History of Coffee

Introduction

Coffee is one of the most commonly drunk beverages all over the word. The most surprising fact is that coffee has adverse effects for the human beings ranging from social to economical advantages. Additionally, it is interesting to note that coffee can be extremely addictive if consumed on a daily basis. People may often wonder where coffee originated. How did it grow to become of the most used beverages in the world? For this reason, the paper focuses on the early discovery of the famous beverage from its discovery to its entry to the global market.

Discussion

Two main legendary stories of the first account of coffee have been established. The first one involves a Yemenite. The Yemenite, Sufi mystic Ghothul Akbar Nooruddin, on his travel to Ethiopia observed that certain birds were revitalized after taking certain fruits that appeared to grow in bushes. He decided to experiment to evaluate whether he will have exhibit the same characteristics as the birds. To his surprise, he was revitalized. He introduced these fruits to his people leading to the massive growth of coffee.

The second legend states that coffee trees were first discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia in Kaffa province in the thirteenth century (Surhone, Timpledon & Marseken, 2010). Kaldi, a goat herder was the man who first discovered the plant while grazing. He noticed that his goats were highly spirited after eating berries from the coffee tree. First, the goats did not want to sleep at night according to an Ethiopian legend. The local monastery used the information shared by Kaldi to make a drink from the berries and discovered he remained alert long hours after and he shared his findings with other monks at his monastery. This knowledge about the energizing effects of coffee berries slowly spread to the rest of the world.

By fifteenth century, the Arabs were first to cultivate coffee and begin its trade. Coffee was grown in Yemeni district in Arabia and its popularity continued to grow gradually. Being a Muslim country where alcohol is forbidden coffee’s energizing property made it an excellent substitute. The first coffee houses or kaveh kanes as were popularly known started in Mecca and soon spread in Arab (Wild, 2005). People would meet in these coffee houses for social gatherings.

There are two types of coffee Arabica and Robusta. Arabica bushes were first grown in Amsterdam under greenhouse conditions while Robusta was in Brazil. Arabica is considered the better tasting coffee compared to Robusta that is preferred as filler in many blends (Wild, 2005). Coffee berries were first eaten by slaves taken from the present day Sudan and taken to Arabia and Yemen. Animals could also feed on fruits of the plant since bit was a wild bush. Today, coffee is used as a beverage. Due to its effective coffee is diligently used by personal trainers and bodybuilders today. Coffee helps one stay fit, reduces chances of skin cancer for its users and is a possible cure for cellulite. Coffee beans can be used to freshen one’s breath or remove odor from hands for example garlic smell.

After its discovery, coffee berries were used to prepare a drink. Later, the beans were ground to powder that is then used prepare a beverage. Machines are required to prepare the coffee beans to readily usable coffee. The first type of machine was called tradition express maker. As technology evolved, many machines that are more advanced were developed. One such machine is bean-to-cup that was an advancement of the previous machine.

Demand for the beverage spread and need to grow coffee outside Arabia was felt and brought competition. The Dutch began the spread of coffee. Brazil too sugar prices were declining and they adapted coffee growing, this vast production caused a decrease in world’s coffee prices. Countries such as Colombia had been introduced to coffee cultivation and Panama Canal opening allowed their exports to reach Pacific ocean which lead to their beans popularity with European and American markets.

It is not clear when the first coffee shop was opened. However, it is presumed that it was first opened in the fifteenth century but the Imams of Arabia banned them. In Europe, the first coffee shop was opened in the seventeenth century in the Kingdom of Hungary. It opened because of leaders seeing it as an opportunity to have conversations. In America, the first coffee was opened in the seventeenth century but years after it was first introduced in Europe.

Social upheaval and political turmoil has seen a rise in demand for coffee, leading to the expansion in production throughout the globe. This is growth can be attributed to the immerse increase in prices (Pendergrast, 2010). Coffee is one of the profitable export crops to any economy. It is a valuable product in foreign exchange to most third world countries. It accounts for 50% or more of their income and is a source of employment for a big number of its population.  

Coffee has several advantages in the current world today. Coffee has a wide variety of uses that are extremely advantageous. The first and the obvious uses is a beverage. Many people drink coffee in different social gatherings. For instance, friends can meet and socialize while drinking a cup of coffee. On the other hand, different organizations can use coffee as drink during their meetings. Additionally, people can serve their visitors with a cup of coffee when they are visiting their home. Therefore, coffee as a beverage is the first use.

The second use of coffee is as a deodorant. For instance, when a person is cooking food he or she may be exposed to certain foods like garlic that might live a certain smell on the hands. In this case, a person can rub the coffee husks on the hands to remove the irritating smell on the hands. Additionally, when a person has eaten something that is producing bad odor in the mouth, he or she can use the coffee as a deodorant to remove the stench from the mouth. Moreover, they are used to remove bad odors in the fridge. For example, a person may live for days in the fridge causing it to smell. In this case, hot coffee can be put in the fridge to remove the stench. For this reason, coffee can be used as a deodorant.

Used coffee grounds are being used to enrich the soil with different nutrients. Many farmers can testify that they are currently using used coffee grounds to enrich their farms and it is working. According to researchers, coffee is rich in potassium, phosphorous, copper, and magnesium. Additionally, coffee adds nitrogen to the soil. On the other hand, coffee has small amounts of acidity that is extremely useful in some soils. The most surprising fact about this is that used coffee ground can be found at no costs (Wild, 2005).

Conclusion

According to the history of coffee, it was first discovered in Ethiopia by either a herdsman or a Yemenite during the thirteenth century. The region where it was discovered is called Kaffa province. Later, coffee spread to the Muslim countries before spreading to Europe and later America. It is believe that the Arabs were the first to cultivate and trade in coffee. Additionally, it is believed that the first coffee shop was opened in the Muslim countries in the fifteenth century. Currently, coffee is being used as a beverage, deodorant and soil nutrients. Economically, it has improved the living standards of people. Finally, it has improved social gatherings. Therefore, coffee is truly a fascinating beverage from the time it was discovered till present.