Let's go back to the beginning.
DISCOVERY
They say coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia or Yemen in the 15th century but it is very possible it was even earlier than that. The story written in 1671 was that the herder Kaldi noticed his goats were galloping full of energy and eating from a specific ancient shrub which contained "fruit" now known as coffee cherries.
Coffee then traveled through the countries and slowly became famous. So famous that certain countries like Italy, Sweden, Prussia, Mecca and Turkey all banned coffee between the 1500's to 1700's for different reasons. (We will go into that more in a later blog)
COFFEE'S TRAVELING HISTORY
Starting in Ethiopia (or Yemen) it spread quickly to Mecca and Medina. By the 16th century, it had reached the rest of the Middle East, South India (Karnataka), Persia, Turkey, India, and Northern Africa. Coffee then spread to the Balkans, Italy, and to the rest of Europe and Southeast Asia.
Eventually making its way to America in the mid-17th Century. It was becoming popular but it wasn't until the revolt against King George III in 1773 that things changed dramatically. It was a mass switch within the colonists going from tea to coffee. The demand for coffee flourished and with such new seeds were planted across the globe to keep up.
COFFEE CHERRIES
Coffee cherries have 6 layers. There is the outer skin, pulp, mucilage, parchment, silver-skin and the most important... coffee beans or should I say coffee seeds? Thats right. Coffee beans are actually seeds!
Coffee cherries are in fact edible! Some brew the husks and turn it into a tea, and some make a dessert out of it, while others may even use it in skin products! It's known to have a mild flavor with a little sweetness.
ARABICA VS ROBUSTA
There are two main types of coffee beans. Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica is known for its delicate and premium flavor. It can grow up to 15 feet tall and 8 feet wide. It takes approximately 3 years to grow and is susceptible to diseases, pests and requires attention to maintain. It yields about 70% of todays coffee.
Rubusta is known to have a high caffeine content, easily maintained and its hardiness. It is often used as a filler to cheaper coffee blends, instant coffee and can add body to espresso blends.
THE SIMPLE ANSWER
It is a delicious and energizing beverage.. That is packed full of history, science, flavors and endless options to perfect the coffee that you love.
There are so many different brewing methods to experiment with. My husband and I own about 17 I think it was last we counted! And we love all of them. :)
Cheers!
Comments