The Origin of Coffee

There is no way to examine the source of coffee. One of the many legends is that coffee originated in the highlands of Cafa province in southwestern Ethiopia. It is said that a shepherd became very excited and lively when he discovered that the sheep had eaten a plant, so he discovered coffee. It is also said that due to a wildfire, a coffee forest was destroyed and the smell of barbecue coffee attracted the attention of the surrounding residents. The people chewed the fruit of this plant at first to cheer them up, then baked and ground it into flour to make bread, which was used as food for warriors to improve their courage to fight.

It was not until around 1000 AD that people began to use boiled coffee as a drink. In the 13th century, Ethiopian troops invaded Yemen and brought coffee to the Arab world. Because the Islamic doctrine forbids people to drink alcohol, some religious people think that this drink stimulates the nerves and violates the doctrine. For a time, coffee shops were banned and closed, but the Sultan of Egypt thought that coffee did not violate the doctrine and ordered the ban to be lifted. Coffee drinks quickly became popular in the Arab region. The word Coffee, which comes from Arabic (Qahwa), means "plant drink". It later spread to Turkey, became Kahve, and became the source of the word in European languages. The method of growing and making coffee has also been continuously improved and perfected by the Arabs.