History of Coffee Beans

The history of the coffee bean is as rich as a double espresso and dates back to the 6th century. Its story begins in Ethiopia, then travels from one destination to another as man begins to discover its unique ability to stimulate.

Time Frame

The history of coffee, at least according to legend, starts in the 6th century. But important dates in this history include A.D. 1000, when it's believed that coffee beans were first brewed; the 13th century, when it was known that Muslims were drinking a liquid derived from coffee beans; and the 1600s, when an Indian pilgrim smuggled fertile coffee seeds out of the Arab region and the beans were first introduced to Europe.

History

Wild coffee beans are believed to have been discovered in about A.D. 600 by an Ethiopian shepherd whose goats were keeping him up at nights after eating red coffee berries. After realizing that the beans had the same effect on him, the resourceful shepherd told the abbot at a nearby monastery about the beans, which were then brewed by the monks into a hot drink that kept them awake for long hours of prayer. By A.D. 1000, most experts say the coffee drink grew in popularity in East Africa, then migrated with the slave trade to Yemen. The magical drink was first enjoyed by clerics there, and the world's first coffee fields were cultivated in Yemen in the 1300s. From the 13th to the 15th century, Mecca became dotted with coffee houses, an important place for people to gather, discuss the issues of the day, and drink their hot coffee. The Arab region controlled the coffee industry for several centuries and exported only roasted, "infertile" beans to trading partners in Europe and Asia, who couldn't grow their own crops.
But an Indian pilgrim broke Arabia's hold on coffee by smuggling either fertile beans or a coffee plant back to India, starting an explosion of coffee growing elsewhere. In the 1600s, the Dutch also got their hands on a coffee plant and began growing coffee in their Southeast Asian colonies. This chain of events meant that Europe had a direct source for its coffee. Once coffee was introduced in Europe, the more tropical of the European empires were used to produce coffee, which explains why coffee is grown today in places like Hawaii, Jamaica and Brazil.

Types

There are two commonly grown types of coffee beans: robusta and Arabica. Robusta is more bitter than Arabica and has less flavor but is cheaper to grow. About three-quarters of coffee cultivated in the world is Arabica. The coffee bean is actually found inside an edible berry that grows on a small evergreen bush, and the coffee plant generally takes seven years to mature. Inside of each berry are two coffee seeds or beans. Most of the world's coffee beans are cultivated in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa. Coffee blends got their names from the ports that exported beans, which explains names like Java and Mocha.

Significance

Coffee has played an important role in history and culture. It was first used in religious ceremonies In both Africa and Yemen, but its consumption was even banned by the Ethiopian Church and later by the Ottoman Empire in Turkey in the 1600s. Today, coffee is the national drink of Ethiopia. When coffee made its way to Italy, it was "baptized" by Pope Clement VIII in 1600, in spite of appeals by some in Europe to ban the Muslim drink. Many Europeans believed that coffee had medicinal qualities as an aide for stomach ailments, helping to clear the lungs and relieving headaches. In England in 1674, however, a "Women's Petition Against Coffee" declared it to be an "abominable, heathenish liquor." Because coffee houses were sometimes a hotbed for seditious activity and organizing, coffee was banned sporadically from time to time Europe during the 1600s and 1700s. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims that coffee is physically and spiritually unhealthy. The Mormon doctrine of health by founder Joseph Smith includes the statement that "hot drinks are not for the belly," leading to the church's interpretation that both coffee and tea are forbidden drinks. Today, coffee is an important commodity and the industry is the main source of income for 25 million farmers. In 2005, coffee was the world's seventh largest agricultural export in terms of value. More than 6.7 million metric tons of coffee were produced in 2000, and 7 million metric tons are expected to be produced annually by 2010. Not surprisingly, the biggest importers of coffee are the United States and Germany.

Misconceptions

One of the most popular misconceptions about coffee is that it leads to health problems. Instead, recent studies about coffee have led to a shift in beliefs about coffee and health. Some studies have shown that coffee, taken in moderation, does not normally lead to dehydration, and other studies have shown that consuming a moderate amount of coffee (about two cups a day) does not lead to an increase in blood pressure. For some people, the acids in coffee can irritate the stomach. It's also a misconception that oily coffee beans are better than dull beans. Oily coffee beans are usually a sign of over-roasting. In addition, a darker coffee bean doesn't necessarily mean the coffee is better. It often means, again, that the coffee was over-roasted. Another misconception about coffee is that espresso has more caffeine than a regular coffee. In fact, it has less caffeine.