ORIGIN OF COFFEE

Coffea Arabica originated in Ethiopia where apparently a shepherd noticed that his goats became more frisky and animated after chewing on the berries of the plant. Kaffa, the region where this amazing plant was discovered, has cultivated the plants and beans since the thirteenth century. It wasn’t until the sixteenth century however that the locals began roasting the pits of the coffee cherries before using them in their hot brewed beverages. These beans or pits were dried, roasted and ground to create the first coffee beverage.

Arabia maintained a hold on coffee production for several centuries, however the Dutch managed to smuggle a few plants out of Arabia and a long a colourful history of espionage, smuggling and redistribution ensued. Now coffea arabica grows around the planet in a narrow belt around the equator and is one of the second highest commodities traded after oil.