A legend has it that coffee was accidentally discovered by an Ethiopian whose goat started behaving different after consuming some of the raw coffee beans. This was around in 800 A.D. An energizing effect of coffee was discovered first in Ethiopia by a clan of people called ‘Oromo’. Further it was begun using coffee to refresh and stimulate the individual. The reality in it is that coffee was discovered in Ethiopia and then taken to Yemen. The beans were roasted and brewed for the first time in Arabia. Till about 1600, only Africa and Arabia were growing coffee. Early in 1600, Europeans brought the beans there and raised the crop for themselves. By the end of the 16th century, coffee reached rest of Middle East, Turkey, Persia, and North Africa. Then it spread and reached Italy, and spreading all over Europe reached Indonesia and then to North and South America.
Many legends have it that a Sufi mystic Ghothul was traveling within Ethiopia when he found birds flying about in great energy. He then tried the coffee beans and found himself behaving the same with great vitality. He took these to a monastery and gave it to a saint who threw away the berries into a fire. The smoke which was produced had a refreshing aroma due to which it was decided that the beans need to be roasted and then prepared after it was ground as is today. The brew was found to be a great stimulant and came into existence being called ‘coffee’.
Arabs were primarily the first to cultivate the crop and to trade it. By about the 15th century, the people of Yemen started growing the bean. In the 16th century, it reached Syria, Persia, Turkey and Egypt. It was popular among Muslims who were forbidden any alcohol from the holy Koran could use the substitute in coffee.
By now coffee had reached a great amount of popularity so that it was not only consumed at home but also in coffee houses. Many such places sprung up in cities in the east. People would sit here and drink the brew and have their conversations. Soon it became a ritual to drink coffee before one retired to bed in the night. At the coffee houses people came to meet each other and spend time talking and watching shows and other social activities. Coffee houses were being called the schools of wise people who met to discuss important things.
Also called the wine of Arabia, it became popular with the pilgrims who came to Mecca and the coffee bean spread to all of Arabia. Then there were European travelers from near East who made it to Europe and spread the word that coffee was a stimulating drink and was being used to be drunk at any part of the day or night. Arabians began to safeguard the coffee they produced. It was also called a bitter concoction of Satan.
With the controversy taking depth Pope Clement the eighth intervened. After tasting the beverage he decided to give it a papal acceptance. In spite of such controversies, coffee kept on becoming popular reaching far and wide to England, France, Austria, Holland and Germany. While coffee houses kept becoming a center of communication and social bent activity.
