There are several legends about coffee origin…
One tale says that Sheikh Omar was one to invent coffee. He was one of the most respected doctors of his time, who researched into and demonstrated all new drugs. Thus, coffee beans came in his view. Omar began to prescribe it as a remedy for headaches and upset stomach. And later on, that drink was not used for treatment, but for pleasure.
Another legend reads that discoverers of coffee were goats. Yes, that's right, goats. In the pastures of Ethiopia, goats could taste the leaves and fruits of the coffee tree. After such a meal, they became more active. This was noticed by their shepherd Kaldim. He decided to follow the example of goats. He ate some grains and leaves of a tree. Kaldym felt a surge of strength and energy. When he returned home, he told his family about his discovery. Relatives told acquaintances. Acquaintances – strangers... and the knowledge spread. When it reached monks, they also decided to give it a try. It was hard for them not to sleep all night and pray. They brewed grains and leaves, enjoyed a drink and could pray in peace all night. Also, the monks found a way to transport dried beans to other monasteries, while maintaining their properties. So beans could be transported and stored for a long time.
Coffee beans spread further around the world. Their next big stop was the city of Moha (Mocha) in Yemen. Merchants from Mocha first began to grow and process coffee there for sale. For two centuries, they kept the secret of growing and processing coffee and supplied coffee to the whole East. Coffee was then called mocha (from the name of the city).
From the discovery of coffee beans until the fourteenth century, coffee making has undergone many changes. At first it was just boiling the leaves. Then the Ethiopian tribes began to make wine from spoiled coffee berries. This drink was proudly called Qahwah (literally "the drink that keeps you awake"). The Arabs used coffee berries in their food. In Turkey, coffee berries were first roasted over an open fire - this was a kind of coffee prototype, which is still popular today. The drink made from roasted coffee berries was called Qahve, and after two hundred years got its European name: coffee.
In Europe, coffee appeared in the XVII century. Coffee began to be sold in Italy in 1645, England learned about the drink in 1652, and coffee appeared in France in 1672. The Germans learned about coffee in the early XVIII. Europeans fell in love with the new drink so much that the coffee business has become one of the most profitable.
However, winemakers and brewers in Europe were concerned about the widespread use of coffee. Being afraid of serious competition, they turned to the clergy, who recognized the coffee drink as a fatal sin through a strong reward. Coffee opponents of also called it a soot and water drink and claimed that it caused disease. Coffee proponents stood their ground and praised the exceptional benefits of the drink.
Coffee was brought to South and Central America by colonizers in the early 18th. Gradually, coffee trees began to grow in Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico, and Australia.
The year 1819 was marked by the discovery of caffeine, the silk crystals of which were isolated from coffee extract by the French scientist Roubaix. Since then, caffeine has been used for therapeutic purposes.
In 1906, the English chemist George Constant Washington came up with the idea of creating coffee that could be brewed directly into a cup, and soon he introduced the first brewed coffee.
So coffee has come a long way. And now it is grown and cultivated on many continents and in many countries. Over the years, coffee has not lost its popularity, and today it is one of the most popular drinks in the world.