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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A large percentage of the population loves to drink both gourmet coffee and espresso drinks. We are all aware of the fact that coffee and espresso provide a boost of energy and they also warm your body up on those cold winter days. Most, however, are not familiar with the history of the coffee and espresso machines, themselves. Without these machines, we probably wouldn’t see such a large population that can easily and affordably prepare these common drinks.

Where did the coffee maker come from?

Since the days of the early Egyptians, coffee has been a staple beverage for most people. Though the Coffee bean originated in Africa, it quickly spread to neighboring countries, like Arabia and Egypt. The first method of bean preparation was to roast the beans on an open fire and then added to boiling water for consumption.

It is believed that coffee was probably considered a type of wine and used to barter and trade. Fermented in much the same as grapes, coffee was a source of energy and warmth for most, but some drank it because they loved the taste, too.

A man by the name of Mr. Laurens came up with the first coffee-making machine in 1818. The machine was constantly modified by coffee drinkers. The coffee machine was actually a product that had just as many patents by women as men, that was practically unheard of at that time!

Through the years, the coffee machine has become a reliable, dependable and easy to use product. In the 1960′s, the first filter machines were invented and the modifications have improved even more since then. Coffee making machines began as crude looking inventions, but have evolved into many different styles, making it possible for a Governor and a Harley biker to own the same style! Found in just about every home, the coffee machine is made by many manufacturers, including: Braun, Senseo, Kitchenaid, Krups and Pod.

Where did the espresso machine come from?

Discovered by a goat herder and developed by a tired, hungry traveler, the espresso drink has provided many with the extra energy they may need. The goat herder noticed the goats acting like they had an extreme boost of energy. As he searched for his heard, he noticed they were snacking on a red berry growing from shrubs. Curious, he ate a berry and felt as if he had suddenly gained more energy as a result. At the same time, a tired, hungry traveler witnesses the occurrences and jumped at the chance to try it for himself. Having the same reactions as the herder and goats, he knew that they were on to something. He took some berries and began to add them to drinks for those in his hometown, as the drink seemed to be a good source of energy. The idea took off from there!

The first espresso maker is said to have originated in Italy in 1901, by Italian manufacturing company owner, Lugia Bezzer. He was simply looking for a way to help speed up his employee’s coffee breaks. He figured out that if pressure was applied in the brewing process, the drink could be made in a lot less time. Nicknamed “The fast coffee machine”, the espresso machine patent was sold in 1905. The new owner, Desidero Pavoni developed an espresso machine that used a piston pump to force water through a tube and into the coffee.

Modifications on the espresso machine were halted by the onset of WWII. Production picked up after the war and in 1946, the commercial espresso machine was invented. Since that time, the espresso maker has been produced by many name brand companies, including: Juda, Mr.Coffee, Kitchenaid and Braun. Offering various features, styles, colors and prices, the espresso machine has come a long way!

C V is a freelance writer, providing articles and information on where to buy Bunn coffee makers, coffee roasters, Saeco espresso machines, coffee grinders, and more.

Author: Chris Vorelli
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Where did coffee originate? Coffee lovers around the world today may be numbering in the millions, but only a small number could be fully aware on the beginnings of this well-loved beverage. The history of coffee is definitely as rich as its flavor, spanning numerous centuries and dating as far back as 6th century A.D.

The oldest coffee legend

In the 6th century AD, farmers from Yemen were already growing coffee cherries. According to legend, a goat herder in Ethiopia was bewildered to discover that his goats were showing inexplicable energy after consuming a particular kind of cherries. After this goat herder tried the berries for himself and found that he too felt a surge of energy, Muslims discovered a way to extract the brew from the cherries, transforming the beans into a heady beverage. Thus, coffee became a secret beverage of the Muslims for a while, revitalizing them even during lengthy periods of worship. When 900 AD came round, coffee was already commonplace in the entire region of Arabia. From this period until 1500 AD, coffee farming practices were still a well-kept secret, although coffee beans were already exported to other places.

Coffee invasion in Europe

Before long however, Europeans found a way to bring coffee seedlings into their own lands. By 1615, merchants from Venice were able to bootleg a coffee plant out of the Yemen borders and into Europe. This time, coffee was used for its therapeutic purposes, being sold both as a drink and as a health remedy. When the Dutch got hold of the Ethiopian territory, they were able to bring coffee plants into Holland.

When it was discovered that Holland’s climate was not conducive to coffee farming, the Dutch brought the plants to other regions. When the first coffee shop opened its doors to the public in Oxford, England by the year 1650, women were forbidden to enter the shops. It was only three years later, when a teahouse was opened, that women found a place to converge.

The love story behind coffee Arabica

A Brazilian coast guard officer found two things he loved when he visited Cayenne in French Guyana in 1727: one, the coffee and two, the Governor’s wife. It was this affection that led him to acquire a few seeds which he took back to Brazil, initiating the Arabica coffee variety production in the country. Brazil eventually became the world’s largest coffee producer in 1800.

Afterwards, coffee traveled from country to country, spreading its popularity as a principal beverage of choice. The British introduced coffee to Jamaica in 1730. In 1774, Americans expressed a predilection for coffee during the Boston Tea Party, as a sign that they are replacing tea with coffee, due to the exorbitant taxes levied on tea trading. Costa Rica acquired coffee from Cuba, and this eventually spread to Mexico. The Island of Martinique cultivated coffee in the 1700s and Hawaii in 1825.

