The History Of Coffee
Has there ever been a more celebrated drink than coffee? From its discovery in the early ninth century, to the popular gourmet franchises we see today, coffee has had an honored place in the world's society for thousands of years. Whether used as a morning or late night pick me up, or as a ceremonial drink, there is no other beverage that can provide as much pleasure, or controversy, as this amazing drink made from the seed of the Coffea bush.
The Origin
While most of us have one form or another of this beverage in our homes, most of us have little or no idea of where it actually comes from. Coffee was originally discovered in Ethiopia. An unlikely place for sure, but so rich with the bush known as the Coffea, that it soon became the world's leading exporter of this rich beverage. Moving quickly through the Muslim world, and being banned for various religious and political reasons, coffee soon appeared in Italy, Europe, and then later the Americas.
The Coffea bush (which produces the coffee bean) is a small evergreen bush, much like the juniper. The Coffea produces a largish berry whose pit is actually the coffee bean. This pit is dried and roasted according to the strength of the brew desired, then ground and packaged for use.
Controversies
Coffee has caused quite a stir in its long and rich history. It has actually been banned in many countries at one point in time or another for reasons both political and religious. The first ban of coffee was in 1511 in Mecca for being contraindicative of the Koran's prohibition of the use of any stimulants. Still later, it was banned by Italian cardinals who thought that the drink brought from Muslim countries was sinful, and a "drink from the Devil's own hand."
Today, coffee can be found on almost every single street corner in the world, and most certainly in almost every household cupboard. A far cry from its humble beginnings, now thousands flock each year to visit gourmet establishments offering fancy cups of this historic beverage.
So, whether or not you are a coffee drinker, you have to be impressed with the rich tradition and history that surrounds the black drink. Drink it with cream and sugar, or black, and join the millions who have come before you and fought to make this amazing little bean a part of society as we know it today.
