Coffee Was Born in Ethiopia

We have been drinking coffee in the West for about three hundred years. Today hundreds of millions of cups of this black, bitter and mysterious drink are consumed every day. And coffee found it’s beginnings in Ethiopia.

Early History

The Greek poet and author Homer, (who lived in the 7th or 8th centuries BC) enjoyed coffee apparently. Some say that coffee as a medicine had been around for hundreds of years before that.

But scientists and historian are pretty sure of one thing – the coffee plant was born in Africa. More specifically, coffee was born in Ethiopia. There are many accounts of travellers in Ethiopia describing the beautiful coffee trees. Research has shown that the climate, the soil and the isolated plateau in this part of Africa are perfect for this type of bean. In the 1920s a Russian plant geneticist Nikolai Vavilov said that Ethiopia was one of the eight places in the world where the planet’s cultivated plants originated; and coffee was one of them.

Legend

Legend has it that in the ninth century a shepherd was out in the Kaffa region (hence the word ‘coffee’) in the Ethiopian Highlands. His goats started to eat reddish berries from a bush.  They became excited and he said they appeared to ‘dance’.  The shepherd tried the berries himself. He felt instantly energized.  He ran back to the monastery and reported his findings to the abbot. The abbot boiled and distilled the berries to create a bitter and rich drink. He too felt alert. So much so, that he was able to enjoy his long evening of prayers without feeling sleepy.

The abbot excitedly shared his new discovery with his fellow monks. Slowly the news of this incredible drink spread outside of the community.  Before long people in Yemen, Arabia and Egypt were enjoying it too. It was first roasted and brewed in Arabia. And in Egypt it rapidly developed to become part of daily life. It was from the Egyptian port of Alexandria that the first traders sold coffee in the late 1500s. Thus, coffee entered Europe from Italian ports and spread across the continent.

Coffee Becomes European Culture

Coffee became so popular, it was placed in the centre of European culture. There was an instant increase in demand for this ‘modern’ drink. With the imposition of import taxes, research went into finding new places to grow the coffee bean to supply the increasing needs of a growing coffee market. The Dutch took the beans to their colonies of Batavia and Java. The French sent the bean to Martinique. From there is spread into the tropical regions of Asia and the Americas.

Coffee in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia coffee was woven into religious ceremonies, medicine and diet. It was also used to bring people of different faith together. But some Orthodox Church leaders felt it was intoxicating. It was thus branded a Muslim drink and for a time, the Church even banned coffee. But the ban did not stop the Ethiopians from drinking it and its popularity continued to grow. When the ban was lifted in 1889 it became the national drink of Ethiopia. And then enjoyed by Ethiopians of all faiths and religions. Mixed with cherries, pepper, spices and added to butter, coffee beans became a treat served to special guests. In some parts of the country it became so important that it was even used as money to trade for goods.

Coffee Today

Over a hundred million people in the Third World are dependent on coffee crops. In Ethiopia, 90% of their coffee exports come from small family and community farms. This makes it a vital cash crop for the country. It is an valuable commodity (second in the world to oil). It is enjoyed across the planet in many guises.

Coffee started its ‘life’ on a plateau in Ethiopia. It helped keep people alert. In the 20th century, during his time in the White House, Ronald Reagan said,

“I never drink coffee at lunch. I find it keeps me awake for the afternoon.”

Coffee….Ethiopia’s gift to history!

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