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The History Of Coffee
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Published: September 15, 2006
Some like their "bean brew" iced. Some like it with lots of cream and sugar. And some just like it hot.
Believe it or not, coffee, as we know it, was not always taken this way. In fact, the interesting history of coffee began in the ninth century when an Ethiopian goat herder noticed his flock munching on a tree's berries. They eagerly hopped along to the next tree to munch on its berries. The goat herder himself tried a handful of the berries, and soon the goats and the herder had a delicious new snack - one that put pep in their step and smiles on their faces.
When monks heard about this new fruit, they pickled the berries. The remaining liquid was consumed for extra energy and stimulation. Each berry produced two coffee beans.
From there, the caffeinated beverage traveled to Yemen, where Mocha became an important port for trading the beans. Turkey is responsible for the drink's modern preparation. It was here where the berries were roasted, crushed and then boiled in water.
In 1538, German physician Leonard Rauwolf was the first Westerner to describe the brew. He declared it was "As black as ink, useful against numerous illnesses." By the 16th century, coffee had found its way into the demitasse cups of many learned and enlightened Europeans. Even the renowned worldwide insurance company Lloyd's of London began as a coffeehouse. That's right, when 16th century Europeans got hold of the brew, it became en vogue to hold intellectual discussions at 2 a.m. in coffeehouses, cigarette in one hand, piping hot cup of coffee in the other.
And although the coffee plant was introduced to South and Central America in the 1700s by a French captain, it took a rather hefty tea tax imposed by the British crown to make coffee the national drink of choice in the United States.
The global impact of coffee is undeniable. Today, coffee trails behind crude petroleum as the second most traded commodity. It also is one of the three most widely consumed beverages in the world, following water and tea.
Coffee's journey from a red berry to a grande mocha nonfat latte is just as interesting as its history.
There are two species of the coffee plant: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora. The arabica bean can be grown in Central America, East Africa/Arabia or Asia/Pacific. The arabica coffee bean is said by many to be superior in taste to the canephora robusta bean, but because arabica is disease-prone, many commercial coffee blends use the cheaper robusta. It has nearly twice the caffeine of the arabica bean and is marked by a decidedly bitter aroma, with little flavor.
Once picked, the berries are roasted either in a hot-air or drum roaster. Depending on how long the berries are roasted, the coffee bean will range in color from a light tan to a nearly black coffee bean, which has an oily sheen. Lighter coffee beans will yield mild and sweet taste. Darker roasted coffee beans will yield bittersweet black color with a burned or smoky flavor.
Once roasted, the coffee bean can be ground in a myriad of ways. Some people like to buy the beans pre-ground and store them for later use. Others will buy the beans and have them ground on-site. Still others will buy whole coffee beans and grind them at home. For those who are more hardcore about the beverage, there also are companies that sell just the roasted coffee bean covered in chocolate.
As soon as the bean is brewed, there are even more ways to prepare the beverage. Cappuccino, cafe lattes, espresso, the list goes on. Charles- Maurice de Talleyrand, a French statesman wrote of his preferred formula: "black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love."
Some like to experiment with their coffee, playing with syrups and roasts. Some are purists, drinking the coffee without cream and sugar. And some just like it hot.
Sources:
"Coffee." Wikipedia. 12 September 2006.
Starbird, Ethel A. "The Bonanza Bean: Coffee. National Geographic. March 1981. National Geographic Society, Washington, DC. 12 September 2006.
Coffee Universe. 2006. Bellisimo Coffee InfoGroup. 12 September 2006.
Believe it or not, coffee, as we know it, was not always taken this way. In fact, the interesting history of coffee began in the ninth century when an Ethiopian goat herder noticed his flock munching on a tree's berries. They eagerly hopped along to the next tree to munch on its berries. The goat herder himself tried a handful of the berries, and soon the goats and the herder had a delicious new snack - one that put pep in their step and smiles on their faces.
When monks heard about this new fruit, they pickled the berries. The remaining liquid was consumed for extra energy and stimulation. Each berry produced two coffee beans.
From there, the caffeinated beverage traveled to Yemen, where Mocha became an important port for trading the beans. Turkey is responsible for the drink's modern preparation. It was here where the berries were roasted, crushed and then boiled in water.
In 1538, German physician Leonard Rauwolf was the first Westerner to describe the brew. He declared it was "As black as ink, useful against numerous illnesses." By the 16th century, coffee had found its way into the demitasse cups of many learned and enlightened Europeans. Even the renowned worldwide insurance company Lloyd's of London began as a coffeehouse. That's right, when 16th century Europeans got hold of the brew, it became en vogue to hold intellectual discussions at 2 a.m. in coffeehouses, cigarette in one hand, piping hot cup of coffee in the other.
And although the coffee plant was introduced to South and Central America in the 1700s by a French captain, it took a rather hefty tea tax imposed by the British crown to make coffee the national drink of choice in the United States.
The global impact of coffee is undeniable. Today, coffee trails behind crude petroleum as the second most traded commodity. It also is one of the three most widely consumed beverages in the world, following water and tea.
Coffee's journey from a red berry to a grande mocha nonfat latte is just as interesting as its history.
There are two species of the coffee plant: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora. The arabica bean can be grown in Central America, East Africa/Arabia or Asia/Pacific. The arabica coffee bean is said by many to be superior in taste to the canephora robusta bean, but because arabica is disease-prone, many commercial coffee blends use the cheaper robusta. It has nearly twice the caffeine of the arabica bean and is marked by a decidedly bitter aroma, with little flavor.
Once picked, the berries are roasted either in a hot-air or drum roaster. Depending on how long the berries are roasted, the coffee bean will range in color from a light tan to a nearly black coffee bean, which has an oily sheen. Lighter coffee beans will yield mild and sweet taste. Darker roasted coffee beans will yield bittersweet black color with a burned or smoky flavor.
Once roasted, the coffee bean can be ground in a myriad of ways. Some people like to buy the beans pre-ground and store them for later use. Others will buy the beans and have them ground on-site. Still others will buy whole coffee beans and grind them at home. For those who are more hardcore about the beverage, there also are companies that sell just the roasted coffee bean covered in chocolate.
As soon as the bean is brewed, there are even more ways to prepare the beverage. Cappuccino, cafe lattes, espresso, the list goes on. Charles- Maurice de Talleyrand, a French statesman wrote of his preferred formula: "black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love."
Some like to experiment with their coffee, playing with syrups and roasts. Some are purists, drinking the coffee without cream and sugar. And some just like it hot.
Sources:
"Coffee." Wikipedia. 12 September 2006.
Starbird, Ethel A. "The Bonanza Bean: Coffee. National Geographic. March 1981. National Geographic Society, Washington, DC. 12 September 2006.
Coffee Universe. 2006. Bellisimo Coffee InfoGroup. 12 September 2006.
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