Coffee is the most consumed product on the planet, second only to water. Coffee beans are the fruit of coffee trees in the Rubiaceae family, genus Coffea, with two more important varieties: Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta (Coffea canephora). The quality of this drink, loved by everyone, is given by the place of cultivation, storage, and roasting of coffee beans.

Historical evidence

According to historical studies, the Ethiopian forerunners of the Oromo people today have discovered and recognized the energizing effect of coffee extracted from the coffee tree. In any case, there is no clear evidence of where in Africa coffee was grown or who consumed it, or did anyone even know of its existence before the seventeenth century. However, studies have shown that in the past coffee was considered food and not drink. East African tribes ground raw coffee beans and by mixing them with animal fat they obtained a paste that the warriors consumed to have more energy during the battles. From the year 1000, the famous healer Avicenna administered coffee as a medicine. The coffee beans were boiled and turned into a drink called qahwa. Ethiopians obtained a kind of wine from coffee fruits by fermenting dried beans in water.

The story of Kaldi, the ninth-century goat breeder, was not written until 1671 and is probably made up. From Ethiopia, he is said to have traveled to Egypt and Yemen. But the most credible and ancient evidence of the emergence of coffee as a beverage or evidence of the existence of the coffee tree appears in the middle of the fifteenth century, in the Sufi monasteries of Yemen, the area mentioned in the second legend I told you about. Coffee beans were roasted and dried for the first time in Arabia, a process that is preserved in modern times.

The first references to coffee were made in the 15th century in the province of Zemen on the Arabian Peninsula. It was the only area where the coffee tree was grown. However, there are data that claim that this black drink has appeared since the ninth century. The coffee beans are believed to have originated in Ethiopia, North Africa.

The coffee beans were strictly guarded in the Yemeni port of Mocha, but pilgrims managed to bring this plant to their countries. This is how the first plantations in India appeared. Coffee was initially seen as food and not a drink. In Europe, coffee arrives through Arab merchants in the port of Venice.

Currently, coffee is produced in over 50 countries around the world, the main producer being Brazil, followed by Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia and Mexico.

First writings on coffee

Coffee is first mentioned by coffee merchant Philippe Sylvestre Dufour and is a reference to “bunchum” from the works of the persian physician Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi, known in the West as Rhazes, but more accurate information about the preparation of the drink from roasted beans dates back centuries.

The most important character who mentions coffee is Abd al-Qadir al-Jaziri, who in 1587 laid the foundations of a work in which he follows the route of coffee, in his work entitled “Umdat al safwa fi hill al-qahwa”, in which he talks about a sheikh, Jamal-al-Din al-Dhabhani, the first to adopt the use of coffee around 1454. The effect of coffee to energize and drive away sleep then became increasingly popular among Sufis.

The coffee route goes from Arabia Felix – today’s Yemen, to Mecca and Medina, then to the big cities of Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad and Istanbul. Public cafes, qahveh khaneh, have appeared in the cities of the Middle East, with an unparalleled popularity for all types of social activities. The first coffee shop was opened in Constantinople in 1475, and was named Kiva Han. Beginning in 1512, the stimulating effects of coffee led conservative imams in the Arab world to ban its consumption by Muslims. Despite that, the first cafe was opened in Damascus in 1530. In the 16th century, the custom of drinking coffee had spread throughout Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey, and by the 17th century, coffee had made its way into Europe.

Is coffee healthy?

Analyzes over time have shown how good coffee is for human health. Moderate coffee consumption directly helps the heart system and brain. This drink also regulates blood sugar levels and has very good benefits for the liver.

Coffee drinkers have a 60% less chance of developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. According to studies, coffee consumption reduces the risk of certain types of cancer, including: endometrial, prostate, neck and head, breast, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma. Recently, a new study has shown beneficial effects in colorectal cancer.

Although the benefits are innumerable, there are certain risks to consider: it can worsen anxiety, insomnia and possibly increase the risk of glaucoma.

In conclusion, like many other drinks, coffee is healthy as long as it is drunk in moderate amounts.