Life & English: "Cultural history of Coffee"

Coffee has a rich cultural history.

Coffee’s genesis, like most foods, is a story tangled within centuries-old folklore. A legend tells of a goat herder named Kaldi who is said to have discovered coffee beans on Ethiopian plateau hundreds of years ago. Before a modern version of coffee appeared, its cherry-like fruit was used in a variety of preparations.Travelers and traders carried seeds to new lands, and coffee trees were planted across the globe.

Coffee has a rich cultural history

By the 15th century, coffee was being cultivated and traded in Arabia, and its beans – stripped from its pulp exterior – were roasted and brewed. Public coffee houses, called “Qahveh khaneh”, sprang up across the east as places where people could exchange information over a cup of the much-loved potion. Traveling to Europe coffee quickly became the morning beverage of choice over beer and wine, and by the mid-1600s, there were over 300 coffee houses in London – often frequented by famous artists, writers, and intellects.

Seminar “National Coffee Day Tasting” at Warren-Newport Public Library in US

Coffee was brought to the New World by the British in the mid-17th century. Coffee houses were popular. Although getting a late start on the coffee wagon, the US has since revolutionized the coffee scene, from the introduction of Starbucks to the modern resurgence in coffee rituals and expertise. Coffee is as much a part of American culture as are blue jeans and rock-n-roll.

Today, the coffee revolution continues to grown. Coffees offer us a way to look at our relationship to the larger world.

Quy Minh