History of Coffee and 10 Interesting Facts About Coffee

History is always a fascinating and beautiful subject, even the myths within it give people a sense beyond reality. It is impossible not to imagine yourself in that time and place when you read a historical story or the history of how discoveries are made, even the way food is found. Entering the beautiful and old world of knowledge is one of the characteristics of knowing history.

Today in this article, we want to go back to the very distant past to walk a little in history with our imaginative minds. So it is a good suggestion that the subject of today, coffee, be tied to the past. The study of the history of coffee, that is, how it was discovered and when it was found, is an interesting discussion. So we will proceed to narrate it.

History of the discovery of coffee in the world

Ethiopia was the first country where the coffee plant was discovered. The first person to discover the coffee plant was also from Ethiopia. There are many stories about the first person to identify coffee. But most of the natives of the Ethiopian region define the history of coffee in this way:

In one of the villages of Ethiopia, where people lived in tribes at that time, a clever man was chosen as a shepherd to gather and take the sheep of each tribe to graze every day. After a while, the shepherd noticed that his sheep were as energetic and cheerful as they were in the morning, or even more, when they returned in the evening.

The shepherd noticed this behavior a few days later and realized that they were really eating a certain plant that was different from other plants, and as a result, the movement of the herd increased.

After a while, the shepherd, due to concern, shared this story with the elders of the village and tribe. They also went to the monastery for consultation and guidance with the great monk. Then it was decided to collect and dry this plant and sell it as a natural stimulant and medicine to others. From that moment on, the coffee plant was introduced to all over the world and people became aware of the existence of such a plant.

History of the introduction of coffee to other countries

The discovery of coffee in the world for the first time happened in the tropical highlands of Ethiopia, which we have explained separately in the previous paragraph. But the history of coffee was recorded again in history when coffee was introduced to other continents and countries for the first time.

After the sale and purchase of the fruit of the coffee plant (which was the same as coffee beans) by the natives of Ethiopia, the merchants and traders of that time realized the existence of a new product that was very popular among the people. This led to the plant being exported for trade and profit to outside the Ethiopian region and then outside the African continent.

It didn’t take long for wealthy Arab traders to also become acquainted with the coffee plant and its unique flavor. Because coffee was a type of plant, it was not forbidden in the religion of the Arabs, like other stimulating drinks. This led coffee to become the most popular hot drink in that region and make Yemen one of the largest coffee-producing countries.

Yes, this is how the history of coffee was also recorded in Asia. After the Arab countries, Turkey was the first country where coffee was recognized among its people and was served as a luxury drink at parties.

The history of coffee in Iran also dates back to the Safavid period when the Safavid king of Iran was invited to a party in Turkey, where he was served coffee, and the delicious taste of this drink became the bridge for its entry into Iran at that time.

10 Interesting Facts about Coffee

The first reality about coffee is the reason for its rapid popularity in Asian countries. As you know, a significant part of Asia is made up of Arab and Muslim countries. In Islamic countries, stimulating drinks such as alcohol and other drinks that damage the body both physically and spiritually are forbidden.

But coffee was a completely natural drink that, in addition to countless therapeutic properties for the body and soul, created a lot of energy in humans, which both caused relaxation and invigorated the mind and body.

Now let’s read a few interesting facts about coffee:

1. Our coffee consumption is the seed of the coffee fruit: The powdered or bean coffee that we brew and serve is actually the seed of the coffee fruit.
2. Ranked second in terms of value: It may be hard to believe that coffee is ranked second after oil as the most valuable commodity.
3. 25 million gallons of milk are used for coffee in the world: Yes, on average, 25 million large milk cans are used in the world to brew coffee with milk.
4. Coffee beans are enemies of forgetfulness: You may be surprised to know that consuming fresh coffee prevents Alzheimer’s disease in old age by up to 70 percent.
5. Rich source of vitamins: Vitamins such as manganese, magnesium, potassium, and several other nutrients are found in the coffee bean tissue.
6. Brazil is the largest source of coffee in the world: Currently, Brazil produces the most coffee in the world.
7. Coffee is a medicine for disease prevention: By eating fresh and appropriate coffee, you can protect yourself against diseases such as prostate cancer in men, depression, lethargy, type 2 diabetes, liver damage, gout, and other chronic diseases.
8. The largest coffee bean in the world is Indonesian coffee: This coffee is the coarsest type of coffee.
9. Germany, the United States, and France consume the most coffee: More than half of the world’s total coffee consumption is consumed by these three countries.
10. Coffee antioxidants are more than oranges: By having a cup of freshly brewed coffee, you can supply your body with the necessary antioxidants.
    

    Conclusion

    The discovery of coffee first happened in Ethiopia, but the exact date is still unknown, and an approximate date has been estimated for it. The history of coffee began when an Ethiopian shepherd discovered it. However, since it took a long time for coffee to enter each region, the history of coffee entering each continent and country has also been recorded as an approximation in history.

    Arab traders were almost the first non-African traders to bring coffee to another continent, Asia. The Arab countries, namely Saudi Arabia and Yemen, were two Islamic countries that introduced coffee to their markets. Our country also became familiar with this drink during the Safavid period through Turkey, and in a short time, it became one of the best-selling drinks until today.

    The reason for this welcome in Asian and Muslim countries was its replacement with smuggled and forbidden alcoholic beverages because the energy that coffee had was several times that of alcoholic beverages and also had countless therapeutic properties.