Not many people are aware that coffee grows on
trees. One may be surprised to find that the small
green coffee beans are contained within bright red
coffee cherries which look like red grapes. Each
cherry usually contains only two precious coffee
beans. It is believed that the birthplace of the “Coffee
Arabica" shrub is situated in the region of Mocha
(Yemen). The Yemenites were the first coffee
growers.
The coffee drink spread from Yemen to all over
Arabia with Moslem pilgrims making their way to
Mecca. Through Moslem traders the coffee tree
seedlings and the drink were introduced from Mocha,
into Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), then India and from there
to Java and other Asian countries.
Up until the 18th century only Arabia produced coffee.
Today the countries producing Arabica coffee are to
be found on the American continent and the East
coast of Africa as well as in India and Papua New
Guinea. Arabica coffee represents three-quarters of
the worlds coffee production.
In the middle of the 15th century, coffee was being
consumed in Egypt, Syria, Persia, Turkey, Spain, and
North Africa. Coffee shops were to be found in the
cities of Medina, Cairo, Baghdad, Alexandria, and
Damascus. It is known that, in 1555, two Syrians
called Shems and Heleem opened the first coffee
shop in the Talchtacalah area of Istanbul. A few
years later, there were hundreds of them all around
the city.
Around the same time Soliman the Magnificent's
Turkish warriors introduced the drink to the
inhabitants of the Balkans and Central Europe landing
firstly in Venice. Around 1669, thanks to Soliman Aga,
the ambassador of the Ottoman Empire in Paris, the
drink became known in French high society.
In the first half of the 17th century the drink was
known only in Venice and Marseille. In 1644 a ship
from Alexandria (Egypt) unloaded its cargo at
Marseille. The first European public café was to
opened in the city ten years later. During the latter
half of the 17th century consumption spread to Italy,
France, England and Germany. Late in the 17th
century, Dutch sailors brought coffee seedlings to
Amsterdam and were subsequently offered to Louis
XIV who entrusted them to the botanists of the King's
Garden (now the “Jardin des plantes"). From there,
coffee trees were introduced into the Caribbean
colonies which supplied large quantities to France.
The cultivation of coffee then spread through the
whole of Latin America; the world's biggest producer
today.
trees. One may be surprised to find that the small
green coffee beans are contained within bright red
coffee cherries which look like red grapes. Each
cherry usually contains only two precious coffee
beans. It is believed that the birthplace of the “Coffee
Arabica" shrub is situated in the region of Mocha
(Yemen). The Yemenites were the first coffee
growers.
The coffee drink spread from Yemen to all over
Arabia with Moslem pilgrims making their way to
Mecca. Through Moslem traders the coffee tree
seedlings and the drink were introduced from Mocha,
into Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), then India and from there
to Java and other Asian countries.
Up until the 18th century only Arabia produced coffee.
Today the countries producing Arabica coffee are to
be found on the American continent and the East
coast of Africa as well as in India and Papua New
Guinea. Arabica coffee represents three-quarters of
the worlds coffee production.
In the middle of the 15th century, coffee was being
consumed in Egypt, Syria, Persia, Turkey, Spain, and
North Africa. Coffee shops were to be found in the
cities of Medina, Cairo, Baghdad, Alexandria, and
Damascus. It is known that, in 1555, two Syrians
called Shems and Heleem opened the first coffee
shop in the Talchtacalah area of Istanbul. A few
years later, there were hundreds of them all around
the city.
Around the same time Soliman the Magnificent's
Turkish warriors introduced the drink to the
inhabitants of the Balkans and Central Europe landing
firstly in Venice. Around 1669, thanks to Soliman Aga,
the ambassador of the Ottoman Empire in Paris, the
drink became known in French high society.
In the first half of the 17th century the drink was
known only in Venice and Marseille. In 1644 a ship
from Alexandria (Egypt) unloaded its cargo at
Marseille. The first European public café was to
opened in the city ten years later. During the latter
half of the 17th century consumption spread to Italy,
France, England and Germany. Late in the 17th
century, Dutch sailors brought coffee seedlings to
Amsterdam and were subsequently offered to Louis
XIV who entrusted them to the botanists of the King's
Garden (now the “Jardin des plantes"). From there,
coffee trees were introduced into the Caribbean
colonies which supplied large quantities to France.
The cultivation of coffee then spread through the
whole of Latin America; the world's biggest producer
today.
| human meets nature The Wonders of Coffee |
from Mocha to Mecca
the journey of Coffee
the journey of Coffee
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