Origin of coffee

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Coffee has a rich and fascinating origin story that dates back over 1,000 years. Legend has it that coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia by a goatherd named Kaldi. Kaldi noticed that his goats became more energetic and alert after eating the red berries of a certain plant. Curious, Kaldi tried the berries himself and felt invigorated.

The story goes that Kaldi then took some of the berries to a nearby monastery, where the monks made a drink from them by boiling them in water. The drink helped the monks stay awake during long hours of prayer and study.

From Ethiopia, coffee spread to the Arabian Peninsula, where it was cultivated and traded extensively. The Arabs were responsible for the first commercial cultivation of coffee and for developing many of the techniques that are still used in coffee production today, such as drying, roasting, and brewing coffee.

By the 15th century, coffee had spread to the Middle East, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey, where it became an important part of religious and social rituals. The coffeehouses that sprang up in these regions became centers of social and political activity, where people would gather to drink coffee, listen to music, and engage in lively debates.

From the Middle East, coffee spread to Europe, where it became popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. The first coffeehouse in Europe was opened in Venice, Italy in 1683, and soon coffeehouses sprouted up in major cities across the continent.

Today, coffee is grown and enjoyed all over the world, with over 2.25 billion cups consumed every day. Despite its widespread popularity, coffee remains deeply rooted in its Ethiopian origins, with many coffee aficionados still seeking out high-quality beans from the region.