Today we are going to tell you the history of coffee, its origin and some curious facts. As you know, coffee has a long and rich history, from the first time it was known to the present day.
Did you know that coffee is the second legal product traded in the world after oil? The history of coffee is very fascinating, fun and interesting!
What is the Origin of Coffee?
The history of coffee has its origins in the province of Kaffa (now Ethiopia), according to historians.
Over time, coffee has been seen in different ways; from being a magical medicinal remedy, to being a product of the devil’s dark drink and forbidden because of it.
It is known that it was discovered in the year 300, the best known story about the origin of coffee, it is about an old man named Kaldi who lived in Ethiopia (Africa).
Kaldi was a goat herder who spent all day composing songs on his flute.
Every day, before sunset, Kaldi played his flute in a special way to call his goats.
One day, to his surprise, no goats heeded his call and no matter how much he played and played his flute, the goats did not reach where he was. So he went looking for them, as he walked he kept playing his flute, tired of walking and playing, he finally found them.
He couldn’t believe it, his goats were running, jumping and they were all so excited.
After observing them, he realized that they were chewing on the leaves and fruits of a plant he had never seen before.
Kaldi also decided to try the fruits and soon after he started to feel more energy, joy, he started dancing and singing with his goats. This is in line with the story of how coffee was discovered and as we can observe it is fascinating.
In the beginning, Ethiopians prepared coffee leaves by boiling them as tea, but it was not until the year 1400 that it began to be roasted and taken as an infusion.
How did coffee get to Europe?
Many studies claim that “coffee” comes from the Arabic term Qahwa, which means “stimulant”.
Over time, the word would have passed to the Turkish Kahveh, which referred to the fruit of the coffee plant. After that, it would have evolved into Italian (“caffè”).
In the 15th century, thanks to the records of the coffee trade between Ethiopia and the Sufi monasteries of Yemen. It is known that coffee passed as a sacred drink from monastery to monastery, which favored its expansion gradually.
In the 17th century it finally arrived in Europe. The history of coffee begins in 1575, by Leonhard Rauwolf, a German botanist.
A few years later, at the beginning of the 17th century, the first records of the coffee trade between the Republic of Venice and North Africa are found.
What was the world’s first coffee shop?
The first coffee shop in the history of coffee opened its doors in Constantinople, in the year 1475. The first coffee shop is in Constantinople, with the passage of time more were created, but they were exclusive and only admitted diplomats and intellectuals.
In 1645, the first European café, more accessible to the public, was opened in Venice. Then, in 1650, England’s first coffee shop opened in Oxford, The Angel.
In 1652, on St Michael’s Alley, London’s first café opened its doors, run by Pasqua Rosée. In 1672 he opened a coffee shop in Paris. In 1675, there were over 3,000 cafes in England alone!
When did coffee come to America?
The American continent is a lover of this grain. The story of how coffee came about will fascinate you!
The most accepted theory about the arrival of coffee in the new world is attributed to Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu. He was an officer in the French army, in 1720 he brought a coffee plant to the island of Martinique by order of Louis XIV.
It is said that Gabriel Mathieu, on his way back to the island, faced a great storm that delayed his arrival.
Supplies ran out and water became scarce, so Marthieu shared his share of the water with the plant.
His efforts made it possible for the plant to arrive alive in Martinique, where it began to spread across the entire American continent thanks to different sailors.
One of these sailors was Nicholas Lewis, who in 1730 introduced coffee to Jamaica.
Spanish missionaries of unknown name were the ones who brought the plant to Java in 1740. It arrived in Cuba thanks to the sailor José Antonio Gelabert, in 1748.
Today’s Coffee
The coffee story continues and the data on coffee is truly astounding.
Every day more different coffee shops are opened, with new and different concepts from those we already know, one more modern than the other.
New ways of drinking and enjoying coffee and different types of recipes are being invented more and more. Today, coffee continues to make history, the best thing is that now it’s up to us, coffee lovers.
We must continue to innovate in the way coffee is drunk and enjoyed on a daily basis.
While it sounds a bit complicated, it’s not that difficult to make, not when you know what it takes to make that delicious coffee.
