The History of Coffee Beans
Instant coffee, Turkish coffee, Single-origin, Decaf, Latte, Espresso, Cappuccino, Americano Coffee is the second most popular drink on the planet. First place is taken by water.
In the U.S. alone, more than 450 million cups of coffee are consumed daily, however the paradise of coffee fans is located in Finland, where everyone takes in an average of 12 kilograms of coffee beans per year according to the International Coffee Company.
In Fact, coffee is of such importance in human lives that it’s even included in most military rations. Where did our love for this energy-boosting java juice come from and how precisely did it spread out throughout the globe? Today we are going to dive into the history of coffee beans and coffee itself.
The Story of the Birth of Coffee
The story of the birth of coffee is unverified and uncertain, however it appears to narrow down to two origin stories. One happens in Ethiopia, and the other one will take us to Yemen. Let’s start with Africa first. The legend says that somewhere around 850 AD in the region of Kaffa, situated in Ethiopia, a young goatherd called Kaldi, noticed that when his goats consumed a small red berry, they ended up being highly active. Captivated by this circumstance, Kaldi plucked some berries for himself and noticed that he too felt energized after consuming them. He decided to share the effects of these magic berries. He took a few to a neighboring abbey; however the head monk, frightened by their strange impact, rejected them and tossed them into a fire. The outcome was a fascinating fragrance that mesmerized the monk! After the fire was over, they got themselves a roasted coffee beans that were left amongst the coal, ground them and produced the first-ever cup of coffee.
As per the other legend, it says that in ancient Yemen there was a man called Sheikh Omar who was famous for his healing powers.
For unknown reasons, Omar was thrown out of his neighborhood and settled down in a desert cave. Hungry and desperate Omar consumed the red berries from a close-by bush, but did not particularly like their bitter taste. Determined to make something out of his anemic meal Omar roasted the beans, ground them up and boiled them with water, producing a stimulating liquid that sustained him for a few days.
When his neighborhood found out about the magical mixture, he was gladly welcomed back to the village.
Although both stories are truly fascinating, we can’t know for sure if that’s how initially cup of Joe really came to be, but it seems, according to historical proof, that the crown for the first cup of coffee goes to both Yemen and Ethiopia.
Coffee History Continues
The plant itself belongs to Ethiopia, while the very first real proof we have of its roasting and developing as we drink our coffee nowadays originates from Yemen.
Ancient records reveal that throughout the 15th century, coffee was consumed among Muslim communities around Yemen, specifically the Sufis, because it helped them stay up for long religious ceremonies.
They purchased coffee beans that were brought by merchants from Ethiopia. Throughout the 1600s, the beverage quickly began infecting Europe. The Netherlands was the first country to open coffee plantations in Sri Lanka. In the early 1600s the Dutch East India Business started importing coffee from then Java and Ceylon in 1711. Pretty soon other European nations followed suit. In the 1700s, the French took it to the Caribbean at the same time as the Portuguese presented it in Brazil.
In the Late 19th century, the Spanish had actually taken it to Central and South America. No wonder that coffee beans from these regions are nowadays considered to be among the best worldwide.
Coffee, Religion and First Coffee Houses
Although coffee has actually ended up being the West’s preferred energy booster, it is interesting to note, that due to the Islamic origins of coffee, it’s been rejected by Christians in the West.
They were suspicious of its effects and considered it a pagan, beverage.
It wasn’t until 700 years after its discovery when the beverage began; to get in popularity that the concern was brought up to then Pope Clement VIII Catholic devout was hoping their leader would denounce the beverage right away.
To their surprise, the Pope decided to take a sip of the so-called devil’s quaff. His decision, Coffee, was here to remain, however to persuade his followers that coffee would not make it easier for a demon to possess them, The Pope baptized coffee beans in order to officially pronounce them Satan-free.
The very first coffee homes worldwide appeared throughout the 15th Century in the Arabian Peninsula and they were called Qahveh Khaneh. Coffee houses were a place where individuals would get together to play, games, listen to music or even have political disputes. Coffee gains a tremendous popularity among Europeans throughout the 1600s as well as the appearance of coffee houses.
