Where Did Coffee Begin?

The origins of coffee drinking are shrouded in legend and mystery, but it is widely believed that coffee consumption began in the region of Ethiopia in East Africa. According to one popular legend, coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi in the 9th century. Kaldi noticed that his goats became unusually energetic after eating the red cherries from a certain tree. Curious about this phenomenon, he tried the cherries himself and experienced a similar burst of energy. Kaldi shared his discovery with a local monastery where monks experimented with the cherries, boiling them in water, which led to the creation of a drink that helped them stay awake and alert during long hours of prayer and meditation.

Another account attributes the discovery of coffee to an Ethiopian monk named Sheikh Omar, who, while exiled in Yemen, found that boiling the beans from a certain plant created a drink that helped him stay awake during long nights of prayer.

Coffee cultivation and trade began in the Arab world. By the 15th century, coffee had spread to Persia, Egypt, and the Ottoman Empire, where coffeehouses (called qahveh khaneh) became centers of social activity, intellectual exchange and business. Coffeehouses later appeared in cities across Europe & Asia, becoming hubs of culture & communication.

The first coffeehouse in England opened in Oxford in 1650, and coffeehouses soon became popular in London & other major cities. In the 17th century, coffee was introduced to the New World by European colonists, and coffee plantations were established in Central & South America.

The coffee plant (Coffea arabica & Coffea canephora, commonly known as Arabica & Robusta, respectively) eventually spread to various tropical regions around the world, leading to the global coffee industry that we know today. Coffee has since become one of the most popular beverages worldwide, enjoyed by millions of people in various forms, from espresso and cappuccino to drip coffee and cold brew.