The Legend
Have you ever wondered how coffee became a thing? The legend goes that in what is now known as Ethiopia, Kaldi, a goat herder, saw his goats eat the leaves and berries of the tree. He watched the goats become energetic, and they didn’t sleep that night. Some versions even say the goats danced. Next, Kaldi tried some berries, and found himself full of energy as well. And then, a monk noticed, and asked Kaldi about the source of his energy. Kaldi shared the berries, and the monks at the monastery would use them to stay awake for late night prayers.
The History
Here’s the part we are sure of: By the mid 800s CE, East African peoples would grind up the coffee cherries into a paste with animal fat and roll it into balls. Warriors used this snack to remain alert and effective in battle.
Around 1000 CE, Ethiopians fermented the dried beans in water, making a sort of wine. This was the first use of the beans as a beverage.
The first mention of coffee as we know it was by the Persian philosopher Rhazes, who called it “bunchum”, saying “bunchum is hot and dry and very good for the stomach”. Coffee’s stimulating properties were believed to imbue religious ecstasy, and the drink was associated with the mystical and mysterious.
By the 1400s, coffee had made it to the Yemeni port city of Mocha. From here, it would travel to North Africa and beyond. During the 1500s, various imams placed bans on coffee that lasted for a few years before being reconsidered. Coffee trees and drinks continued to spread. Alcohol was banned at this time in many Muslim communities, so coffee houses popped up all around the Ottoman Empire. Eventually, coffee grew to become a part of daily life for most people, and there was even a Turkish law that allowed a wife to divorce her husband if he refused her coffee.
As you know, coffee has continued to spread across the globe. Later we’ll look at coffee’s introduction in Europe as well as it’s history with colonizalism in the Americas. For now, we’ll be grateful for some goats and human ingenuity, reaching across time to our own morning rituals.