Unlike pubs or bars, which were the location where males would gather to talk about politics and everyday quandaries, coffee houses were considered a space for intellectuals.
In Britain, coffee homes were called penny universities because for a penny you could get a cup of coffee and participate in cerebral conversations with scholars and business owners fraternizing at the store.
In the early days coffee houses, weren’t available to everyone. The French and British banned females from entering their facilities. Only the Germans saw no problem with, gentlemen and ladies taking part in discussions together, However it wasn’t just about intellectual conversations. Many people at the time believed that coffee was a very powerful treatment.
In the same early to mid 1600s there were claims that coffee can deal with headaches, cough of the lungs, gout and scurvy. Apparently it likewise helped avoid miscarriages in childbearing ladies. Miracle potion!
Few Facts About Instant Coffee
By the 18th Century Coffee had ended up being THE drink in every country it had actually been presented to, however individuals still couldn’t get enough of the beverage. In 1901, a Japanese-American chemist called Satori Kato produced the very first variation of an instant coffee. He even patented his invention in 1903; however his production didn’t truly catch on till much later.
The mass production of instantaneous coffee is attributed to George Washington (not a famous president), a Belgian developer who owned production facilities in Brooklyn New York. His item was called “Red E Coffee.” It played a starring function right at the end of the First World War In 1918. The U.S. armed force was purchasing 37,000 pounds of coffee per day. On occasions where soldiers had no access to water, they would simply pour the immediate coffee packet into their mouths and munch on the caffeine powder for energy.
Variety of Coffee Beans
But aren’t all coffee beans are the same?
The answer is – no, not at all!
There are numerous kinds of coffee beans, but the ones that are most common are Arabica, Robusta, Liberica and Excelsa. They all grow in what is known as The Coffee Bean Belt, an area located in between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer that have the ideal environment and temperature for coffee to flourish.
According to the International Coffee Company, 20 billion pounds of coffee are produced in the Bean Belt per year. The most typical type of coffee bean is called the Arabica. Historians think it was the first kind of coffee to be cultivated as it originates from the Ethiopian highlands.
Nowadays 60 percent of the coffee consumed worldwide is Arabica. It’s mostly grown in Latin America and it’s recognized for its sweet, fruity and slightly acidic taste. However, it takes Arabica coffee plants about 7 years to completely mature and be ready for harvest making it pricier than the other ones.
The second one on the list of coffee beans is called Robusta. This is the one you’ll most likely find in most of the supermarkets and grocery stores. They’re grown in Africa and Indonesia, and it’s relatively common due to its high caffeine concentration, making it best for espressos and a stimulating cup of Joe. However that also makes coffee from Robusta beans bitterer in taste.
Liberica and Excelsa beans are grown in specific parts of Southeast Asia and therefore comprise a really small percentage of the coffee consumed on the planet. This also makes them pricier than Robusta and Arabica beans.
Presently, Brazil is the world’s largest coffee exporter pumping out 45 million bags per year of mainly Arabica beans, Coffee really stuck in Europe. The white wine and beer people would usually have for breakfast were gradually changed by Jitter Juice.
Final Facts About Coffee History
Americano coffee was born in the 2nd World War.
Italians had 2 ways of taking in java at the time espresso or cappuccino when Americans stationed in Italy became homesick for the way they had their cup of Joe. Both of these alternatives were too thick and bitter for American GIs who were utilized to leak coffee.
So Italian coffee shops, in uniformity with the coffee thirsty Americans began offering their espressos with a cup of hot water for them to water down the espresso shot. Eventually, they began mixing water with the espresso for the G.I.s and started calling the drink an Americano.
Today, coffee continues to reign supreme. The international coffee industry makes an approximated $ 60 billion yearly and Starbucks alone has 29,865 stores satiating the coffee-thirst of 78 markets around the globe.
No matter where we are from, we can all concur that an excellent cup of coffee can make our day.
And you, how do you like your coffee?! Let us know in the comments below or simply send us an email and we might share your recipe or brand in the next post!
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