We will talk about the origin of coffee in this article, the history and of course we will also talk about the best coffee. Please keep reading on, so that you can learn all about this famous drink.
Coffee is a brewed drink rich in caffeine that is prepared with the roasted seeds or coffee cherries that are also known as coffee beans. The reason why they are called beans is that they look similar to the actual beans.
A cherry generally has two beans, but sometimes there is only a single bean in a cherry called a pea berry. When they are fully grown, the cherries become dark red or purple and ideally, they are then picked by hand and taken to the factory, where the coffee beans are separated from the casing.
Usually, the fruit is first allowed to dry before the coffee beans are removed, but in some cases this is done much earlier. Research has shown that varying the amount of time that the fruit can dry can have an impact on the taste of the end product. Green coffee refers to the dried, but unroasted, coffee beans.
Origin and history of coffee
The story behind the origin of coffee starts around 1000 AD. when the Galla tribe of Ethiopia first discovered the energy-boosting impact of coffee beans, which were then merely crushed and combined with animal fat.
Because Ethiopians never cultivated coffee in official plantations for commercial or livelihood purposes, the first formal renovation on a plantation was done in an area that today is called Yemen. They owed this to the Arab traders who often went to East Africa and took coffee cherries to grow.
The Arabs previously cooked the beans and created a drink called ‘Al-Qahwa,’ which helped them to fight sleep and remain alert. Coffee was also known in Europe as the Arab wine.
Coffee arrived in Europe in the 17th century for the first time thanks to Italian traders who often went to the East. Coffee as a drink was almost immediately accepted, with Pope Clement VIII helping with it. He judged the drink good, since it was initially seen as a bitter intervention by Satan.
The growth in popularity of coffee led to the establishment of coffee makers in various places in Europe as centers for communication and social activities, including in England, Italy, France, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
Best coffee: Arabica vs. Robusta coffee:
Different types of coffee can be found worldwide, but the two primary and most produced varieties are the Arabica and Robusta coffee. Although this look very similar in appearance, these two types differ significantly from each other in some ways.
Arabica coffee can grow up to 5 meters high and grows well in areas with annual precipitation between 1000 and 2200 millimeters and a temperature of about 15 to 24 degrees Celsius. It needs the right climate conditions (often at higher altitudes, which are considered ideal for coffee) and is much more challenging to grow than Robusta.
Robusta, on the other hand, grows better at lower altitudes and contains more caffeine than Arabica and grows well in areas where Arabica would struggle. Since Arabica has less caffeine and chlorogenic acid (which are possible deterrents for insects), this species is more susceptible to diseases.
In the field of yield, a hectare of Arabica will deliver less coffee than Robusta, but regarding quality and taste, it is, however, superior. So it is not shocking that more than 60% of the coffee production worldwide is Arabica coffee.
