The discovery of coffee is said to date back to the 9th century in Abyssinia, now Ethiopia.
A popular legend tells the story of a shepherd called Kaldi. One day, he noticed that his goats became particularly energetic after eating the red berries of a shrub.
Curious about these effects, Kaldi tried the berries himself and felt an increase in energy. He shared his discovery with a local monk, who used the berries to create an energy drink.
Knowledge of the beverage then spread to the Middle East region. In the 15th century, Arab merchants began growing coffee in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Yemen.
Cafés (kawah) became popular meeting places where people could chat, listen to music and play games.
Then, the coffee was introduced to Europe in the 17th century, first in Venice and then in other parts of the continent and its popularity grew rapidly.
Over time, coffee cultivation spread throughout the world. Coffee plantations were established in various tropical regions, particularly in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Today, countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam and Ethiopia are among the world’s biggest coffee producers.
