Coffee is today one of the most popular beverages in the world and can be found in multiple forms depending on how it is processed, for example as beans; ground, or instant, decaffeinated. There are many different types of coffee you can order, among them espresso, ristretto, lungo, americano, cappuccino, etc.
The legend of the origin of coffee.
Whilst nowadays some people cannot imagine their day without coffee, the drink took some time to work its way into different societies. Ethiopia is considered to be the cradle of coffee and according to one legend we can thank the goat herder Kaldi for discovering it. He noticed that the goats which had been eating the fruits from the coffee bush had no desire to sleep in the evening. Kaldi shared his observations with a local monk who then prepared a drink from the fruit of the bush. After drinking this beverage, the monk stayed awake long after evening prayers and then informed his fellow monks. It was thus from this monastery that knowledge of coffee subsequently spread.
Expansion into Africa and further on into Europe
Legend has it that the coffee tree bush is native to East Africa. It further expanded from there, probably during military campaigns. In the 15th century it reached the Arabian peninsula and Yemen, and by the 16th century people in Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey were also able to enjoy this drink.
Travellers and buyers gradually started to bring coffee to Europe with the first mention of it appearing in the 16th century. Interestingly, coffee met with great resistance here. Priests called it ‘the devil’s drink’. Pope Clement the 8th was asked to resolve the dispute and he consecrated the coffee which meant its popularity continued to grow.
It was not long before the first café in Europe opened in Italy. Other cafés soon appeared and within 200 years coffee had spread around the world and become a prized commodity. Around 200 billion cups of coffee are drunk daily worldwide.
Coffee even has its own international day. It falls on 1 October and is intended to celebrate the drinking and promotion of coffee that is produced and sold according to Fair Trade standards.
Whether you are a coffee lover or only occasionally indulge in it, we wish that it will always bring pleasure to you.
