How Was Coffee Discovered ?
The story of coffee’s discovery is as vibrant as the drink itself, dating back over a thousand years to the Ethiopian highlands.
According to legend, a young goat herder named Kaldi noticed that his flock behaved strangely after eating bright red berries from a particular shrub. Instead of resting at night, the goats became unusually energetic, leaping and dancing with excitement.
A Fantastic Voyage
From Yemen, coffee made its way to the Arabian Peninsula, where it was first cultivated and traded. The drink gained popularity in bustling cities like Mecca and Cairo, eventually reaching the Ottoman Empire, Persia, and Europe.
What started as a discovery by a humble shepherd has since evolved into a global phenomenon, enjoyed in countless forms across cultures.
From Curiosity to Coffee Culture
Curious, Kaldi tried the berries himself and soon felt a rush of alertness and vitality. He shared his discovery with a local monastery, where a monk decided to experiment by brewing the berries into a drink. The result was a dark, aromatic liquid that helped the monks stay awake through long hours of evening prayer.
News of this miraculous energy-boosting drink spread rapidly, first across Ethiopia, then to Yemen, where it became central to Sufi religious practices.
Essential Facts
Ethiopia is the birthplace of Arabica coffee, which makes up about 60% of global coffee production.
The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is an elaborate social ritual, where beans are roasted, ground, and brewed in a jebena (a traditional clay pot).
Coffee farming in Ethiopia is unique, with wild coffee forests still producing some of the world’s most sought-after beans.