The History of Coffee

Today, with a Starbucks on every corner and a coffee maker in every hotel room, it is hard to believe that coffee was once an exotic beverage unfamiliar to large swatches of the Earth. Keep reading to discover the history of coffee and its evolution from an Ethiopian berry to a mainstay of global culture.

The history of coffee

There are many tales told about the discovery of coffee, but the most charming legend is that of Kaldi, an Ethiopian goatherd. One day, he noticed that his goats, after eating a certain berry, became extremely excited. Intrigued, he tried the berry, and felt invigorated. He took the berries to a nearby holy man, who disapproved, throwing the beans into a fire. When an intensely pleasing aroma issued from the smoking beans, they were retrieved from the flames and soaked in water, creating the first cup of coffee.

From Africa to the Middle East to Europe

The story of Kaldi is probably artificial, but coffee did originate in Africa sometime before the 15th century and soon spread to the Middle East. In the early years, it was used by Sufi mystics to stay awake during nighttime prayer; some religious authorities, however, decried its stimulative properties and roused riots against coffee houses. Eventually, coffee arrived in Europe, and after the pope declared that it was fit to drink in 1600, its popularity spread rapidly. The first European coffee house opened in Venice in 1645.

The Americas

After the discovery and colonization of the Americas, certain entrepreneurs brought coffee plants over to grow in the hot environments of the Caribbean and South America. Soon, these areas were producing more than half of the world's coffee. The drink spread to North America, where it became one of the most popular beverages. By 1962, the average American drank three cups a day. Eventually, with the growing popularity of multinational coffee houses like Starbucks, the American coffee experience became the global coffee experience. Today, these stores can be seen in almost every country, and drinks such as macchiatos, espressos and americanos form an international language.

In many ways, the development of coffee is a microcosm of history: first the movement among Old World networks, then the introduction to the New World, and finally the development into one of the symbols of globalization. It has certainly come a long way from its discovery by Kaldi's dancing goats.