Coffee

Many of us drink coffee because we like the taste or “need” the stimulation of caffeine. However, as with anything that is woven into the cultural fabric of so many countries coffee has a history that contributes to its worldwide popularity today. So, sit back and discover “the rest of the story.” I’ll sip a cup while writing this article.

The Popularity of Coffee: An Historical Prospective

In 850 coffee was discovered by a goat herder in Ethiopia who notices his goats are friskier after eating strange red berries. But the internet was slower then and coffee wasn’t cultivated for another 250 years on the Arabian Peninsula. Because Arab Muslims are forbidden to drink alcohol they made a beverage from plants called “qahwa.” It was here, at around the year 1100, that the beans were first roasted and boiled.

What wine was to the Europeans, coffee became to the Arabs. In 1475 the worlds first coffee shop opens in Constantinople. Two more follow 80 years later.

As trade routes were established from Arabia into Africa and Europe this new bean, and beverage, enters Europe through the port of Venice and by 1654 the first coffeehouses open in Italy. As the Europeans established trade routes around the world coffee was a main component of trade.

Coffee is introduced to the New World by Captain John Smith, who established Virginia. While the colonists enjoyed both tea and coffee with a preference for tea, British taxation of tea, and with the history that followed, caused coffee to become the hot beverage of choice for most Americans.

The Role of the Coffeehouse

Just as restaurants opened to satisfy the social need of people, in addition to the biological, coffeehouses allowed people soon to sit down together and enjoy coffee outside of their homes.

Soon, an association between coffee and with social interaction began to form. Arabs began to view coffee as a social drink, similar to our view in modern times. But Arabs also saw it as an intellectual drink calling it “the milk of thinkers and chess players.”

Something similar happened in England. Because a penny is charged for admission and a cup of coffee, coffeehouses are called “penny universities.” Edward Lloyd’s coffeehouse opens in 1688 and eventually becomes Lloyd’s of London, the world’s best known insurance company. The word “TIPS” is coined in an English coffee house: A sign reading “To Insure Prompt Service” (TIPS) was place by a cup. Those desiring prompt service and better seating threw a coin into a tin.

Worldwide Cultivation

With its popularity growing it was inevitable that the cultivation could not be contained in Arabia. In 1690, the Dutch become the first to transport and cultivate coffee commercially. Coffee is smuggled out of the Arab port of Mocha and transported to Ceylon and East Indies for cultivation.

At around 1723, plants are introduced in the Americas for cultivation. A French naval officer transports a seedling to Martinique and by 1777, 1.92 billion coffee plants are cultivated on the island. The Brazilian coffee industry gets its start in 1727 with seedlings smuggled out of Paris.

Lance Curtis is editor and contributor to TheCoffeeDrinker.com where coffee lovers gather with a cup of their favorite brew.

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Author: J. Lance Curtis
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As you sit and drink your morning java, it may help you to know that you are imbibing a long-respected beverage.

While most of us think of coffee as a single species of plant and a single type of beverage, it is interesting to learn that there are more than 500 genera and more than 6,000 species in the Rubiaceae family of plants of which coffee is just one genus. Most of these varieties are either coffee shrubs or tropical trees that grow upwards of 30 feet. Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer. Of these many types, Robusta and Arabica coffees are the main types used.

Historians believe that coffee originated in Ethiopia but spread into Arabia. Its ability to help people stay alert made it a useful secret weapon at first.

Iced coffee seems like a fairly new innovation, but really it isn’t. It is believed that coffee was not originally a hot drink. It was originally drunk with the grounds. Arabic peoples used it in religious ceremonies and as a medicine, but not as a beverage until about the year 1000 A.D. Eventually people tried to drink just the liquid and leave the grounds alone. As people discovered how coffee helped them to stay alert, coffee became more popular. As civilization progressed, coffee houses were created so people could enjoy the beverage and socialize in groups.

Gradually people discovered the pleasures of hot coffee. They began drinking it in their homes, usually as part of a ceremony. Coffee became a very important part of Arabic culture. It is believed that at least one Turkish woman was allowed to divorce because her husband refused to give her coffee. For a time, it was forbidden to take coffee out of the Muslim world.

