Coffee has a very long and interesting history full of traditions that have made it into what it is today. The coffee of today is a result of all the traditions that have been in place since the beginning of the 9th century. The cup of java you drink today is linked throughout many countries and many centuries.
Where Did Coffee Start?
Coffee
The discovery of coffee is a mystery to us still. There is one legend that tells of an Arabian shepherd called Kaldi who saw his goats near a shrub with colorful red fruit. He decided to try the fruit and was amazed at the energy it gave him. It is said that Kaldi told the monks in the area about what he had found and they ate the fruit so they could stay up praying all night. They shared this discovery with other monks and that is why there is a strong tie between coffee and the church today.
You can find mention of coffee in historical writings from the 10th century and it was written about regularly after that. Around the time that Columbus was setting out to explore the world, cafes were showing up in Constantinople. It came to Italy via merchant traders from Venice and that is where the first cafe in Europe opened in 1645. After this time, they could be found all over Europe and England and eventually America. By the late 1600s, England had more than 3,000 shops which shows the longevity its popularity. Over time, many countries started growing their own coffee which led to a variety of flavors caused by the variety in growing conditions. Around the world, coffee became part of the culture in many countries.
How Coffee Making Has Changed Over Time
The way that coffee is roasted, ground, and brewed is constantly changing over time. The beans were originally crushed with a mortar and pestle and then boiled such as is still done today in Turkey. The first drip brewing of it occurred around 1800 in France, which was also when percolators were created. The vacuum coffee maker came out around 1840 and people could have their brew with sediment in it. In the late 19th century, you could find espresso style makers using pressure to brew the drink. The paper filter was created in the early 1900s by Melitta Benz. Along with her family, she obtained a patent for it and started a family business that still makes filters today.
The drip coffee maker made its way into American homes with the Mr. Coffee coffee maker in the early 1970s. Before that, people mostly used a percolator at home or in the office. It is just in recent years that gourmet bean cafes have become popular in the U.S. Starbucks began in the early 1970s and is responsible for the boom that occurred in the 1990s. You can find over 16,000 of these stores around the world. The increased interest in gourmet shops has changed the way Americans view coffee and their expectations for it.
The History of Growing Coffee
While coffee originally only grew in the Arabian peninsula, it is now a commercial crop that grows all over the world. It grows in many tropical places, many of which are very poor countries with very little industry or development. The majority of it is mostly grown in South America (Brazil and Columbia produce the most coffee in the world), Africa (especially East Africa), and Indonesia. It is also a major commercial crop for countries like Jamaica, Hawaii, Australia, India, and Costa Rica. It should come as no surprise that these countries produce some of the best beans in the world.
Where Coffee is Now
Coffee beans that come from South America have a mild but also potent flavor. The African and Arabian beans are more intense and have more acidity. The beans from Indonesia are known for their smoothness, richness and low acidity in the flavor.
Coffee has affected all aspects of society throughout the last 10 centuries or so. It is something that unites all the countries of the world. The cup you drink tomorrow morning is probably from a country far, far away and has traveled the world on its way to your home. Where will coffee go now? No one can say! All we know that it is something we are all going to continue to enjoy.
Learning About Coffee History