Picture this: a world without coffee. Hard to imagine, right? Today, whether it’s a sophisticated espresso or a simple filter brew, coffee is a staple in the lives of many. But it wasn’t always so.
The story of coffee begins in the ancient coffee forests of the Ethiopian plateau. Legend has it that a goat herder named Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans. The story goes that Kaldi noticed his goats became unusually energetic after eating the red berries from a certain tree. Curious, Kaldi tried the berries himself and experienced a similar exhilaration.
Coffee beans made their way from Ethiopia to Yemen, where Sufi monks brewed the beans to stay awake during their nighttime devotions. Next, coffee entered Europe through the port of Venice in the 17th century, thanks to the trade between the Venetians and the Muslims. Its arrival produced a significant impact and coffee houses flourished across Britain, Austria, France, Germany, and Holland.
Today, coffee is a global phenomenon that supports economies, and an art form that is continuously evolving. As coffee culture continues to evolve, it remains deeply ingrained in daily rituals and society at large, maintaining its status as one of the world’s favorite beverages.