However, explorers brought coffee from Constantinople, Turkey, to Venice, Italy and thus began coffee’s conquest of Europe. Originally, it is said that Catholic priests forbade the use of coffee, because of its origins in Arabic/Islamic culture. Some said coffee was given to the Islamic peoples by God because they were forbidden to drink wine. One report says one of the popes investigated coffee’s properties and was so enticed by the aroma he tasted it, even, some say, baptizing it. At any rate, his approval of the beverage lead to the spread of its use across Italy and then the rest of Europe.

Whether baptized by the Pope or not, coffee and its caffeine is truly considered to be a blessing by many. By 1940, the U.S. was importing 70 percent of the world’s coffee crop.

Today coffee can be found in just about every nation on earth and is clearly one of the world’s most popular drinks. That’s a fun fact to savor with your morning brew.

Robert Carlton very often produces reports on problems associated with bunn home coffee maker and bunn coffee machines. You might come across his observations on bunn coffee makers at http://www.coffee-espresso-maker-tips.com and different sources for bunn coffee makers knowledge.

Author: Robert J. Carlton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The coffee plant was first cultivated commercially in the Arab world in the fifteenth century. Here coffee was widely consumed by the populous but condemned by the Islamic leaders because of its supposed intoxicating effects. As coffee traveled from Constantinople to Venice and then to Vienna and other European capitals it was banned repeatedly. At first coffee beans were sold by pharmacists and then by coffee houses which became popular for revolution and enlightened thinking. Even today there is controversy surrounding coffee as to whether it is good for the health or not and a new study seems to be published each week either defending or condemning this drink.

When picked coffee beans are green and do not acquire the familiar brown color and intoxicating aroma until they are roasted. Commercial coffee beans belong to two main groups, Arabica and robusta. The Arabica beans are named for the Arabs who first grew them and are the better of the two. Robusta beans have twice the caffeine of Arabica beans but less flavor.

Supermarket coffee blends are usually made up of mostly Robusta beans with a few Arabica to add some flavor. On the other hand most coffee beans sold in coffee specialty shops are Arabica.

Africa, Indonesia and Central and South America are the three main regions where coffee is grown. But there is a small amount grown in the Hawaiian Islands and some in Yemen on the Red Sea. Africa, the birthplace of coffee still grow coffee with wild flowers that coffee lovers prize. The prized of these are the true Mochas. Named after the Yemeni Port from which the coffee was once shipped to the rest of the world. Today the word Mocha has come to mean a flavor combination of coffee and chocolate, but actually has nothing to do with Mocha beans which are rare and expensive.

Another favorite, Africa Coffee is from Kenya, a country that produces many superlative beans. Indonesian coffees are popular for their body and earthy flavor. Many good coffees also come from the island of Papua New Guinea. Coffee produced in Central America (particularly Guatemala and Costa Rica) are of real interest to coffee connoisseurs because many of the beans from these regions offer the balance and smoothness that made Jamaica’s Blue Mountain coffee legendary. This coffee is almost impossible to find in America as the Japanese buy almost all the tiny annual production and if it can be found it is extremely expensive.

One third of the coffee drunk worldwide is grown in Brazil but almost none of it is of any interest to coffee connoisseurs.

Colombia has put money and research into its coffee industry but unfortunately its beans are rarely exceptional.

The flavored coffees that are becoming increasingly popular are usually based on bland, mediocre beans that are stirred with chemical flavoring essences after roasting. If these flavored beans are ground at home they will impart their flavors, possibly forever, on to your grinder and brewing apparatus. If you prefer a flavored coffee a better idea is to brew good coffee from unflavored beans and dose it modestly with one or more of the flavoring essences that can be purchased at many gourmet shops.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Coffee [http://coffee-guides.com]

Author: Michael Russell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Have you ever wondered why people join coffee of the month clubs? There are many benefits and types of coffee to be explored with these clubs. This article will give you some idea of what coffee of the month clubs are, where to look to find a club bested suited for your needs, and some of the benefits that are available when you join a coffee of the month club.

