The history of coffee

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Written by: Svenja Schindler | July 14, 2023 | Reading time 3 min

We'll travel back in time with you and explore the exciting history of coffee.
Who discovered it and where does the coffee bean actually come from?
What's wrong with all the myths and legends surrounding its origin and History of coffee and what is really true?

HOW IT ALL BEGAN…

The history of coffee begins with its discovery. If you want to be precise, the coffee bean was not discovered by humans.

At least if you want to believe the most widespread legend of Antonius Faustus Naironus. In his bookDe saluberrima potione cahvefrom 1671 he writes about the discovery of the coffee bean.

According to this, it was actually goats who tasted the bean for the first time.

In the year 900, the shepherd Kaldi is said to have wandered with his sheep through the kingdom of Kaffa, today's Ethiopia. Some of the sheep ate the red coffee cherries along the path. Later that evening the shepherd noticed that the sheep were jumping around very lively and couldn't find any rest. And only those who had eaten the coffee cherries.

The monks in the nearby monastery heard about it and tried the coffee cherries. Complaining about the bitter taste, they spat them into the fire.
So the beans were roasted and there was a delicious smell in the air, which the monks also noticed. So they brewed the roasted beans with water and drank their first coffee.

The enthusiasm was great because the monks could now easily perform their nightly prayers without getting tired.

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THE WINE OF ISLAMS

At the beginning of the 16th century, coffee conquered the Ottoman Empire, probably through slave traders. As the “wine of Islam,” it quickly gained popularity among Muslims. Since the consumption of wine was strictly forbidden, they had now found a substance that gave them a similar stimulating effect.
The first coffee house was built in Mecca around 1511, which spread rapidly and therefore had a major influence on the history of coffee. However, to the disgust of the then ruler Murad IV. The coffee houses were burned again under his leadership and coffee drinkers were considered criminals. They were even persecuted and punished. The few coffee houses that still existed were mostly disguised as barbershops.

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ONCE AROUND THE WORLD

With colonization, the coffee bean also spread around the globe. In 1645 the first European coffee house opened in Venice. London, Vienna and Paris followed a few years later. The rest of the world had to be patient because the sale was initially withheld from the Prussian state in order to make a profit. Even roasting coffee in private households was strictly forbidden. This made coffee smuggling very lucrative.
After all, it was Dutch and English sailors who secretly imported the coffee plant to their colonies around the world.

FIRST CULTIVATION

When the coffee plant was imported, its cultivation also began. At the end of the 17th century, the Netherlands managed to grow the first coffee plants in Java, Indonesia. Sri Lanka and India quickly followed.
A race between the colonial powers for growing areas began. Britain and France brought the plant to Central America, Africa and Australia.

In 1727, the Portuguese achieved a milestone because they were the ones who brought the coffee plant to Brazil, which is still the largest coffee-growing region in the world.
This was followed by cultivation in greenhouses, but despite all their efforts, it was not possible to grow the coffee bean in Europe.

Today we know that this is only possible in the so-called coffee belt, i.e. regions near the equator. The coffee plant can only thrive in a subtropical climate.

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TODAY'S COFFEE CULTURE

Today, coffee is a cult drink and it is impossible to imagine our everyday life without it. Be it coffee in the morning, a coffee chat with friends or the savior in the afternoon slump.
Trade is also booming: coffee is the second most important trading commodity today.

In addition to the original variety Arabica Another type of coffee appeared in 1889: Robusta.
Today, coffee is available in every imaginable variety and flavor and there is something for every taste.

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