Coffee & Its History
A RAMBLING ON ONE OF GOD’S CREATIONS
People need to get stuff done. Whether they enjoy being productive or not, it’s inarguable that there is work to be done all over the world. But how can one individual accomplish all that there is to be done? By getting enough sleep each night? Nonsense! Who has time for that? By use of performance-enhancing drugs? Likely not. Drugs are illegal for good reason. Enter coffee: God’s gift to humans to help them get tasks finished while simultaneously tasting great. Ah, caffeine: the magic inside coffee that makes your brain think it’s wide awake regardless of the amount of sleep you’ve had.
This dark, rich nectar has a very bold, interesting, and storied history. It predates humans by three days. Let that sink in once. Speculative assumption could argue that Adam consumed coffee whilst in the garden with Eve. I can’t prove it, but how else could you stay focused on naming all those animals? This begs the question: would you even need coffee in a sinless environment? Probably not, but hey, God had it on Earth pre-fall so what does that tell you? That no matter what the scientists decide next, coffee is GOOD FOR YOU.
The earliest recorded discovery of the uses of coffee stems from Kaldi, a 9th century Ethiopian goat herder. Kaldi grew curious about the plant after noticing how jittery and excitable his goats got post-grazing. Jittery goats? Glorious caffeine was to blame! Was coffee used historically before Kaldi’s discovery? Almost definitely, but as you know, all good things take time.
Once the 15th century hit, people experimented with eating coffee berries (the forerunner to chocolate-covered espresso beans in my opinion) but that proved too bitter for their palates. To combat the bitterness and improve flavor, they tried roasting them before consumption. This too was ineffective. Naturally, to soften the beans after such a roasting, they soaked them in water, only to find that the water changed to a dirty brown color. How appetizing! Curiosity won out, though, and sure enough, the stewed bean water was tasted for the first time. Imagine consuming coffee after years of no caffeine in your life. As your pupils dilate, time slows down and speeds up simultaneously, and you’re suddenly struck with the urge to focus and get to it! It had to be wonderful!
Coffee quickly spread from the Middle East and Africa around the world as other cultures began experimenting with the delicious nectar. The Austrians were the first to add milk and sugar to coffee in the
late 1680s. In the 1800s, the percolator was invented to create a continuous cycle of boiling water pumped through a tube around the grounds. Brewing methods haven’t changed much since the 15th century. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that coffee as we know it today began. The auto-drip coffee maker in many ways perfected the efficiency of consuming the bean because it quickly boiled water and slowly dripped it through cheap, ground coffee contained in disposable paper, the American way.
Many will argue pour over tastes better; some think espresso in all its concentrated glory is best. It doesn’t matter your preference, all coffee brewing methods are beautiful. Jot that down. The inevitable creation of flavored coffee has birthed a great divide amongst humans who have asked, “Should pumpkin spice lattes be available year-round?” That is a question for another article (but the answer is yes, they should).
The bottom line is that coffee is delicious and widely consumed. Is it as popular and storied as tea? No, but that’s okay. It’s not a competition. Coffee is a wonderful and tasty way to wake up. Remember to thank God for His delicious creation!
ncausa.org/about-coffee/history-of-coffee; wilanow-palac.pl/jerzy_franciszek_kulczycki_the_founder_of_the_first_caf_in_vienna.html; scienceabc.com/eyeopeners/what-is-a-coffee-percolator-and-how-does-it-work.html; historycooperative.org/history-of-coffee-brewing/