by James Kent

Created on: August 29, 2008   Last Updated: March 05, 2009

Coffee is something many of us enjoy and some people feel they couldn't live without it. The temptation is nearly always there with more and more Starbucks sites appearing all over the world. Many of us may not realise, but the story behind Coffee is a very interesting one and in this article I will explore just that the history behind coffee.

There is a legend behind how coffee was first discovered. The legend claims that there was an Arabian named Kaidi who had discovered his goats dancing around a mysterious shrub with dark green leaves and red cherries. It was soon discovered that it was the red cherries that was having the strange reaction in the goats. Kaidi tried these red cherries himself and soon learned of their powerful stimulating effect. Later monks used this stimulant to help them stay awake during long periods of prayer. According to the legend this is the story of how coffee was born. It's a nice story, but on this occasion it's merely a myth.

(Coffee History. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2008, from

http://www.coffeeresearch.org)

The true story is that coffee was discovered sometime in the 9th century in the highlands of Ethiopia. It then spread across Egypt and Yemen. Then by the 15th century coffee found its way to Armenia, Persia, Turkey and also the northern parts of Africa. It was from the Muslim world that coffee found its way to Italy and then eventually to the rest of Europe, Indonesia and the Americas.

(Coffee. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2008, from

http://en.wikipedia.org)

The word Coffee itself was first used in 1598 and it comes from the Italian word caffe. This originates from the Turkish word kahve and before that the Arabic word qahwa. The rough translation of the Arabic word is wine of the bean. The strict and traditional religion of Islam prohibits the use of alcohol as a beverage; therefore coffee is seen as an alternative to wine.

(History of coffee. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2008, from

http://en.wikipedia.org)

The Muslim world:

In the works of Persian physician Razi, there is a reference about coffee in the 10th century. More detailed information on the preparation of this beverage from roasting coffee berries occurred several centuries later. Coffee was popular with Sufis due to its ability to drive away sleep. Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia and then travelled to Yemen and the first coffee house appeared in Istanbul in 1471. Coffee was not always well received as in 1511, for a short time it was forbidden, due to its stimulating

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