History of Coffee

Coffee was discovered over a thousand years ago by goats, according to the widely accepted legend.

Around the 9th century in the Highlands of Ethiopia (then known as Abyssinia), a young goat herder named Kaldi believed his goats became more active after eating a certain red berry. So he tried some himself and found that he also was more energetic.

He went on to tell several monks nearby and invited them to taste the fruit for themselves. One variant of the story states that a monk disapproved of the use of them and threw them into a fire. Noticing the aromas from the fire, the monks pulled the roasted berries out. Somewhere along the line, they learned to mill the cooked beans allowing the flavours to be infused in water to make a beverage. Some versions of the tale say the monks gained divine intervention or were able to recite their prayers without falling asleep. The beans themselves, and the drink the monks managed to make with them was considered a luxurious stimulant; however, they had no idea how or why.

Coffee began cultivation in Yemen, and the slow spread of the commodity had begun. The first credible evidence of coffee isn’t until the 15th century by which time demand increased for coffee in nearby Medina and Mecca, where every year many pilgrims converge. Egypt and North Africa began consuming the drink, and coffee houses started surfacing in Syria and Istanbul. The plant grew popular in the Middle East in the 16th century and from there spread to Venice. There it was a heavily charged beverage for the wealthy at Europe’s first coffee house in around 1650.

The rest of Europe was soon to enjoy the popular drink. By the time coffee reached England, it was safer to drink than water. Previously only beer, or fermented alcohol, was on hand. These provided only a depressant effect on the body rather than the stimulating attributes we associate with coffee. For this reason, coffee is loosely credited with sparking the literacy evolution inspiring such writers as Shakespeare. In the 17th and 18th centuries, coffee houses were named ‘penny universities’ as one could buy a coffee for a penny and learn and discuss all manner of things.

Up until the end of the 17th century, Yemen and Abyssinia were the only countries cultivating coffee. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Dutch began to grow coffee in their colonies in the East Indies and, later the Caribbean, Central America and Brazil. From the middle of the 19th century, coffee became one of the world’s most important trading commodities.