The History of Coffee

Coffee has been around for many years and although its origin is very sketchy, people just can't get enough it. Here are a few stories that may shed light on its history.

Farmers have to stay awake the entire time to protect the flock from wolves. When they noticed that the sheep were getting restless after eating some nearby plants, it wasn’t long before they decided to try it and discovered its effects.

Another story involves an individual who was banished from a certain town. With no food, the chances were high that the person would die. Miraculously, there were berries, that he ate to stay alive.

Weeks later, the villagers saw the person again and heard about what happened. It wasn’t long that the berries were being picked, boiled and consumed by the community.

But the fact is, coffee was first grown in Ethiopia. Years later, this was used by the Turks who got hold of it from caravans that transported goods to Arabia. Across the Mediterranean, lies Europe and it's wasn't long before coffee soon made it across the continent thanks to Venetian merchants.

How did it get to America? People should remember that the New World as it was called was still under British Rule. The French did two things for those residing. First, it brought the plant that produced the berries and second, it helped end the Revolutionary War.

Fifty years after the war ended, coffee plantations were being grown. Americans no longer had tea time or preferred to drink this since something stronger was available. The first American coffee company that sold this in cans to the nation was called Maxwell House in the 1880's and continues to operate to this day. Instant coffee was introduced a few decades later, which is better known as Nescafe.

To date, there are over 19 million different coffee variants and these are sold in various flavors and concoctions in coffee shops across the country and around the world. The largest of which is Starbucks, which bought out Seattle's Best.

Despite that, the customer doesn't have to hang out in these places since smaller diners and cafes have something similar to offer. One way to save up is by making it at home since these are sold in beans or in the ground coffee version, which can be made at any time using a coffee blender.