Who, When and Where in the History of Coffee

Coffee have been a part of culture for over oneArabian government prohibited the transportation
thousand years. The history of coffee widelyof the plant out of the Moslem nations, so the
varies according to the source due to the lengthactual spread of coffee was started illegally.In the
of time as well as the blurring of truth that17th century, Italian traders introduced coffees to
sometimes occurs.This is especially true whenthe West and changed the history of coffee
something as powerful as coffee is involved, asforever. Many Christians believed that coffee was
coffees have brought people much wealth andthe drink of the devil.But in Italy, Pope Clement
prosperity throughout the history ofVIII drank and endorsed coffee against the
coffee.Coffees were discovered around 850 A.D.advice of his advisors who wanted it to be
in the part of Africa now known as Ethiopia.considered part of the infidel threat. Because of
According to one story that has been passedhis endorsement of coffee, it became acceptable
down through the generations, a sheep herderas a Christian beverage and spread throughout
named Kaldi discovered coffee as he tended histhe West.Coffee Houses began opening in the
sheep. He noted that his sheep becamemid-17th century in the Western world. The first
extremely active after eating the red cherriescoffee house opened in Italy in 1645, in England in
from a plant as they went from one pasture to1652, in Paris in 1672, and in Berlin in 1721.In 1668,
another.He ate a few of the cherries himself, andEdward Lloyd's coffee house opened in England
was soon as overactive as his herd. The storyand eventually became Lloyd's of London, the
goes on to say that a monk passed by andbest-known insurance company in the world. By
scolded him for "partaking of the devil's fruit."this time as well, coffee had replaced beer as
However, the monks soon found themselvesNew York's City's favorite breakfast beverage.In
eating the same fruit to help them stay awakethe late 17th and early 18th centuries, the Dutch
for their prayers.Originally, the coffee plant grewbecame a prominent force in the coffee industry
naturally in Ethiopia. But once the people of Arabiawith a coffee plant smuggled out of the Arab
became enthralled with coffee and transplantedport of Mocha. The Dutch cultivated coffee
plants to Arabia, coffees were monopolized bycommercially in Ceylon and in their East Indian
them.Later, countries beyond Arabia whosecolony of Java, which came to be the source of
inhabitants believed coffee to be a delicacy andcoffees' nickname. However, the French stole a
guarded its secret with the greatest care beganseedling and transported it to Martinique.
to siphon off coffee plants as was possible.The