With no set agreed origin of coffee, it has been enjoyed around the world for centuries. Some root it back to 850 and place it in Ethiopia, where it was rumored to provide extra energy to goats who ate the plants, through the Arabian Peninsula, where it was traded in the 15th century. Traveling to Europe in the 17th century and to North America in the mid-1600s, increasing demand and leading to it being planted and cultivated in new areas around the world.
Origins to Around the World
Still one of the most popular sources for coffee beans, they are believed to have been discovered in Ethiopia. After seeing goats eat the beans and having a burst of energy from them, the plant was used to create a drink similar to the familiar tea that was the popular drink of the time. Said to provide a boost of energy after being consumed, its popularity spread one continent at a time until it was known and planted around the world.
Planting and Plantations
Shipping was possible with trading becoming global, it was a slow process, and there was no way to be certain about the quality of the goods when they arrived after weeks or even months at sea. This encouraged people in other countries to discover where it may grow, and to plant their own fields of coffee beans for harvest and consumption. As the interest continued to grow, larger plantations were created, and more people began to grow the coffee, leading to wide availability.
By the 1700s, it had made it to Paris and from there was transported to the island of Martinique, which has been the source plant of all of the coffee plants that are growing in the Caribbean as well as South and Central America. These are now some of the larger coffee producers for the world and supply much of the local supply as well as the exports. With consistent growth, coffee became one of the most exported products with the best return and is one of the most in-demand products around the world. Today, you can find Coffee giants like Starbucks that started in Seattle, Washington, all over the world. Whie in other countries, you can find smaller companies roasting coffee to perfection, like Bun Coffee roasters in Gold Coast. Australia is slowly becoming known for exporting coffee and wine, and we will see this continue to evolve as the years pass.
Changes in Processing
As the popularity has grown, the way in which it is processed has evolved. From being used whole, coffee beans were then crushed to brew into coffee, and later filters were added to the process to make the drinking smoother. There have been new ways found to roast the beans before grinding them, and even ways to breed the plants to form different flavours and levels of bitterness. When combined with other sources, coffee can be found in many flavours and levels of intensity, with many varieties available at most grocery stores and coffee shops.
Coffee can now be purchased from around the world, ground or whole beans, flavoured or plain, and in several different roasts. The roast is determined by how long they are roasted and what the caffeine level is after the processing has been completed.
