What is the History of Coffee.

No one knows exactly how and when coffee was discovered, although there are many legends about its origin.

An Ethiopian legend.

Grown around the world, goat coffee can trace its heritage back centuries to the ancient coffee forests of the Ethiopian plateau. There, legend has it, the goatherd Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans.

It is said that Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed that after eating berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night.

Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink from the berries and found that it would keep him alert during the long hours of evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks in the monastery, and knowledge of the energizing fruits began to spread.

As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula, the journey that would bring these beans around the world began.

Arabian Peninsula.

Coffee cultivation and trade began in the Arabian Peninsula. In the 15th century, coffee was cultivated in the Yemen region of Arabia, and by the 16th century it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey.

Coffee was not only consumed in households, but also in the many public coffeehouses – called qahveh khaneh – that began to appear in cities throughout the Middle East. The popularity of the cafe's was unsurpassed, and people visited them for all sorts of social activities.

Not only did patrons drink coffee and chat, but they also listened to music, watched performers, played chess and kept up with the news. Coffeehouses quickly became such an important center for the exchange of information that they were often referred to as "schools of the wise."

With thousands of pilgrims visiting the holy city of Mecca every year from all over the world, knowledge of this "Arabian wine" began to spread.

Coffee is coming to Europe.

European travelers to the Middle East brought back stories of an unusual, dark, black drink. In the 17th century, coffee reached Europe and became popular throughout the continent.

Some people reacted to this new drink with suspicion or fear, calling it "the bitter invention of Satan". Local clergy condemned coffee when it arrived in Venice in 1615. The dispute was so great that Pope Clement VIII was asked to intervene. He decided to taste the drink for himself before making up his mind, and found the drink so satisfying that he gave it papal approval.

Despite such controversy, coffeehouses quickly became centers of social activity and communication in major cities in England, Austria, France, Germany, and Holland. In England, "penny universities" were created, so called because for the price of a penny you could buy a cup of coffee and engage in stimulating conversation.

Coffee began to replace the common breakfast drinks of the time — beer and wine. Those who drank coffee instead of alcohol started the day feeling refreshed and energized, and not surprisingly, the quality of their work improved significantly. (We like to think of it as the forerunner of modern office coffee services.)

By the mid-17th century, there were over 300 coffeehouses in London, many of which attracted like-minded patrons, including merchants, carriers, brokers and artists.

Many businesses have grown out of these specialty coffee shops. Lloyd's of London, for example, was founded in Edward Lloyd's Coffee House.

New world.

In the middle of the 17th century, coffee was brought to New Amsterdam, later called New York by the British.

Although coffeehouses quickly began to appear, tea continued to be the drink of choice in the New World until 1773, when the colonists rebelled against the high tea tax imposed by King George III. Known as the Boston Tea Party, the rebellion would forever change America's coffee drinking preferences.

"Coffee - the favorite drink of the civilized world."-Thomas Jefferson

Plantations around the world.

As demand for the beverage continued to spread, there was strong competition for coffee cultivation outside of Arabia.

The Dutch finally obtained seedlings in the second half of the 17th century. Their first attempts to plant them in India failed, but they were successful in their efforts in Batavia on the island of Java in present-day Indonesia.

The plants thrived, and soon the Dutch had a productive and growing coffee trade. They then expanded the cultivation of coffee trees to the islands of Sumatra and Celebs.

Coming to America.

In 1714, the mayor of Amsterdam presented a young coffee plant to the French king Louis XIV. The King ordered it to be planted in the Royal Botanical Garden in Paris. In 1723, a young naval officer, Gabriel de Clieu, obtained a seedling from the royal plant. Despite a difficult voyage – complete with terrible weather, a saboteur who tried to destroy the seedling, and a pirate attack – he managed to get it safely to Martinique.

Once planted, the seedling not only thrived, but is credited with the spread of more than 18 million coffee trees on the island of Martinique over the next 50 years. Even more incredible, this seedling was the parent of all coffee trees in the Caribbean, South and Central America.

The famous Brazilian coffee owes its existence to Francisco de Mello Palmetto, who was sent by the emperor to French Guiana to obtain coffee seedlings. The French were reluctant to share, but the French governor's wife, smitten by his good looks, presented him with a large bouquet of flowers before he left—with enough coffee seeds buried inside to start what is now a billion-dollar industry.

Missionaries and travelers, traders and colonists continued to carry coffee seeds to new lands and coffee trees were planted around the world. Plantations were establish in beautiful tropical forests and rugged mountain highlands. Some crops flourished, while others were short-lived. New nations were founded on the coffee economy. Fortunes were make and lost. By the end of the 18th century, coffee had become one of the most profitable export crops in the world. Coffee is the most sought-after commodity in the world after oil.