Coffee

Brewed from roasted beans (seeds of berries from certain flowering plants in the Coffea genus), roasting transforms the raw, green, beans into a consumable product that is roasted coffee. This can be ground into fine particles for brewing.

Coffee’s stimulating effect is due to the presence of Caffeine.

The two most commonly grown coffee bean types are C. arabica and C. robusta.

History §

Legendary origins §

The origins of coffee can be traced back to the coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau.

Legend says that a goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans by observing that after being ingested by his goats they would become energetic an would not Sleep at night.

Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and Knowledge of the energizing berries began to spread.

Spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula §

Cultivation and trade of coffee began on the Arabian Peninsula in the#timeline/ce15. It was not only enjoyed in homes but also in many public coffee houses (called Qahveh Khaneh) which were attended for all kinds of social activity.

With thousands of pilgrims visiting the holy city of Mecca each year from all over the world, Knowledge of this “wine of Araby” began to spread.

Coming to Europe §

“Bitter invention of Satan”

By#timeline/ce17 coffee made its way to Europe and became popular across the continent. Some people reacted to this new beverage with suspicion or fear calling it “bitter invention of Satan”. See also Five Attempts to Ban Coffee.

The controversy was so great that Pope Clement VIII was asked to intervene. He decided to taste the beverage for himself before making a decision, and found the drink so satisfying that he gave it papal approval.

Despite such controversy, coffee houses were quickly becoming centers of social activity and communication in the major cities of England, Austria, France, Germany and Holland. In England “penny universities” sprang up, so called because for the price of a penny one could purchase a cup of coffee and engage in stimulating conversation.

By the mid#timeline/ce17, there were over 300 coffee houses in London, many of which attracted like-minded patrons, including merchants, shippers, brokers and artists.

The New World §

In the mid-1600’s, coffee was brought to New Amsterdam, later called New York by the British.

Though coffee houses rapidly began to appear, tea continued to be the favored drink in the New World until 1773 (#timeline/ce18 ), when the colonists revolted against a heavy tax on tea imposed by King George III. The revolt, known as the Boston Tea Party, would forever change the American drinking preference to coffee.

“Coffee - the favorite drink of the civilized world.” Thomas Jefferson

Coming to the Americas §

In 1714, the Mayor of Amsterdam presented a gift of a young coffee plant to King Louis XIV of France. The King ordered it to be planted in the Royal Botanical Garden in Paris. In 1723, a young naval officer, Gabriel de Clieu obtained a seedling from the King’s plant. Despite a challenging voyage — complete with horrendous weather, a saboteur who tried to destroy the seedling, and a pirate attack — he managed to transport it safely to Martinique.

Once planted, the seedling not only thrived, but it’s credited with the spread of over 18 million coffee trees on the island of Martinique in the next 50 years. Even more incredible is that this seedling was the parent of all coffee trees throughout the Caribbean, South and Central America.

The famed Brazilian coffee owes its existence to Francisco de Mello Palheta, who was sent by the emperor to French Guiana to get coffee seedlings. The French were not willing to share, but the French Governor’s wife, captivated by his good looks, gave him a large bouquet of flowers before he left— buried inside were enough coffee seeds to begin what is today a billion-dollar industry.

Missionaries and travellers, traders and colonists continued to carry coffee seeds to new lands, and coffee trees were planted worldwide. Plantations were established in magnificent tropical forests and on rugged mountain highlands. Some crops flourished, while others were short-lived. New nations were established on coffee economies. Fortunes were made and lost. By the end of the#timeline/ce18, coffee had become one of the world’s most profitable export crops. After crude oil, coffee is the most sought-after commodity in the world.