestic product is powered by coffee related economies
The coffee industry if responsible for 1,694,710 jobs in the US
$28 billion in tax dollars is generated by the coffee industry in the US