Present day coffee and coffee houses

Coffee houses are popular in Arabia; however they are as popular in Europe as well. From the 1600′s to the mid 1900s, coffee shops had already proliferated in Paris, reaching to approximately 3,000 in number. Presently, coffee is second to oil in terms of the most traded commodity worldwide.

Yogi Shinde is the webmaster offering coffee maker reviews on various brands of coffee makers like Braun, Krups, Mr Coffee and many others, helping you find the best coffee maker to suit your needs.

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The first recorded use of coffee as a beverage goes back to the ninth century in highland Ethiopia. According to the legend, a shepherd named Kaldi in Ethiopia noticed that his goats seemed to dance about and to have a higher energy level after eating bright red berries from the coffee plant. Coffee use soon spread to Egypt, Yemen, and Arabia where raw coffee beans were processed by being roasted and then brewed into a beverage. By the fifteenth century coffee drinking had spread throughout the Middle East and into Turkey, Persia and all over north Africa. At the end of the sixteenth century a German doctor traveling in the Near East described coffee as a drink as black as ink which is useful in the treatment of many illnesses, especially stomach disorders.

The thriving commerce between the Middle East, North Africa, and Venice soon brought coffee and coffee drinking to Venice, from where it quickly spread throughout Europe. Although there was suspicion of the drink due to its Muslim origins, Pope Clement VIII declared coffee to be a respectable Christian beverage in 1600, which decree made coffee drinking socially respectable and increased its popularity. The first coffee house in Europe opened in 1645 in Italy. Soon Dutch traders began importing large quantities of coffee to northern Europe. In spite of Arab prohibitions against allowing green coffee suppliers to export unroasted seeds or living coffee plants, in 1616 a Dutch trader named Pieter van den Broeck was able to smuggle some live coffee seedlings out of Aden to Europe. The Dutch began to grow coffee in their colonies in Ceylon and Java, and in 1711 coffee was first exported from Java to Holland. The English East India Company was also active in coffee growing and exporting at this time, and in 1657 coffee was first introduced in France. Coffee came to Poland and Austria after Turkish invaders were defeated in the Battle of Vienna in 1683 and their supplies of coffee were captured by the defenders.

Coffee came to North America with the European colonization, but it was not as successful there as it had been in the old country. The English tax on tea, which led to the Boston Tea Party and other protests by American colonists, turned America into a principally coffee drinking country. During the American Revolution tea imports from England were cut off and coffee demand increased to such an extent that the dealers were forced to hoard the scarce supply of fair trade coffee beans and to raise prices drastically. The War of 1812 also restricted imports of tea from England and created greater demand for coffee. The Civil War was fought on coffee, which became a contraband item at the frontier between north and south: illicit salt and coffee being traded for tobacco and cotton.

Today raw coffee beans are the most valuable legally-traded export item after petroleum. Fair trade coffee beans are the most important cash crop in many countries in the Third World. Over 100,000,000 rural green coffee suppliers in developing countries depend on coffee as their main source of income.

Author: Alice Lane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Health benefits of coffee to justify my cup! Nothing beats the aroma of the flavored coffee bean going through our house. My coffee mate puts our coffee pot on at 6am and not soon after, I am enjoying my first coffee and watching the morning news and reports on tv. I love my coffee and was determined to find a good reason to justify Java and learn about the health benefits of coffee.

Once my first cup is finished, I confess to getting a second not long afterwards. However, a girl has to have some vices, and coffee is mine, although I do not drink it often during the day. I could easily cave in to temptation, but the caffeine in coffee has been known to keep me awake at night. I sometimes have an organic decaf coffee or flavored decaf coffee. Sometimes I have mixed several brands together and come up with my own Suzie Special!

So what are some health benefits of coffee? Coffee is a source of antioxidants which help your body fight your free radicals – the bad guys. Decaf coffee has the same antioxidants as regular coffee, but minus the caffeine. Moderation is the key. Daily coffee can help to lower the risk of diabetes, reduce the risk of colon cancer and Parkinsons disease, and helps long duration of physical activity. Coffee can help you stay awake, alert, improve cognitive function, help elevate moods and may stop your
headache.

As far as I know, coffee does not cause breast cancer. Women who suffer with tender breasts, discomfort and water retention might like to consider reducing their caffeine, but it is a personal choice with personal experimentation to find the right level of coffee and caffeine for yourself.

Forget coffee prices and enjoy a Java. Learn how to make coffee taste great like the ones you get in Cafes, and experiment with different types of coffee brands and flavors until you find a some you really like. Then brew up in your latest hot coffee mod con and savor the wonderful aroma.

Some things in life are simple, inexpensive and good for you. Wonderful health kitchen oils such as flaxseed oil or coconut oil, and a glass or two of red wine are a couple of life’s pleasures and your daily coffee is another! So sit back, relax, take a deep breath and enjoy your Java knowing there are health benefits of coffee!

Suzanne Early

http://www.early-detection-for-breast-cancer.com

Suzie likes to share down to earth, easy to understand information on breast cancer basics, with warmth and sensitivity. Having a friend experience breast cancer and a career in Adult Education, Suzie understands how important it is to learn about this women’s issue, in the hope that others will be encouraged and empower themselves, becoming proactive in their breast health. Visit Suzie’s website for news, stories, and related health information, shared with an occasional laugh at some of life’s experiences. Early detection is key!

http://www.early-detection-for-breast-cancer.com/health-diet-fitness.html

Author: Suzanne Early
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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