The History of Coffee
Many would argue, that today, coffee is an essential to our daily lives, but exactly where did coffee come from?
The Ethiopian legend of coffee origins
Ethiopia is widely considered to be the epicentre of where coffee came from. If you’ve ever googled “coffee history”, you will have come across the famous story of how coffee was founded in Ethiopia by Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder, around 800 AD.
He wandered over to his goats to see them acting very strangely. They were energised and excited after eating some berries from a tree. After trying the berries himself, and also feeling excitable and alert, Kaldi took these berries to a monk.
Crossing the Atlantic – coffee origins in the New World
The founder of the Colony of Virginia, Captain John Smith, introduced coffee to other settlers of Jamestown in 1607. However, it wasn’t well received at first and tea was much more preferred.
In 1670, Dorothy Jones became the first person to receive a license to sell coffee in Boston. By the mid-1700’s, many taverns were also dubbed as coffeehouses, but tea was still the drink of choice. It was only when a rebellion against Great Britain caused all the tea to be thrown into the sea and it was considered unpatriotic to drink it any longer. Coffee then became increasingly popular.
Different Varieties of Coffee
Arabica and Robusta variants are the most utilized in the commercial coffee industry. Coffee Arabica is descended from coffee trees that were originally grown in Ethiopia. It is estimated that 70% of the world's coffee production is derived from this coffee variant. Coffee Arabica is a milder, more flavorful, and aromatic brew than other variants. Coffee Robusta, also known as Coffee Canephora, is grown in Central and Western Africa, Southeast Asia, and Brazil. This variant only accounts for 30% of the world's coffee production. Robusta is often cheaper than other variants and contains higher amounts of caffeine.
Over to Europe
Then the course of coffee history begins to change. This exotic beverage certainly caused a stir for European travellers who were filled with intrigue and fascination. So, by the 17th century, coffee had made its way to Europe and became increasingly popular across the continent.
European coffee history begins in Italy, where it was imported from the Ottoman Empire. In particular, Venetian merchants contributed to the widespread popularity of coffee in European regions and in 1645, the first ever European coffee house was opened in Venice. Drinking coffee became a great commodity, especially for wealthy people.
Coffee was then introduced to Paris, France in 1669 by Suleyman Aga, the ambassador to the court of King Louis XIV of France. He was armed with bags of coffee described as a “magical beverage”. Only two years later in 1671, an Armenian who went by the name Pascal, opened a coffee-drinking booth at the fair of St.-Germain. Visitors very quickly learned to look for the “petit noir" a name that still endures. This marked the beginning of Parisian coffee houses, which of course, inspired coffee houses to open across France.
Cooking with coffee
Water is not the only vehicle for conveying coffee’s character once it has left the bean. Coffee can also be made in alcohol or oil. Although coffee made that way is not good for drinking, it has interesting culinary applications.
Coffee extracted into alcohol, for example, makes a useful ingredient for crafting cocktails. It can also be a good way to add a small amount of coffee aroma to a sauce without adding bitterness. Most of the bitter compounds are not extracted if pure ethanol (such as Everclear) is used. The resulting concentrate is analogous to vanilla extract.