Brief History of Coffee

One of the first legends about coffee comes from around c850. It tells of a young goat herder in Ethiopia watching his goats eat red berries. Upon seeing the goats become friskier after eating these berries Kaldi of Ethiopia decides to try the berries. He feels much frisker after eating the berries. A monk sees this and takes some of the berries to a monastery to make a brew with the berries. Other monks drank the brew and are able to stay alert for their long devotional and prayer times. So begins the history of coffee. In 1475 the world’s first coffee shop opens in Constantinople. In 1995 it was estimated that 400 billions cups of coffee were consumed a yearly.

What are Coffee of the Month Clubs?

Today the coffee you can brew in your home can compare in taste to great coffee shops. Generally, coffee of the month clubs are a means of having a great tasting coffee delivered to your home through the mail each month. Not only is coffee offered but tea and other items are offered as well. Coffee of the month clubs will generally give something free to get you to try their great tasting coffee. The free item is not a gimmick just to get you to join the club but a means of letting these companies demonstrate their great tasting coffee and other products that they have to offer. Most of the coffee of the month clubs will send you coffee once a month after you have received your free gifts. Good coffee of the month clubs will usually let you cancel your membership whenever you want. You still keep the free gift in most cases. Now, think how many people will cancel after receiving their free gift. For coffee companies this is an expensive marketing tool. If they did not feel that their coffee was of a high enough quality they could not afford to give free items away.

Benefits of Joining a Coffee of the Month Club

Coffee of the month clubs provide individuals with great coffees every month without having to go to a crowded store to purchase a good coffee. Most coffee of the month clubs will have specials for each month that add to the value of belonging to their club. You can make coffee at home that will compare with what you receive at coffee shops any time that you want and at a great cost savings as well. Not only do you save on gas but you also save on the cost of this prepared coffee. This is especially helpful for people who want their special coffee every day. Think about these savings and what else you might purchase with the money you save. Most clubs will have information that is enjoyable to read and helpful in preparing that special coffee or tea. You can still get together with others for coffee in your home.

Finding a coffee of the club month that best suites your needs is not hard. The internet is a great way to look for a coffee of the month club. Read about the benefits that they offer and try one that you feel will work. Today coffee of the month clubs offer coffees in the caffeinated and decaffeinated flavors and blends. They may also offer teas and other items that can be found in coffee shops. What better way to have that special cup in the morning than in your robe curled up in a favorite chair?

PJ Hall is a professional writer who provides information on coffee of the month clubs for Gift of the Month Clubs – your guide to monthly gifts online.

Author: Pj Hall
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Throughout all of history, coffee houses have been more than places where innocent people like you and I could get a regular caffeine fix.

Although coffee itself apparently originated in Ethiopia before the 11th century, the first coffee house known to history was located in Constantinople in 1475. I know that coffee is an important part of MY life, but in those days a wife could divorce her husband if he could not keep her properly supplied with coffee! In Turkey, coffee was normally brewed in an ibrik, a long-handled pot originally designed for brewing coffee upon the desert sands.

In the early 1500′s a coffee house was established in Vienna, Austria by the only person in town who had both lived in Turkey and who recognized the intrinsic value and potential income lurking in several bags of coffee abandoned by Turkish invaders. It seems to be about this time that the custom of softening coffee by adding sugar and cream came into practice. Value was added when coffee shops began serving pastries as well as coffee. Although some pious individuals considered coffee to be the drink of the devil, the pope who was asked to so describe the beverage in this manner was already a coffee drinker and, instead, blessed it, calling it a Christian beverage.

Although coffee houses spread through Europe, England actually got into the act through a Turkish link rather than the import of the new custom from the continent.

It was in 1652 that history records the first coffee house being founded in England by two servants of an importer of Turkish goods. They left their employer and went into business for themselves marketing the new brew at their establishment, The Turk’s Head. Coffee houses of this era were referred to as “penny universities” because of the penny that was charged for admission and the camaraderie and exchange of ideas that were included in the price.

In fact, coffee houses of that era were the mass media of the day. The free public exchange of information was actually frightening to those in power. Because of this, coffee houses in England were shut down for a while in 1675. Public outrage was so great, however, that this only lasted a few days.

