From Ethiopia to America: The Fascinating Story of Coffee's Global Journey

Over the past three centuries, coffee has become one of the most popular beverages in the world. People from all walks of life, ages, and cultures enjoy it. Today, we will delve into the fascinating story of coffee's global journey and how it evolved into the beloved drink we know today.

Ethiopia: The Birthplace of Coffee

Artistic work of Kaldi and his goats.

According to the National Coffee Association, "Coffee grown worldwide can trace its heritage back centuries to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau."

As the story goes, an Ethiopian goat herder in the 9th century, named Kaldi, was the first person to notice the stimulating effects of the coffee plant.

Kaldi's goats were lively, active, and extremely playful. One day, as he was watching them, he followed them to a small bush with bright red berries and shiny green leaves. After the goats ate some of the berries, Kaldi observed that the berries were responsible for the goat's high energy and liveliness.

He gathered some of the berries and took them back to his monastery, where the monks boiled them and made a drink.

But the local monks were not impressed. They thought the red berries were blasphemous and threw them into the fire. However, what happened next would change their minds: the enticing aroma of the roasted coffee beans filled the air, causing the monks to rethink their doubts. What they discovered was that this roasted method extracted more of the berries' benefits, and just like that, coffee was born!

The monks also learned that coffee was not only delicious, but it also gave them an energizing boost, helping them to stay awake during long nights of prayer. Soon after, monasteries worldwide adopted coffee as a favorite food source.

Today, Ethiopia produces more than a thousand varieties of coffee beans, each having its unique flavor. However, it is the indigenous Arabica coffee variety that is superior and remains one of Ethiopia's most popular and highly sought-after varieties.

The Story of Coffee's Global Journey from Ethiopia to the Rest of the World

After being discovered in Ethiopia, coffee started to spread to Egypt and Yemen. By the 15th century, it had reached Turkey, Persia, and North Africa. And by the 17th century, this delicious drink was being produced in the Americas.

In 1699, the first coffee plant was brought to Brazil by Portuguese settlers. Currently, Brazil produces roughly one-third of the world's coffee, making it the world's largest coffee producer.

By 1728, coffee arrived in Jamaica. It quickly became an important export for the island nation.

But coffee didn't stop there...

By the mid-17th century, coffee made its way to Europe, and the Dutch were the first Europeans to grow coffee commercially. They planted beans in their colony of Batavia, which is current-day Jakarta. Not long after that, coffee plantations sprouted up all over Europe, including the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Germany, and France.

Coffee gained popularity in Europe, particularly among the urban middle and upper classes.

However, in 1777, Frederick the Great declared that coffeehouses were "harmful to our [moral] fiber" and banned all of them in Prussia. He was met with much resistance, and people continued to secretly drink coffee. Needless to say, a few years later, the ban was lifted.

Cultural Significance of Coffee

As the popularity of coffee increased, so did its cultural significance. By the 18th century, coffeehouses in England had become important social gathering places where people from diverse backgrounds gathered to discuss news and ideas. They were also a favorite place for writers, artists, and other creatives to meet, making them the foundations for important literary and artistic movements such as Romanticism.

The first coffeehouse to open in England was in 1650 in Oxford. They were informally called "penny universities," where intellectuals and artists would gather. In 1675, the first coffeehouse in London opened. And, by 1739, more than 500 coffeehouses were in the city.

By the mid-18th century, coffee finally made its way to North America, and in 1723, the first coffee plant was brought to New York from Martinique. Seven years later, Boston opened its first coffeehouse for business. After that, coffee rapidly spread throughout the colonies.

Once the American Revolution was over, many wealthy colonists switched from drinking tea to coffee to show solidarity with the new republic.

The World's Favorite Beverage Continues to Rise

Throughout the world, coffee plays an important role in many people's everyday lives. Over the last 30 years in the United States, the coffee space has blown up rampantly. This might be due to the start of Starbucks in the early 1990s. Prior to this, there were only small, independent coffee shops. Today, however, it is common to travel to any major city in the U.S. and find a coffee shop on every block.

