The History of Coffee
Reflecting on Earth’s natural energy drink
Coffee is a beverage enjoyed by many people all over the world. According to the International Coffee Organization, humans drink over 1 billion cups of coffee per day. With that kind of popularity, there must be something that keeps people drinking more. But what makes coffee so special, and why is it so important to civilization today?
The coffee plant we know and appreciate today originates in Ethiopia where tales of the drink have been told for hundreds of years or longer.
Legend has it that the etymology of “coffee” has roots in the Kaffa Province of Ethiopia, which makes sense as the word for it in many languages is closer to “kaffa” than “coffee” (e.g. kaffe, kaffee, kafea, kafés, and café).
According to a story from Yemen, a Yemenite Sufi discovered the beans while traveling through Ethiopia, resulting in the long-standing tradition of coffee in that area of the world today.
Cultivation of coffee began around the 9th century AD, however it had been known in the Kaffa region prior to that by local farmers and herders for an unknown length of time.
Coffee was first introduced into Europe during the 1500’s through Hungary when it was invaded by the Turks. News spread quickly and travelers from all over Europe began taking note.
During the 1600’s, coffee was introduced to India where it has been cultivated and exported ever since. Coffee was introduced to Japan in the 1700’s but did not become popular until the 1900’s when thousands of coffee shops began opening up all over the country. Other parts of Asia began cultivating and exporting coffee over the last several hundred years.
Today, coffee is grown all over the world and there are over 70,000 coffee shops in the United States alone. While there are many different kinds of coffee and ways to brew it up, one thing remains the same: people everywhere appreciate the dark and robust energy boost that comes from having a nice cup of coffee with breakfast, after a nice meal, or while going on a walk in nature. Delicious!
