Here’s a short guide to the history of coffee

Just think: 12,000 cups of coffee are consumed every second in the world, making a total of 400 billion cups per year. How did this humble drink become so incredibly popular? What is the history behind coffee? Where did it come from? Let’s find out together!

The history and origins of coffee, a tale that dates back centuries

The coffee plant was originally from the province of Kaffa (sound familiar?!) in Ethiopia, the African state identified as the cradle of the famous bean. But when and how the effects of its berries (known as drupes) were discovered is not clear. And indeed, there are many legends that tell different stories.

This is the most widely substantiated one:

“One day a shepherd went to see the monks, as he was worried about his herd of goats which had been unable to sleep for several days. The monks studied the goats’ behaviour and discovered that during the day they had been eating a strange kind of red berry. Inspired by the chance to crack the scientific mystery behind the problem, they tried making an infusion with the berries and once they had drunk it, they felt full of energy”.

From Ethiopia, the plant was then taken to Yemen, where it began to be cultivated by man. Shortly afterwards, word spread about the effects of the beans, and they were soon used throughout the Arab world.

In Arabia, coffee was, and still is, drunk by a large number of people, above all for religious reasons: the beverage enabled them to stay awake for hours to pray. But it was also popular because this religion does not allow its followers to drink alcohol: this is why coffee was known as “Arabian wine”.

The history of coffee as a beverage, and how it spread throughout the world.

Coffee continued to be grown and produced exclusively by the Arab world until the 15th and16th centuries, when the Dutch managed to smuggle a few plants into the Netherlands.

Initially cultivated in dedicated greenhouses or orangeries, the first coffee grown in Europe was then exported all along the tropical belt, a perfect area for its development.

And this was when the real success story began. People gradually started to drink coffee throughout Europe and elsewhere in the world. But with its successes came the first objections.

Such as the remarkable case of Pope Clement VIII, who was asked to abolish the well-known drink as it was considered a satanic threat. But as soon as he had tasted it, he fell in love with it. He then proclaimed that leaving it for the unfaithful to drink would have been a mortal sin.?

But what about today? In the 21st century, coffee is one of the top best-selling products in the world, coming a very close second only to oil. This often means a poorer quality, but in our case this is not true.

We only use the best single origin varieties, individually roasted to bring out even the tiniest variations in terms of aroma and taste. Try them now!