History of Coffee

According to legend, in the 9th-century, Kaldi an Ethiopian goatherd found his goats dancing excitedly around a shrub with red berries. The berries on the shrub were causing his goat's peculiar euphoria and after trying the berries himself, he discovered their stimulating effect. The berries were then used by monks at a nearby monastery to remain awake during extended hours of prayer. They were distributed to other monasteries and exported abroad. Coffee was born.

Botanical evidence has suggested a different origin though. This evidence suggests the coffee bean was discovered in central Ethiopia around the 6th century, exported to Yemen and cultivated there. It was in Arabia that coffee beans were first roasted and brewed - similar to the way we prepare coffee today.

With the introduction of the first coffee houses in Cairo and Mecca coffee became a passion and by the 16th century, it had reached the rest of the Middle East, Persia, Turkey, and northern Africa. Coffee then spread to Italy, and to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia, and to the Americas.

World map of coffee producing countries

World coffee production is fragmented between a large number of countries in North, Central and South America, Asia and Africa. World production exceeds 100 million bags (bags are typically 60kg in weight though sold as 50kg and cost in the region of $210.00-$318.80 for AA grade). The main producers are Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Uganda, India and Vietnam.