Coffee: A Brief History
1. The Orgins of the word "Coffee"
Though coffee production is often associated with South America, the origins of coffee go back to Ethiopia in the 8th Century. It is believed that the word "coffee” entered the English language sometime in the 16th century. Coffee is borrowed from the Italian word “caffe,” which itself comes from the Dutch word “koffie.” The Dutch term is taken from the Ottoman Turkish "kahve," which stemmed from the Arabic "qahwah," which means "that which prevents sleep." Even from the start, coffee sellers knew the drink's most marketable properties.
2. The drink dates back to 800 A.D.
Legend has it that 9th-century goat herders noticed the effect caffeine had on their goats, who appeared to "dance" after eating the fruit of the Coffea plant. A local monk then made a drink with the produce and found that it kept him awake at night, thus the original cup of coffee was born.
3. Coffee beans are technically seeds.
They're the pits of the cherry-like berries found on the flowering shrubs, called the Coffea plant. Even though the coffee beans are not technically beans, they are referred to as such because of their resemblance to true beans or legumes. The two most economically important varieties of coffee plant are the Arabica and the Robusta; around 60% of the coffee produced worldwide is Arabica and around 40% is Robusta.
4. Brazil grows the most coffee in the world.
Today, Brazil produces about third of the world's supply, according to the International Coffee Organization, about twice as much as the second place holder, Vietnam. Arabica makes up 69% of Brazilian coffee, with robusta making up the remaining 31%. The main growing regions for arabica are on the eastern side of Brazil running from Fortaleza in the north, down to its border with Uruguay in the south.
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