by Wega- Coffee
The history of coffee begins in East Africa. According to the most famous legend, it was in Ethiopia that a shepherd named Kaldi noticed the extraordinary properties of a certain shrub when his goats, after eating its red berries, gained more energy and were unable to sleep. Although this story is anecdotal, it accurately reflects the fact that it was there, in the Kaffa region, that people first encountered coffee. However, the true development of coffee drinking culture occurred in neighboring Yemen, where, from the 15th century onward, Sufi monks used a beverage made from coffee beans to support their nightly prayers and contemplation.
Yemen quickly became the center of global coffee cultivation. The port of Al-Mokha on the Red Sea became famous as a major export destination, and the word "mocha" became synonymous with aromatic coffee for a long time. Yemeni merchants diligently sought to protect their monopoly on the beans. To prevent their export and the establishment of plantations in other countries, coffee was exported in the form of roasted beans that were no longer capable of germinating. Coffee became one of the most important commodities in the region and quickly permeated the daily lives of Muslims. It was drunk in homes, caravanserais, and the first coffeehouses that began to appear in Middle Eastern cities. It was perceived as a means of aiding concentration, deepening spiritual experiences, and fostering the social exchange of ideas. It is no wonder that coffee soon became a symbol of hospitality, community, and one of the most distinctive features of Arab culture.
The Ottoman Empire: Coffee as a Ritual and the Center of Social Life
From Yemen, coffee made its way to the Ottoman Empire, where it quickly gained the status of a unique beverage. In the 16th century, the first coffeehouses began to emerge in Istanbul, becoming places for meetings, conversation, exchange of ideas, and relaxation. Contrary to appearances, not everyone was pleased – the authorities feared that coffeehouses would become hotbeds of rebellion, and some clergy considered coffee a stimulant that should be banned. Despite prohibitions and periodic repression, the habit of drinking coffee proved to be more persistent.
In Ottoman culture, coffee was brewed in special vessels called cezve and was served in small cups. Sweets were often served alongside it, and the ritual of drinking this beverage was associated with hospitality and courtesy. Soon, coffee became an integral part of the daily lives of the inhabitants of Constantinople and other major cities of the empire. It was there that it gained a second home, and the Turkish method of preparation remains one of the most recognizable in the world to this day.
The beginnings of coffee in Europe
Europeans encountered coffee relatively early, primarily through Venetian and Genoese merchants who maintained intensive trade relations with Middle Eastern ports. Coffee appeared in Venice in the early 17th century, initially as an exotic medicine sold in pharmacies. Its high price quickly earned it a reputation as a luxury reserved for the wealthy.
Italy also saw the birth of the first European coffeehouses. In 1645, a coffeehouse opened in Venice, serving coffee as its main beverage. It was a meeting place for merchants, diplomats, and artists—people who enjoyed discussing politics, literature, and business. Italian coffeehouses quickly began to proliferate in other cities, and the coffee craze spread to other regions of Europe.
The Dutch, the French and the English – coffee as a colonial commodity
The Dutch played a key role in the spread of coffee. In the 17th century, they managed to obtain viable coffee seedlings and begin cultivation in their colonies, including Java. This led to the coffee trade becoming independent from Yemen and Arabia, and prices gradually began to decline. The Netherlands became one of the main centers of coffee distribution in Europe.
In England, the first coffeehouse was established in Oxford in 1651, and soon after, others appeared in London. By the second half of the 17th century, there were several hundred such establishments, known as "Penny Universities"because for a small fee, one could not only enjoy a cup of coffee but also listen to discussions and debates led by scholars, politicians, and writers. It was in London's coffeehouses that newspapers were born, political disputes were fought, and ideas that influenced the course of history were conceived.
France was no laggard either. In 1686, the famous Café Procope opened in Paris, quickly becoming a meeting place for artists and philosophers. By the 18th century, coffee was practically de rigueur in the French capital, and Parisian cafés became remembered as places of intellectual ferment and revolutionary discussion.
Vienna and the symbolism of coffeehouses
One of the most famous episodes in the history of coffee in Europe is the siege of Vienna by the Turks in 1683. According to a popular story, after the victorious battle over the Ottoman army, sacks full of coffee were found in abandoned camps. Initially thought to be camel fodder, it was only later that their true purpose was realized. While this legend is likely exaggerated, it is true that Vienna was the birthplace of one of the richest coffeehouse cultures in Europe.
Viennese coffeehouses quickly gained a reputation as meeting places for the intellectual and artistic elite. It was here that Stefan Zweig, Arthur Schnitzler, and Karl Kraus, among others, wrote or edited their texts, and later also Sigmund Freud and other creators of groundbreaking ideas. In the coffeehouses, one could not only enjoy a cup of coffee but also read the latest newspapers and magazines, which were available to guests. This turned them into informal "press offices" and places where public opinion was formed.
To this day, Viennese cafés—elegant, tranquil, with the obligatory glass of water served with a cup of coffee—remain a hallmark of the city and a part of its cultural heritage, even included on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The history of the siege and the subsequent development of cafés demonstrate how a lifestyle evolved from a wartime legend into a permanent part of European tradition.
From luxury to everyday life
In the 17th and 18th centuries, coffee was still a luxury item, available primarily to elites. However, over time, with the expansion of colonial trade and increased production in the colonies, it became increasingly accessible. Plantations were established not only in Asia but also in Latin America, where the climate proved exceptionally favorable. Brazil, Colombia, and other countries in the region emerged as coffee powerhouses in the 19th century, which significantly reduced the price of the beverage and allowed coffee to enter everyday consumption by a broad segment of society.
From that moment on, its history was no longer just a tale of an exotic commodity, but of a beverage that became a part of everyday global life. From a luxury for the few, coffee transformed into the universal fuel of industrial societies, a companion for work, study, and social gatherings. A cup of coffee was enjoyed by workers before their morning shifts, writers at their desks, politicians in cafés, and students studying at night. Coffee also gained a new economic dimension – its cultivation and trade became the foundation of the economies of many South American and African countries, and the plant itself gained the status of one of the world's most valuable crops. It's no wonder that since the 19th century, coffee has become one of the most frequently cited symbols of globalization, connecting tropical plantations, port warehouses, and European café tables into a single coherent narrative.
Coffee has traveled a long path—from the Ethiopian mountains, through Yemeni ports and Ottoman coffeehouses, to Italian salons and European capitals. This journey is fraught with prohibitions and prohibitions, attempts to monopolize trade, the grand interests of merchants and diplomats, and religious and cultural customs. Although initially an exotic and expensive beverage, it has gradually conquered every continent and become one of the world's most important trade products.
Global Coffee Empire
Today, a cup of coffee is a daily ritual for some, a small ceremony for others, and a passion leading to the discovery of new flavors and brewing methods for still others. Its extraordinary ability to connect people remains unchanged – friends, artists, and businessmen gather over coffee, and conversations over a cup of this aromatic beverage can change the course of events. Coffee inspires cuisine, art, and literature, and its presence in everyday life is so obvious that we often forget the long journey it has had to travel.
It not only conquered the world but also permanently changed the face of Europe, becoming a symbol of globalization, modernity, and the exchange of experiences between people from different corners of the globe. Thanks to it, the mornings of millions of people look similar, regardless of latitude. It combines the tastes of tradition and modernity, and its history is still being written, proving that a single beverage can unite different cultures and generations.
