HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF COFFEE
Coffee is second largest traded commodity in the world today after petroleum. The history of coffee is fascinating story. No one exactly know how and when coffee was discovered, though there are many legends about its origin. Now lets see some stories about the origin of coffee.
AN ETHIOPIAN LEGEND AND DANCING GOAT
The famous story suggests that the coffee was first discovered on the forest of Ethiopia. It was discovered by the goat herder Kaldi. The story suggests that the Kaldi discover these coffee after he noticed that after eating some berries from plant his goat did not sleep at night. Kaldi reported this finding to the monk of local monastery, who made a drink with those berries and it help him to stay for longer hours and helps in evening prayer. The monk share this findings with other monastery and soon it began to spread.
THE ARABIAN PENINSULA
The finding of coffee began to spread fast and reach the Arabian Peninsula, which would bring these beans across the globe. Coffee plantation and trade began on Arabian Peninsula. By 15th century coffee was started growing in various district of Yemen and by 16th century it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey. Soon coffee was not only enjoyed at home, but also at public coffee house called qahveh khaneh- which begin to appear at cities of north east. Coffee house quickly became so popular that it became the place of exchanging information that they were referred to as ''schools of the wise''.
COFFEE CAME TO EUROPE
European travelers to the north east brought back the unusual story of black and strong beverage. By the 17th century coffee was introduced in Europe and was becoming popular at the continent. Many people even call it a bad and fear drink even naming it as ''Bitter Invention of Satan''. Despite such negative response coffee began to replace regular breakfast beverage (beer and wine) and by mid of 17th century there were about more than 300 coffee house in London. Coffee shops started to be the first choice communication and gathering place in the countries like England, Austria, France, Germany and Holland.
BEGINNING OF NEW WORLD
The coffee start to make its way in new world. Although coffee and coffee house began to appear, tea was still the first choice beverage in new world until 1773 when the colonists revolted against a heavy tax on tea imposed by King George III. The revolt, known as the Boston Tea Party, would forever change the American drinking preference to coffee.
COFFEE PLANTATION IN WORLD
As coffee demand continue to grow outside the Arabia and thus it started the competition of cultivation of coffee plant around the globe. The dutch finally get their seedling in later half of 17th century. However their first attempts to grow them in India failed, but they were successful with their efforts in Batavia, on the island of Java in what is now Indonesia.
This was a small brief about the origin of coffee with the help of goat to its cultivation on the new world. As there is no proven history about how exactly coffee was originate as many legends of the field suggest different stories but it is certain that coffee was discovered in Ethiopia.
AUTHOR : ROSHAN CHAUHAN