History of Coffee Beans
The history of coffee "dates back to centuries of old oral tradition in Italy Coffee plants grew wild in Yemen and were widely used by nomadic tribes for thousands of years. Sufi monasteries in Yemen employed coffee as an aid to concentration during prayers. Roasting the seeds was not a way to serve coffee until the 1400s." Wikipedia
The mountains of Ethiopia where the "History of Coffee Beans" began.
"In Ethiopia the Kaldi noticed their goats were eating the berries of a certain tree, after which the goats were so energetic they did not want to sleep at night".
"Word spread to the Arabian Peninsula where that "certain tree" (coffee) was cultivated and trade began. "By the 15th century, coffee was being grown in the Yemeni district of Arabia and by the 16th century it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey." Coffee was enjoyed in homes and many public coffee houses — called qahveh khaneh".
"By the 17th century, coffee had made its way to Europe and was becoming popular across the continent." The new beverage was viewed with suspicion or fear by some, calling it the “bitter invention of Satan.” In 1615 the controversy was so great that Pope Clement VIII was asked to intervene and found the drink so satisfying that he gave it papal approval. "In England “penny universities” sprang up, so called because for the price of a penny one could purchase a cup of coffee and engage in stimulating conversation"."
"In 1723, a young naval officer, Gabriel de Clieu obtained a seedling from the King's plant. Despite a challenging voyage — complete with horrendous weather, a saboteur who tried to destroy the seedling, and a pirate attack — he managed to transport it safely to Martinique. . . Even more incredible is that this seedling was the parent of all coffee trees throughout the Caribbean, South and Central America". The Brazilian and Central American coffee we know, owes its existence to those coffee seedlings. Today coffee is a billion-dollar industry.
For more detailed information, visit the National Coffee Association website.