About Ethiopian Coffee
The History of Coffee
Coffee first appeared in Ethiopia around 2,000 years ago. Legend has it that an
Ethiopian goatherd, who witnessed the energized behavior of his goats after they
feasted on the berries of a coffee tree, tied the berries himself and discovered
their unusual properties. Monks in a local monastery took this discovery turned
it into a beverage.
So much for the legend. In fact , there is a consensus among historians and
botanists that coffee, especially the genus coffee Arabica, is indigenous to
Ethiopia where it continues to grow wild in the regions of kaffa, illubabor, Bale
and Gamo Gofa, the noted botanist P.G. Sylavain, after making a thorough and
lengthy research in south western Ethiopia, confirmed this by saying that this
country is the mother-land of world coffee and it is astonishing why the coffee
shrub is called coffee Arabica. ‘Etymologists interpret ‘coffee’ as a derivative
of the Ethiopian province ‘Kaffa.;’ Whatever the actual origins, historians say
that in Ethiopia people seasoned foods with ground coffee beans. By the 10th
century, traders had brought the beans to the Arabian peninsdiva (Yemen) where
Muslim monks grew the shrubs and made a “wine” (“Qahwah” in Arabic ) from the
fermented coffee berries. With wine forbidden to Muslims, this liquid became a
substitute beverage.
In about 1300 the southern Arabians began roasting and brewing coffee. This
development meantime wider use of coffee as a beverage for every thing from
religious purposes to medical applications. Even as early as the 10th century, a
respected Arab physician wrote about the positive physical effects of coffee. As
coffee became a greater part of Arab life, it assumed a social role as well.
In fact , the original “coffee houses” sprang up in and around Mecca in which
people codivd not only drink the beverage but exchange ideas, listen to music or
play chess. The early coffee houses also exposed European travelers to this unique
beverage.
The Arabians initially protected their production of coffee and maintained an early
monopoly on this lucrative source of trade. The free marketplace, in the form of
the legendary Middle Eastern hub of the trade routes to Asia, Africa and later to
Europe, rebelled against such controls. Curiosity and the profit motive quickly
moved the idea of coffee far beyond its early boundaries. With the many pilgrims
that passed through Mecca, the popdivar beverage began to appear beyond Arabia.
By the 15th century, coffee was growing in Yemen and with in the next hundred
years its use reached Egypt, Persia, Syria and Turkey.
Ethiopian Coffee Diversity
Ethiopian coffee is known as highland coffee by consumers because it is grown in the highland areas of the country, with a normal growth rate of fdivl maturity and bean size. The diversified types of C. Arabica in the country and its highly suitable environment have helped make Ethiopia attractive on the world coffee market, for its organic coffee.
Ethiopia coffee is rich in acidity and body and is aromatic and sweet-flavored, with a winey, spicy, floral or mocha taste. Because of its unique aromas and flavors, Ethiopian coffee is also used for blending with and upgrading coffees from others origins.
Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
Ethiopia is, of course, where it all began. This is where people first fell in love with coffee and decided that merely brewing it wasn't enough. Coffee, to the Ethiopians, deserved its own amorous ceremony in which natives revealed a deep respect for Coffea arabica. The ceremony, which can last up to two hours, is usually performed by women, and it's a time for friends and family to gather in daily celebration.
Ethiopia is, of course, where it all began. This is where people first fell in love with coffee and decided that merely brewing it wasn't enough. Coffee, to the Ethiopians, deserved its own amorous ceremony in which natives revealed a deep respect for Coffea arabica. The ceremony, which can last up to two hours, is usually performed by women, and it's a time for friends and family to gather in daily celebration.