A Brief History of Coffee

When you wake up on a Monday morning and feel the dread of realizing that you have a full week ahead, probably the only thing that can give you some solace is a steaming cup of coffee. At that time, there is nothing sweeter than the dark bitter cup of coffee in your hands. What we don’t often realize however, is the deep history associated with the drink. Legends says that it was first discovered in Ethiopia, where a goat herder named Kaldi first found out the magic of coffee beans. He realized this after one of his goats accidentally ate a coffee berry and started acting very energetic. He then reported this to his town priest who made a drink out of the berries. He found out that this drink kept him up all through his boring evening sermon.

Although coffee beans were first discovered in Ethiopia, commercial coffee cultivation first started in the Arabian peninsula. In the 15th century it was grown in the Yemeni district and in the 16th century it spread to neighboring areas of Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey. This new drink was not only drunk in homes but also in coffee houses which became an epicenter of social activities. The customers not only drank coffee, but they also watched performances, engaged in conversations and discussed current events.

The ultimate worldwide spread of coffee eventually happened when Europeans travelers brought the drink home with them. It became popular throughout the continent and slowly the entire world realized the benefits of coffee. The rest, of course, is history.