Coffee is one of the world's favourite drinks, but where does the aromatic bean actually come from and how has coffee consumption changed over the centuries? In this article, we take you through 1200 years of coffee history - from the origin of the first coffee plant to modern coffee culture.
9th century: The origin of coffee
Many legends and myths surround the origin of coffee and the discovery of its revitalising effect. For example, shepherds are said to have first noticed the effect of coffee when they noticed a revitalising effect on their goats after eating the coffee cherry.
It is known for certain that coffee was discovered between the 9th and 15th centuries and probably originated in the Kaffa region in south-west Ethiopia. At that time, however, its preparation was more reminiscent of tea. The leaves and cherries of the coffee plant were infused in hot water and drunk.
16 - 19th century: emergence of the "coffee house culture"
Coffee in its current form of preparation first spread from the 15th century, particularly in the Arab world. There it was known as the "wine of Islam" and was popular due to its energising effect. The term "qahwa", which is used for both coffee and wine, also comes from Arabic. The modern term "coffee" also goes back to this term.
The triumph of coffee accelerated in the 16th and 17th centuries in particular and numerous coffee houses were opened in Arab and European metropolises. The "coffee house culture" was born. The coffee house not only served as a meeting place to have a coffee, but also as a place to discuss political and social issues.
From the 20th century onwards: the different worlds of coffee
In addition to Europe, a distinct coffee culture has developed in recent decades, particularly in America and Japan. Japan now imports more coffee than Italy and France. On the American continent, Brazil is not only the largest coffee producer, but is also very far ahead in terms of consumption. After the USA, Brazil is the second largest coffee consumer.
From the 20th century onwards, industrialised ready-to-drink products and thus soluble coffee came onto the market for the first time. This was originally intended for soldiers at war, but also became very popular with the rest of the population due to its ease of preparation and long shelf life.
There are now numerous variations and preparation methods for this favourite hot drink. Incidentally, the coffee-to-go in its current form has been around since the 1960s. Coffee-Bike is continuing this tradition. For more than 10 years, we have been offering our customers in many countries a wide range of coffee specialities in the best organic quality.
If you would like to see the quality of our coffee range for yourself or book a Coffee-Bike catering for your next event, you can create a free quote in our event planner.
