The Evolution of Coffee
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Do you know that human beings drink nearly 95 million cups of coffee every single day? We are coffee-charged and our obsession with coffee is not declining anytime soon…it’s actually increasing!
With that interesting fact being said, let us delve deep into how coffee was first discovered and how cultures have affected and shaped its evolution.
An Ethiopian Legend :the “energizing beans”! It’s how coffee started.
Coffee has been around since the 13th century, and its heritage is traced back to the Ethiopian plateau. There is a mythology in the Ethiopian culture saying that Khaldi, the goat herder, was the one who discovered coffee beans. It was said that he discovered the beans after his goat got so lively after eating the beans from a certain tree and refused to sleep at night. Khaldi then informed the monastery’s abbot who thought at first that these beans are the devil’s work and he threw them into the fire! The aroma of the beans in the fire was so good that he regretted doing that. After realizing his mistake he ordered Khaldi to bring him more beans and made them into a drink and ended up staying awake all night praying. The abbot reported this to the other monks at the monastery, and with the power of “word of mouth” the “energizing beans” started to spread.
As the news began to spread, the “energizing beans” started to gain its popularity in the East and those beans reached the Arabian Peninsula. Coffee embarked on a journey that would eventually take these beans all around the world!
The Arabic Coffee Evolution!
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The Arabian Peninsula was the birthplace of coffee cultivation and trading, coffee was grown in the Yemeni district of Arabia in the 15th century and by the16th-century coffee also gained its recognition in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey. Not only was coffee consumed and enjoyed at homes but also in the numerous public coffee shops that they called “qahveh, khaneh”. And continued to appear in the cities around the Near East.
The coffeehouses were unrivaled with popularity and people frequented them in a variety of social activities. Those coffee houses became a vital place for all coffee lovers, not only did they drink coffee there, but also interacted and engaged in ongoing conversations and the whole experience became an addiction!
Coffee then swept its way to Europe
European travelers on the Eastside started to know and try that black drink! By the 17thcentury, coffee made its way to European cities and quickly gained popularity across the continent. At first, Europeans were a little suspicious of this dark beverage but then it was approved and drunk by all Europeans at that time. Inthe major cities of England, Holland, Austria, Germany, and France coffee shops became important hubs for social activities, where people drank coffee and interacted with each other.
Coffee started to be the essential drink at breakfast and by the mid-seventeenth century, here were nearly 300 coffee houses in London. We all know that Europeans consume tea more than coffee; however, coffee won over the European side of the world.
They started to have their own type of coffee rather than the Arabic one and they called it Espresso.
The famous American coffee
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Coffee started to gain recognition in America. However, they didn’t import from Arabs or Ethiopians, they planted their own. Their coffee beans were unique; they were first seeded in Brazil and Colombia. American coffee became too famous until Brazil became the world’s largest coffee producer!
Americans further evolved coffee during World War 2 when American soldiers were in Italy and they were introduced to the espresso, the American soldiers found it too strong; hence, they diluted it with more water! From this, American coffee started to be known and Americans started to have American coffee many times during the day; it became an essential drink! Even Thomas Jefferson himself said, “Coffee - the favorite drink of the civilized world”
The many faces of coffee!
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Now that we spoke about how coffee started and its evolution, let us delve deep into the different types of coffee. Coffee has been loved by all around the world. Everyone can make his/her own special cup of coffee with the many forms it has now!
Arabic Coffee
This type is commonly used all around the world and account for 60% of global coffee production! It is a version of brewed coffee beans that is too strong and it also has two types, the Turkish and the Arabic. Turkish coffee is plain brewed strong coffee in a small cup and is so popular in Egypt! The Arabic one is widely known in Saudi Arabia; it has this spicy taste that is due to the spices added with the brewed coffee beans.
French Coffee
This one is similar to Turkish coffee; however, the only difference is, it is made with milk, and it is very popular in Egypt as well!
Espresso
Espresso is an Italian coffee brewing method in which a little amount of nearly boiling water is blasted through finely ground coffee beans under 9–10 bars of pressure. You can pour milk on it and have Latte, Cappuccino, Flat White, etc…
American Coffee
American coffee is a drink made by diluting espresso with hot water, giving it an intensity similar to, but different from that of ordinary brewed coffee. Its intensity varies depending on the number of espresso shots and amount of water used. You can also pour milk into this one and make an Americano!
These are the most famous types of coffee, not to mention the iced ones! Surely, coffee is loved by all, and everyone has his/her preference when it comes to coffee. So sit back and relax and enjoy your special cup of coffee in whatever way you like it!
References:
https://www.delish.com/uk/cocktails-drinks/a37220118/coffee-evolution/
https://www.allrecipes.com/article/types-of-coffee/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/coffee
https://www.homegrounds.co/history-of-coffee/
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