Friday, July 22, 2016

A brief history of coffee


     Today, coffee is enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. While many of us thank our daily productivity to the beverage, its exact origin is unknown. There is a legend that the caffeinated powers of coffee were discovered by an Ethiopian goat farmer that observed his goats becoming more energetic after eating the berries from the coffee shrubs. While this may not be true, the consumption of coffee in some form has been documented for centuries.                
     There are two species of coffee shrubs that are cultivated. The first and most popular is Coffea arabica and represents 70% of the world’s coffee and is more difficult to cultivate, while Coffea canephora only makes up 30% of the world’s supply but is generally easier to grow. A map of the growing regions is shown below where 'a' represents the Coffea arabica regions, 'r' represents the Coffea canephora regions, and 'm' shows overlapping regions (photo from http://www.purelycoffeebeans.com/types-of-coffee-beans.html)
 map of coffee growing regions
The coffee shrub grows in the tropics and is found in the understory of forests. Because it lives beneath the canopy, the plant grows best in shade, but they will grow in direct light and result in the production of weaker beans. Living under the canopy also means the growing of coffee does not have to cause deforestation, but some cultivators have removed trees in order to grow more shrubs. The photo below shows how coffee is grown in the presence of shade trees. The berries from these shrubs would grow slower than berries on shrubs receiving full light, but the coffee would have a much richer flavor. (photo from http://food-and-drink-pictures.blogspot.com/2009/06/coffee-plants.html)

Originally, coffee wasn’t the bold, dark beverage that it is today. Early tropical civilizations ate the coffee berries straight from the shrubs and sometimes mixed the berries with animal fat. These berries can be seen in the picture to the left (photo from  http://www.coffeeshrub.com/shrub/sites/default/files/imagecache/full/sumatra1.jpgThe coffee we drink today originated in the 13th century in Arabia. The Arabs roasted the coffee beans and used the caffeinated power during long prayer sessions. From Arabia, the coffee beverage spread to India before reaching Europe. In the beginning, Europeans refused to drink coffee due to its origin. The beverage only became popular in Europe after the Pope tasted it and said there was nothing wrong with the drink and that he quite liked it. As demand increased, European powers such as France and England used their tropical colonies as coffee farms. Coffee didn’t become popular in North America until the Boston Tea Party, when making the switch from tea to coffee was seen as a patriotic duty.
     Just as modern coffee originated from Arabia, modern coffee houses also got their start with the Arabs. Called qahveh khaneh, the first coffee houses faced extreme popularity, offering a unique venue for social activity. Much like the coffee houses we frequent today, the qahveh khaneh featured live music, current news, chess, and intellectual discussions. As pilgrims went to Mecca, thousands from all over the world experienced the Arab coffee houses, and popularity spread throughout Europe. By the 17th century, London boasted more than 300 coffee houses that were frequented by merchants, artists, students, shippers, and brokers. Below is an artist's depiction of a London coffee house from the late 17th century (photo from  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175231/Coffee-house-advert-1650s-London-praises-grain-groweth-deserts-Arabia.html)

     Today, coffee is one of the world’s most profitable export crop and is second only to crude oil as being the most sought commodity in the world. Starbucks currently has more than 20,000 shops in dozens of countries worldwide (shown in green on the map below) and is building on the Arab idea of enjoying coffee in a social setting. They are also proving that coffee is a billion dollar business, which is a far cry from starting out as little more than a berry that gave goats energy. 

References:
The Caffeinated History of Coffee
The History of Coffee
                www.ncausa.org/about-coffee/history-of-coffee
Tropical Ecology by John Kricher 

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