Today's popular coffee, enjoyed daily worldwide, has ancient Ethiopian origins. It comes from coffee forests of Ethiopia where it grew wild in the southern part of the country.
Researchers believe that coffee originated in 9th-century Ethiopia. Legend says a young goat herder named Kaldi discovered it. His goats became more energetic after eating the berries of a certain tree. Kaldi would then try the berries and would also experience a jolt of energy.
Eager to share his new discovery, he decided to go to a nearby monastery. The monks needed to stay awake during prayers and meditation. They made a drink out of the berries, and after drinking it, were able to stay awake longer. News of this discovery spread that coffee would soon make its way around the world.
From Ethiopia to Middle Eastern Coffeehouses
By the 15th century, coffee traveled from Ethiopia to the Arabian Peninsula. Farmers would cultivate it there in Yemen. By this time, people had begun to establish coffeehouses, or Qahveh Khaneh (in Persian). Yemen first developed brewing coffee as a beverage. By the 16th century, it had reached Turkey. It became part of Ottoman culture. At the time, Venetian merchants trading with the Ottomans introduced coffee to Europeans.
The merchants loved the beverage and brought back samples of it. As a result, coffee became the favorite drink of the wealthy Italian elite.
A Papel Blessing
As coffee grew popular, it sparked church controversy over it being a "Muslim drink." Yet, coffee had become so popular with many Europeans. Around 1600, Pope Clement VIII, after tasting it, baptized the drink. This led to a swift increase in the number of coffeehouses throughout Europe.
Coffee's Introduction to the New World
Coffee production in Martinique dates to 1723 when a French naval officer Gabriel de Clieu brought coffee seedlings to Martinique. The seedlings would flourish, and there were almost 19,000 coffee plants. The coffee would soon spread to other Caribbean islands, including Haiti, and eventually to Mexico. By 1788, Saint-Domingue in Haiti would supply at least half the world's coffee at that time. Later, Brazil would go on to become a major coffee producer even today.
Coffee would soon appear in North America during the time New York was Dutch New Amsterdam. By 1640, under Dutch rule (1624-64), coffee would be imported from Holland to New Amsterdam.
Just as they were first created in the Middle East and Europe, coffeehouses began to spring up all over the American colonies. Tea had already become the most popular drink.
But in 1773 King George III instituted the Tea Act on the American colonies. This led to a revolt by the colonists, in which they smashed open tea chests and dumped them into Boston Harbor. This would be known as the Boston Tea Party. The effect of the Boston Tea Party would change coffee's history. After that event, coffee would forever replace tea as America's favorite drink.
The Future of Coffee
Today, it is believed that 64% of American adults drink coffee daily, and there are over 35,000 coffee shops in the United States. Recently, a specialty coffee movement has become to spring up, emphasizing high-quality beans. Retailers are getting more creative with coffee brewing methods.
Besides coffee being more than an energy boost, coffee is now a cultural phenomenon in America. In fact, it is now woven into the fabric of society.
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