Coffee has become so popular in the United States that more than 15,000 coffee shops are now in the country.

While coffee consumption has been rising for years, it wasn't until recently that the coffee obsession started. According to Mintel, a market research company, the number of coffee shops in the U.S. continues to grow, with an estimated sales of $23.4 billion in 2017. This is an increase of growth of 41 percent from 2011.

There are a few explanations that contribute to this growth: an increase in working adults who work outside the office, the drastic improvement in the quality of coffee, and the conditioning of people wanting to pay for premium coffee.

Coffee shops have also become synonymous with elegant socialization, intellect, and relaxed luxury.

Health Benefits of Coffee

According to The Doctors Book of Food Remedies, coffee contains antioxidants that offer protection against cancer. Researchers found that individuals who drink two or more cups of coffee a day may lower their risk of rectal cancer by 52 percent.

A British study found that people who drank caffeinated beverages had better moods and performed better on tests than people who did not drink them.

Here are some other benefits to drinking coffee:

• Provides a boost of energy: Having a cup of coffee in the morning can help you to "get going", and a coffee or tea break during the day can give you a boost when your energy lags.

  
  

• Caffeine may reduce cancer: Women who drink more than three cups of coffee a day may lower their risk of developing cancer by 20%. Men who drink coffee may also cut their risk of developing prostate cancer.

  
  

• Wards off depression: Consuming at least two cups of coffee daily can reduce women's chances of becoming depressed by 20%.

  
  

• Enhances mental & athletic performance: The stimulate found in coffee can enhance mental performance by increasing alertness and the ability to concentrate. Studies confirm that 250 mg of caffeine (about two cups of strong coffee) increases endurance. Presumably, this is because caffeine increases your ability to burn fat for fuel.

  
  

• May help to control diabetes: In Finland, a study of 14,000 people found that women who consumed three to four cups of coffee a day cut their risk of developing diabetes by 29%. For men, it was by 27%. Researchers are not sure why this is, but they believe that the antioxidants in coffee help deliver insulin.

  
  

• Helps with migraines: In some people, coffee may trigger a migraine headache, but in others, drinking a few cups of coffee when a migraine hits might help to relieve the pain. Caffeine is so effective in helping to shrink swollen blood vessels in the brain that it is one of the main ingredients in over-the-counter migraine medicines.

So, thanks to Kaldi, his little goat friends, and a few monks, we now have the delicious morning drink called coffee that helps millions of people, like me, start their day!

And this concludes our journey: From Ethiopia to America: The Fascinating Story of Coffee's Global Journey!

Citations

1. History of coffee. NCA - About Coffee. (2024, December 5). https://www.aboutcoffee.org/origins/history-of-coffee/

   
   

2. Europeans thought coffee was satanic. (n.d.-b). https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/past-coffee-has-been-called-devil-accused-making-men-impotent-and-rejected-being-inferior-beer-180953309/

   
   

3. US coffee house sales expected to reach $28.7 billion by 2021. Mintel. (2023, January 10). https://www.mintel.com/press-centre/us-coffee-house-sales-expected-to-reach-28-7-billion-by-2021/

   
   

4. The Origin & Story of Ethiopian Coffee. Corner Perk Cafe. (n.d.-b). https://cornerperk.com/the-origin-story-of-ethiopian-coffee/

Author’s Bio

Isabella Boston is a wordsmith and the creator of Bella’s Attic Studio: A multi-media writing platform and storytelling blog specializing in copywriting, marketing, and content writing.

She is well-versed in medical terminology and scientific research with a focus on the areas of neuroscience, immunology, and functional health. She is also a diarist, creative nonfiction writer, and a published author.

Aside from being a writer, Isabella is a book lover, language enthusiast, and most importantly, a woman of God in Christ Jesus.