S
tatistics show that there are
over 400 million cups of coffee
consumed a year. Very few of
those who consume this beverage
know its origins and history.
Although the early history of cof-
fee is not known for sure, legend
states that this plant was first dis-
covered in Ethiopia. It is said that
during 850 AD a goat herder by the
name of Kaldi noticed that his
goats became friskier when they
consumed a berry from a common
local shrub. Kaldi reported his find-
ings to the religious leaders of his
village. From the shrub’s berries,
these monks concocted a beverage
that allowed them to stay awake for
longer hours of prayer. This was
such an amazing discovery that
word soon spread to other monas-
teries.
Through word of mouth, knowl-
edge of these amazing berries
spread to the Arabian Peninsula. It
did not take long for the Arabs to
discover a way to cultivate these
berries for personal use and finan-
cial gain.
Some claim that coffee (or qahwa
as the Arabs call it) became popular
because of the Muslim religion. It
has been said that since the Muslim
religion forbids followers to con-
sume alcoholic drinks, the Muslims
of the Arab countries turned to cof-
fee. The energizing properties of
this beverage were similar to the ef-
fects of moderate alcohol intake.
But since qahwa did not contain
liquor, it became an acceptable
substitute. This is why coffee be-
came known as the “wine of Araby.”
It was around 1100 that buildings
were erected specifically for serving
the dark beverage. These public
coffeehouses began to appear in
various cities all over the Arabian
Peninsula. Known as qahveh
khaneh to the Arabs, these places
developed into centers of social en-
tertainment. These early coffee-
houses became the place to keep
current on important news, engage
in stimulating conversation, listen
to music,
play games,
and watch dancers. The qahveh
khaneh soon gained a positive rep-
utation from traders, explorers, and
those who made holy pilgrimages.
Thus the knowledge of coffee
spread.
By the 1600s knowledge of coffee
had spread through most of Eu-
rope. Like almost anything new, the
use of coffee caused a great deal of
controversy. In some European
cities, the beverage was called all
types of names, including a “bitter
invention of
Satan.” At
one point the
local clergy
in Venice,
Italy con-
demned it,
until the
Pope gave
papal ap-
proval for its
use.
Coffee
gained popu-
larity regardless of the controversy.
In 1652 the first coffeehouse
(known as “penny universities” be-
cause a penny was charged per cup)
was opened in England. It was
through English coffeehouses that
“tips” became popular. Those desir-
ing adequate service would toss
extra coins into a cup by a sign that
read: "To Insure Prompt Service." A
few years later additional coffee-
houses began to be built in Eng-
land raising the total number to
well over 300. This trend continued
in other European countries and
cities as well. Much like the early
Arab qahveh khaneh, these Euro-
pean coffeehouses became centers
of social activity. They attracted a
variety of patrons from artists to
merchants to brokers.
By the mid-seventeenth century
the knowledge of coffee had spread
to the NewWorld. There has been
some dispute among historians as
to whether coffee first came to
Canada or the United States.
The majority of evidence cred-
its an American explorer, Cap-
tain John Smith, with
introducing the bitter inven-
tion of Satan to the New
World in the early 1600s. It was not
until after the colonists revolted
against the heavy tea taxes, known
as the Boston Tea Party in 1773, that
coffee use became more wide-
spread than tea.
Prior to the 1700s the Arabs still
had a monopoly on commercial
coffee cultivation and transport. As
much as the Arabs tried, they could
not keep monopoly of the coffee
production a secret. This profitable
business soon attracted the Euro-
peans. Through various secretive
means Europeans slowly gained ac-
cess to the coffee tree seeds and the
knowledge to cultivate this shrub.
The Dutch are credited as being the
first Europeans to produce coffee
for profit. They did this by smug-
gling coffee seedlings from the Arab
port of Mocha and transporting
them to the East Indies for plant-
ing.
Thirty-three years later, in 1723,
millions of coffee tree seedlings
were transported to North America
for cultivation. Not long after this
the Brazilian coffee industry was
born, and today is one of the lead-
ing producers of this hot beverage.
As the years progressed addi-
tional coffeehouses were opened.
More efficient methods of produc-
tion were discovered and new vari-
ations of coffee produced. In 1908
the first drip coffeemaker, using
blotting paper filters, was created.
Thirty years later the Nestle Com-
pany invented instant coffee.
Today coffee is the most popular
beverage in North America and the
rest of the world. Coffee production
is a lucrative industry and has risen
in rating to one of the world's great-
est commodities. It is second only
to oil.
The history
of coffee
"Coffee is the common
man’s gold and like gold it
brings to every man [and
woman] the feeling of
luxury and nobility."
Sheik Abd-al-Kadir
“In Praise of Coffee”
1857
Ramadan
20
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