Have you ever thought about coffee’s origin?
The legend narrates the story of Ethiopian goatherd Kaldi, who has noticed that every time after ripe red cherries his goats were too active and excited. The goatherd has had firsthand knowledge of fruit’s effect.
The goatherd shared this story with monks. Through trial and error they made a decoction of leaves, which miraculous power returned liveliness, dispelled spleen and helped do not fall asleep during long prayers. Much later people have learned that not leaves but just fruits have more energy power. People levigated barriers, mixed them with animal fat and got invigorative chewing balls.
From Ethiopia coffee’s way went through the Red Sea to Arabia, where he became popular very quickly. Especially in Yemen, in Mocha city, where merchants for the first time started to cultivate coffee plantations. For two long centuries Yemen supplied the whole East with a perfect coffee, which bore the old name of a city – mocha coffee.
Year 1425 – the year of making coffee in the beverage that we know.
Since the opening of the coffee’s power with a help of goats and to the XIV century the method of coffee making has undergone a lot of changes. At first, as we already knew, monks prepared decoction of leaves. Then Ethiopian tribes started to make wine from fermented coffee barriers. That drink was referred to qahwah (literally – tincture, which prevents sleeping). The Turks called the same like qahve. In 200 years it became its European name – caffe, cafe, coffee.
All this time coffee barriers were drawn and boiled, then they added sugar and drank it in order to get power and amuse spirit. And only to XIV century, the monks extracted from berries the beans and fry them on a slow fire, as well as brewed received powder.
Ubiquitous Venetian merchants brought coffee to Europe. Flavored drink attracted nobility’s attention. In new passion statesmen have felt unclear threat. They advised Pope Clement VIII to declare favourite drink of The Ottoman Empire as evil. However, one gulp of perfect strong coffee was enough – the Pope considered it God’s Bounty and blessed Christian for its using. So in 1645 in Italy was opened the first coffee-house.
In such a way coffee has become to Europe, so as to reign over the European hearts. Soon it had been drunk in public coffee houses which were opened in London.
Now it is not already important because of whom coffee has become popular – thanks to Ethiopian goatherd or to the Monks. Nowadays coffee is integral part of our lives.
Coffee Legends: Kaldi
Related Posts:
- The coffee history in Ethiopia
- Ground coffee
- Coffee like a medicine
- Some interesting facts about coffee
- Consumers of Coffee: Great Britain, North America.
Tags: Arabia, coffee houses, coffee mocha, goatherd Kaldi, London, Yemen
