THE HISTORY OF COFFEE

According to coffee historians, its origin can be traced to an Arabian shepherd, Kaldi who found his goats jumping enthusiastically around a dark green shrub covered with red cherries.

Kaldi bravely sampled some of the bitter fruit himself and within minutes discovered a peculiar euphoric effect; he seemed to have more energy to walk up and down the hills tending the goats.

Later, the news of his discovery traveled to monks at a local monastery, who used it to stay awake during the long hours of prayer. Visiting monks transported the coffee beans to other monasteries.

Botanical experts believe this story to be just a fable, suggesting its origin to have begun on the plateaus of central Ethiopia in the 6th century.

Coffee bushes or trees seem to produce the best beans when grown in a tropical environment, propagating in a soil rich in nutrients of calcium, nitrogen and magnesium.

The woody perennial is actually more of a tree than a plant, growing to 10 meters or more if not pruned. The vertical roots are often “trained” to grow horizontally and transport more water to the beans.

Although there are numerous varieties of coffee, two main species are cultivated, based on taste preferences.

Arabica coffee is preferred by 80% of the world’s producers, while only 20 % prefer the Robusta coffee beans. Although, the Robusta has a more pronounced flavor, it also has higher caffeine content.

Approximately three to four years after the coffee is planted, small flowers grow in clusters, eventually becoming the cherries or beans. It will be another thirty-five weeks before the cherry will change from green to red, signaling that it is ready to harvest.

Coffee is grown in more than 50 countries; the flavor varies because of the particular soil characteristics. From Hawaii’s rich volcanic soil, Mexico’s mountainous region, Puerto Rico’s acidic soil, or the slightly sweet soil of Columbia, a coffee has been

developed to suit everyone’s taste.