One figure of note, Samuel Pepys, famed diarist of the era and proclaimed “right hand of the navy” noted that he often frequented coffee houses for naval news as it seemed to be more up to date and reliable than the information available to him at the admiralty. One well known coffee house of the day probably provided him with a great deal of news concerning ships and the sea.

Edward Lloyd’s coffee house which opened in 1688 (or 1687, by some sources) near the Thames river on Tower street, eventually lost its roots but became one of the most famous institutions in the world – Lloyd’s of London. This was perhaps a natural metamorphosis due to the number of seafaring men from the ships at London’s docks who found their way to Lloyd’s. Edward Lloyd, being an astute individual, as are all of us addicted to coffee, began in 1696 the practice of listing arrivals and departures of ships in addition to information received from arriving vessels about the conditions of ships and crews and conditions at sea. Eventually, so much shipping information was exchanged at the nearly round-the-clock establishment, that insurance brokers began doing some of their business there.

One of the earliest functions of the coffee houses of the past was to provide a meeting place for many, but particularly for intellectuals of each era. The combination of the exchange of ideas and caffeine proved to be a heady experience, launching careers and in some cases legends. Perhaps you have heard of Jonathan Swift, Honore de Balzac, Alexander Pope, Oliver Goldsmith, or Henry Fielding?

One source states that by the end of the 17th century, there were over 2,000 coffee houses in London alone. Although most were just in the business of serving coffee, some had unsavory reputations and customers, and more than one could have been mistaken for a brothel. They were also often the place for assignations or just plain dates.

It has been said that our modern word “tip” as in “to leave a tip” was first coined (no pun intended) in early English coffee houses. Usually a tin receptacle of some sort was marked with a sign reading “To Insure Prompt Service” (TIPS) to receive the coins of those who needed their coffee and needed it fast!

In the new country of America, the coffee house seemed to follow in the footsteps of its Britannic predecessors. One of the earliest coffee houses in America served as the founding location for the New York Stock Exchange. Of course, after the Boston Tea Party, being a coffee drinker was considered to be patriotic. Many strategies of the American revolution were born or raised in the coffee houses of the day.

A breakthrough in the history of coffee occurred when instant coffee was first successfully produced and marketed by Maxwell House in the 1950′s.

Whether instant or brewed, most modern American coffee drinkers would probably not recognize the brew of their forefathers. With a much higher ratio of coffee to water (one tablespoon to 16 ounces of water), and having been boiled for half an hour, not even the introduction of such common additives of the day as fish skin or egg shell would probably have done much to bring the taste close to a modern Starbucks mocha or latte.

In fact, the modern coffee house, typified by Starbucks or Tim Hortons might be recognized by the denizens of the past…if they were able to identify laptops as intellectual tools for research and the exchange of ideas, and cell phones as a means of conversation.

After much success in America, the modern coffee house, in the Starbucks name, image, and mold has moved westward to the East…the Far East, that is. Although coffee was not of much national interest until 1961, by the 1980′s coffee shops were quite the rage in Japan, and Starbucks opened its first store in Japan in August, 1996. Starbucks’ name recognition seems to have been its ticket to success in Japanese culture. By the time the first outlet opened, world-traveling Japanese had already had the Starbucks experience in foreign lands. The story is told that upon the opening of the first Starbucks store in Japan, the first customer, who ordered a “Double short latte!” did not speak English! As of 2003, Starbucks had 503 stores in Japan.

Starbucks opened its first store in China in 1999, and as of February, 2006, had 165 outlets, complete with cell phone carrying, laptop using customers like anywhere else in the world. I guess it’s possible that considering the history of coffee shops something besides coffee might be brewing.

Donovan Baldwin is retired from the Army after 21 years of service, has worked as an accountant, optical lab manager, restaurant manager, and instructor. He has been a member of Mensa for several years, and has written and published poetry, essays, and articles on various subjects for the last 40 years. Although primarily interested in the subjects of health, weight loss, and making money, he began drinking coffee at about age six and 55 years later, still hasn’t figured out how to stop…nor does he want to! In addition to caffeine, he is also addicted to blogging and blogs on the subjects of health, fitness, diet, and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.blogspot.com

Author: Donovan Baldwin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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