Coffee is not just a popular drink. A lot of legends go about him, and the history of his development continues to this day. It is difficult to imagine how much the views on the invigorating drink have changed in different years in different countries, but today there are only two. Behind one is coffee lovers, who cannot imagine life without coffee, and behind the second are opponents who consider the drink harmful and even narcotic.
Where coffee was born as a drink
In short, the history of coffee begins in the distant X century in hot Ethiopia. According to one legend, the idea of using the fruits and leaves of a coffee tree came to an ordinary shepherd, who noticed how the goats he grazed frolic after eating leaves and berries from a small tree in the mountains.
It was in the vicinity of a settlement called Kaffa. Soon, its residents began to actively prepare the drink first from the leaves of the coffee tree, and then from fresh fruits. But the monks of the neighboring monasteries began to dry the berries and make coffee from it, who, through trial and error, received the first recipe for the preparation of an invigorating drink. It was prepared not only from grains, but also from dried husks. It was the invigorating properties that prompted the monks to experiment and look for the best ways to use coffee. Such is the brief history of the emergence of a new product, which stretched over almost 2 centuries.
Only by the 12th century did coffee culture develop more clearly. A drink of leaves and grains began to be prepared on the entire African continent, and he began to conquer the whole East.
At the beginning of the 15th century, coffee beans were first roasted over an open fire. This merit belongs to the Turks, and they named the drink from the fried grains of Kahwa, and only after another 2 centuries, it acquired its current name - coffee.
How did an unusual invigorating product enter Europe? This happened only at the beginning of the XVII century. The origin of coffee and its properties were greatly exaggerated, but the taste fell to the taste of many monarchs who gave the go-ahead to the common people to taste this drink. The triumphal procession of coffee around the world begins with Italy, or rather, Venice, where a few beans were brought from Egypt by a doctor who accompanied the Venetian embassy. It was there that the guests were offered a hot black drink, which everyone really liked. Trade routes between Venice and the countries of the East that grew coffee trees were quickly established.
It was in Venice that the first coffee houses appeared, which became centers of social life. The first coffee that arrived in Europe was African Mocha, giving a rich chocolate aroma and a pleasant taste. Despite the fact that Ethiopia is considered the country of origin of coffee, steel products from Yemen and Egypt supply the product to the world market. One of the first coffee houses, which still exists today under the name Florian, appeared on St. Mark's Square in 1720.
From Italy, grain in bags came to England, then to Holland, Austria, France, Germany and Russia. It is believed that the drink was widely distributed with the light hand of Peter I, but the first coffee houses were opened here after 1740. Today, Russia is considered one of the most coffee-making countries in the world. By the way, coffee preceded the appearance of black tea, which was positioned as a dried invigorating grass.
Coffee-growing countries
Coffee as the basis of the economy is grown in countries of South and Central America, Asia and Africa. For many years, Brazil has been considered the world leader in exporting this product, but Colombia and Ecuador are also among the top three. The area of coffee plantations in Brazil is so large that it is compared with the area of almost the whole of Europe.
Coffee from Brazil is average in price and quality. This is an affordable product that is blended with other types of Robusta and Arabica to achieve the best flavor and aromatic properties. Colombian coffee is much higher in quality and price. This is a high-grade Arabica, which is especially appreciated in Italy. Among other countries where unusual varieties of coffee are grown, the Philippines, Vietnam, Haiti, Mexico, Guatemala, India, and the countries of the African continent appear.