Harden Elkington
According to legend, coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia when a shepherd named Kaldi observed that after eating coffee cherries, his goats became so energetic they did not sleep at night.
Kaldi reported his findings to the local monastery. Some of the monks drank coffee for its stimulating effect and brought beans to their monastery where coffee grew.
Coffee beans were brought from Ethiopia to Yemen where coffee was cultivated and enjoyed.
In the 15th century, coffee was introduced in Mecca and quickly spread throughout Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Persia.
Coffee growing in Yemen started a coffee trade between India and Europe which helped many countries strengthen their economies. The coffee trade led to Europeans cultivating coffee in their colonies in the East Indies, most notably what is now known as Indonesia.
When was coffee brought to America and Europe?
Colonists brought coffee to Brazil in the mid-17th century, where coffee plantations flourished. Brazil became the world’s largest producer of coffee.
The coffee plant was introduced into Latin America by royal decree in 1723 after its use as a stimulant in Europe.
Coffee was first introduced to the Americas by French traders in Martinique. It was brought to the United States around 1718, becoming an important coffee cultivar in Saint Domingue; later this led to coffee cultivation not only in other Caribbean islands but also on the North American mainland (Mexico) and Puerto Rico.
During the 19th century, coffee was introduced to Central America and coffee plantations flourished in Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
The coffee industry of Hawaii began as early as 1825 when missionaries first brought coffee to the islands. Expanded coffee growing and processing happened through World War II for military supply and local consumption.
When did coffee become a worldwide drink?
Coffee production around the world expanded during the 19th century due to coffee’s major role in motivating and sustaining colonial expansion.
The rivalry between coffee farming countries has had an influence on the preparation, taste and consumption of coffee worldwide. It has influenced coffee cultures such as roasting styles, coffee houses, industrial processes including industrial coffee urns and coffee vending machines.
Coffee’s taste characteristics and appeal as well as its nutritional value have been the subject of lengthy scientific research, particularly as they relate to coffee as a stimulant for human health.
With coffee becoming such an important commodity in the world economy it is no wonder why coffee has influenced so many lives throughout history!
when was instant coffee invented?
Instant coffee is coffee that has been freeze-dried, or spray-dried and then powdered, for convenience. Instant coffee is commercially prepared by either dry-processing (freeze drying) coffee beans into flakes, which are ground to produce granules, or by dissolving pre-roasted coffee in water to form a coffee extract.
Home coffee roasters often use air roasting to roast coffee for convenience.
The coffee is then freeze dried or spray-dried and packaged with or without added caffeine. Freeze drying coffee does not make the coffee taste noticeably different from freshly ground coffee; however, soluble (spray-dried) instant coffee can easily be distinguished from coffee made by other coffee-brewing methods.
Coffee lovers often debate the merits of coffee brewed with freeze dried coffee, comparing it to coffee brewed with freshly ground coffee. Freeze-dried coffee is not prepared in the same way as instant coffee, so arguments about which coffee is superior are inevitable.
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What process was used for producing coffee?
The coffee was often roasted with spices until it became a coffee syrup called coffee gum. The process was invented by David Friedrich Strauss as a “passing substitute for genuine coffee-making during the scarcity caused by the war of 1806”.
In that same year, August Gottlieb Lindner wrote an article about his new method of preparing coffee in “Kurze Zeitung für die elegante Welt” (1806).
The coffee was often roasted with spices until it became coffee gum. The process was invented by David Friedrich Strauss as a “passing substitute for genuine coffee-making during the scarcity caused by the war of 1806”.
In that same year, August Gottlieb Lindner wrote an article about his new method of preparing coffee in “Kurze Zeitung für die elegante Welt” (1806).
Coffee lovers often debate the merits of coffee brewed using coffee gum, comparing it to coffee brewed with freshly ground coffee. Freeze-dried coffee is not prepared in the same way as instant coffee, so arguments about which coffee is superior are inevitable.
Top 10 Coffee Facts
After reading this blog, you probably know more about coffee than most people do. But what does that mean for the price of your morning cup?
It’s not clear yet if any prices will change because it all depends on how popular these new beans become with consumers and roasters. In the meantime, we’ll be staying caffeinated in anticipation!
