The history of coffee: From Africa to the world
You already know about our coffee world tour. Here you can find out more about coffee culture in different countries in various posts on our social media channels or in blog articles. But coffee culture is not just a thing of the present. It has been around for many centuries.
Now the question arises as to where coffee enjoyment actually began and how it eventually made its way around the world.
The origin of the coffee berry
Before you can enjoy your first cup of coffee, you first need to discover the coffee plant. Have you ever seen a coffee plant in real life?
Botanical basics of the coffee plant
The coffee plant, Latin name Coffea, is a member of the Rubiaceae family with the remarkable ability to store caffeine in the seeds of its fruit. There are around 124 different species of Coffea. You are probably familiar with two of them: Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora (used for Robusta coffee ).
The leaves of the plants grow in pairs and have a surface that feels waxy. They contain the highest caffeine content—higher than in the coffee cherry itself.
Before the coffee cherry develops, the coffee tree transforms into a dreamlike white blossom whose scent is reminiscent of jasmine. The white blossom can be used to make coffee tea.
Once the flowers are pollinated, they can develop into coffee berries. Each coffee berry usually contains two coffee beans (seeds) facing each other.
Each bush is expected to yield between half a kilo and one kilo of coffee beans per year.
And where does the coffee plant originally come from?
Based on current knowledge, the origins of the coffee plant can be traced back to Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan. The coffee plant is therefore native to the tropical regions of Africa and the African east coast. However, there is no official historical documentation on the origin of the coffee plant.
This means that there were naturally a few wild coffee plants in the regions mentioned. But someone must have discovered and tasted them before the history of coffee continued.
The discovery and use of the coffee plant
There are various stories about how the coffee plant was discovered. The best-known legend attributes its discovery to a hyperactive herd of goats in the Kingdom of Ethiopia. The shepherd Kaldi observed that the goats were eating from a bush with red berries. He assumed that these berries must be the reason for the goats' active behavior. After discussing this discovery with the monks, they agreed to try it for themselves and were quickly surprised by the invigorating and euphoric effect of the coffee berries.
And with this, we christen the berry with the name: coffee.
Just as with the story of its discovery, opinions differ on this point. However, there are two theories that are particularly debated as attempts to explain the origin of the name.
Theory 1:
The region of Ethiopia where, according to legend, coffee was discovered was called Kaffa – and so the plant was named after the place where it was discovered.
Theory 2:
In Arabic, kahwe or quahwa means "vitality" – thus, the coffee plant was named after its effect.
What do you think? Which of these theories could be true?
Early methods of preparing coffee
The first historical documentation of coffee preparation can be found in the aforementioned region of Kaffa in 900 AD. The method of preparation at that time was very similar to that of tea. The coffee cherries were dried and both the leaves and fruit were brewed in hot water.
Through the Ottoman Empire to Istanbul
The global spread of this miracle bean is also part of coffee's journey through time. From Africa, coffee made its way across the Arab world. It continued through the Ottoman Empire to Istanbul, where the preparation of raw, dry coffee beans was already similar to the coffee we enjoy today. Before use, the seeds, which we refer to as beans, were roasted, ground, and brewed in hot water. This drink, called mocha, enjoyed great popularity, which led to the first coffee houses opening in Istanbul as early as 1555.
But anyone who assumes that coffee was hugely popular in Istanbul at that time is mistaken. The coffee drinkers and coffeehouse owners of that era were courageous rebels. The ruler at that time, Sultan Murad IV, banned coffee in the 16th century, destroyed entire coffeehouses, and persecuted rebellious consumers.
Sultan Murad IV feared that coffee culture posed a fire hazard, with "fire" being a metaphor for political uprising. Coffee did not pose a real fire hazard. The sultan observed how coffee houses were being used as meeting places to plan revolts, and naturally he did not like this. His restrictions were so radical that possession of coffee was even punishable by death.
Until the 19th century, rulers repeatedly came to power who did not allow coffee culture to flourish in Istanbul. Today, this caffeinated hot drink is an integral part of Turkish tradition. For example, at a traditional wedding, the bride serves the groom coffee with salt instead of sugar and tests his character based on his reaction. Turkish mocha is still recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
But what happened after Istanbul? How did coffee make its way out into the big wide world?
The Ottoman Empire as the first global trading hub for coffee
The Ottoman Empire was one of the most important trading regions for Europe in the 17th century. It was during this century that coffee was imported to Venice for the first time. This was followed by a rapid chain reaction.
In addition to Constantinople, now Istanbul, in the 16th century, the first coffee houses opened in Italy, England, France, and Austria about a hundred years later.
The colonial era as a key event in the global coffee industry
Demand for coffee rose not only in the Ottoman Empire, but also throughout Europe from the 17th century onwards. Colonial powers took advantage of the climatic conditions in Brazil, the Caribbean, and Indonesia to grow coffee on a large scale and meet demand in Europe. As a result of this history, Brazil is now the world's largest coffee producer.
But how did espresso—the crowning glory of coffee enjoyment—come about?
Espresso
A happy ending since 1880
In the mid-to-late 19th century, there was already a coffee drink in Milan that could only be consumed in special bars. At that time, it was not considered a pick-me-up, but was intended to invite people to linger and enjoy themselves.
Espresso is often associated with the term "express," but it actually derives from "esprimere," meaning "to express." It therefore does not refer to rapid consumption, but to the method of preparation, which involves particularly high water pressure and thus achieves an outstanding flavor profile.
As early as 1851, thanks to Milanese engineer Luigi Bezzera and a merchant from Naples, the first prototype portafilter machine was presented. It took another 50 years before it went into series production.
Espresso finally marked the turn of the century and conquered coffee lovers around the world at lightning speed—an unbeatable trend that continues to this day.
The end of the coffee story and a beginning full of inspiration
If you believe the most famous coffee legend, we owe the discovery of coffee to the Ethiopian shepherd Kaldi. His keen observation soon led to the whole world benefiting from the invigorating effect of the seeds in the red coffee cherry.
Nowadays, we draw inspiration from the exhilarating power of coffee every day. Who knows what groundbreaking ideas we might come up with thanks to a good cup of coffee?
So, keep your eyes open—nature is full of surprises.
