Who discovered coffee?

In the Netherlands, an average of 18.6 billion cups of coffee are drunk each year. For many people, coffee is an integral part of everyday life. But where does this drink come from? Who discovered coffee? In this blog you can read more about the history of coffee.

How was coffee discovered?

According to legend, you owe your espresso in the morning or Cold Drip coffee on a hot day to a young goat herder named Kaldi. When Kaldi trekked through what is now Ethiopia with his goats around the year 300, he noticed that his goats were energized after eating certain berries. Monks in a nearby monastery tasted the fruit. However, they were so disappointed with the bitter taste that they threw the fruit into the fire. It didn't take long for a delicious aroma to rise. Out of curiosity, the monks made an infusion of the roasted fruit; the first cup of coffee was born.

An overview of the history of coffee

Many stories circulate about exactly how coffee was discovered. And as wonderful as the above story is, it probably didn't really happen. What did history look like after coffee was discovered? It is almost certain that coffee has its origins in Ethiopia. Arab traders took it to the town of Mocha in Yemen in the 14th century. The qahwa, meaning "the exciting" became popular and a vibrant coffee trade developed in the Middle East.

It is not until the mid-seventeenth century that coffee becomes known in Europe. Around 1700, there are 32 coffee houses in Amsterdam. There, it's not just about drinking coffee. The elite gathered to discuss, play cards, gamble or read the newspaper. However, only the rich people could afford coffee. Therefore, the Dutch went looking for a cheaper way to get coffee. A stolen coffee plant was brought to Java and the first Dutch coffee plantations were created. From the 19th century onwards, coffee has been a real people's drink, brewed using a drip method - similar to our filter coffee.

Coffee today

The Dutch drink an average of 8.4 kilos of coffee on an annual basis, which is about 3 cups a day. In recent years, brewing methods have followed each other in rapid succession: from espresso machines to filter coffee, and from coffee capsules to slow coffee. Which coffee is commonly consumed now? Despite the many variations, black coffee remains the most popular, with 66% of coffee drinkers drinking it regularly.

The next time you make coffee for your friends, you can tell them in detail about the 700 years of history of their cup of coffee. Should there be enough coffee beans in the house of course, click here To order.