The Origin of Coffee
It’s in our homes. In our streets. Quite possibly, in our hands right now.
Coffee. The fantastic bean that, when ground up and placed within our preferred brewing machines, creates a nectar that fuels us, keeps us warm, and brings us together. But, where did it all begin?
The origin of coffee is one wrapped in mystery and speculation. Many have thought it began a thousand years ago, when an Abyssinian (Ethiopian) goatherd, Kaldi, found his goats eating the red berries and dazzling leaves of an unknown tree.
As the goats ran rampant through the hillsides, filled with a bubbling energy, Kaldi, worn from their frenzy, waited patiently to discover what riled up his goats. Eventually trying the berries from the plant himself, he found the same invigorating energy. Though he never shared his spoils, a monk from a nearby monastery would come upon the herder, his goats, and the berries as well. It was this monk who proposed the idea of drying and boiling the berries to transform them into a drink, rather than eat them raw.
Time and again, the newly found energy from these coffee cherries was recognized by the Ethiopian people until eventually, they found their way to a part of the Arabian peninsula. Then, called qahwah (KAH wah) or “Arab’s wine”, the Arab people became the first to trade coffee throughout Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.
Of course, the journey of coffee didn’t stop there. It became the most valued commodity in the world, right after oil, and spans the whole planet. And all this, discovered by a humble goatherd in the hillsides of Ethiopia.
CALEB PATTON | AUTHOR
From music to mycology, coffee to cartoons, there isn't anything Caleb Patton won't talk about passionately. Local to Little Rock and a wizard of words, Caleb has been writing for as long as he can remember. With work featured in Idle Class Magazine and experience working alongside the Ologies podcast with Alie Ward, he's always happy to lend a hand in making any voice and story heard.
