Coffee’s journey spans both continents and centuries, and has sparked debates, inspired luxurious and unusual brews, and fuelled social movements. Best of all, coffee isn’t just a pick-me-up – it could also be one of the healthiest drinks around!
CAFFEINATED KIDDING
One of the most charming (and persistent) origin stories begins with a ninth-century Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi, who noticed his goats behaving oddly after munching on some bright red berries. Intrigued, Kaldi tried them himself and was soon brimming with energy. He shared the discovery with local monks, who initially rejected the berries and threw them into the fire — only to be beguiled by the smell. The roasted beans were raked from the embers, ground, and brewed into a drink that helped them stay alert during long hours of prayer.
While this tale likely leans more towards myth than fact, coffee’s true origins do lie in Ethiopia, particularly among the Oromo people.
But Ethiopia isn’t the only country with a claim to coffee’s early history. Another story centres on a Yemeni Sufi mystic who noticed similarly perky birds feeding on coffee berries while travelling through Ethiopia. It was, in fact, Yemeni traders who first began cultivating coffee and exporting it, establishing a global trade that would change the world.
The Arabic word qahwah – originally used to describe wine – was the first known name for coffee. As the drink spread, so did the word: from Turkish kahve to Dutch koffie, eventually becoming the English ‘coffee’. Today, it’s the Dutch who drink more coffee per capita than anyone else.
COFFEE GOES GLOBAL
From its roots in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, coffee rapidly expanded through the Islamic world. By the 15th and 16th centuries, it was thriving in Persia, Syria, and the Ottoman Empire. Even Pope Clement VIII eventually gave it a go — despite early warnings that it might be satanic!
Thanks to Venetian merchants, coffee spread throughout Europe. Italy’s first cafe opened in 1645, closely followed by England’s in 1651 — a modest establishment in Oxford that sparked a nationwide trend. Coffeehouses became gathering places for scholars, writers, and traders, fuelling conversation and debate.
Although coffee was introduced to the Americas in the early 1600s, it didn’t really take off until after the Boston Tea Party in 1773. With tea now seen as a symbol of British oppression, coffee emerged as a patriotic alternative. Brazil eventually became the world’s top coffee producer – a position it still holds today.
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
Not everyone welcomed the rise of coffee. Its stimulating effects, combined with the lively conversations it inspired, made authorities uneasy in many parts of the world. In 1511, the governor of Mecca banned coffee, fearing it might encourage dissent among the city’s intellectuals and religious scholars. The ban didn’t last, but the concern was echoed elsewhere.
In 1633, Ottoman sultan Murad IV outlawed public coffee consumption in Istanbul enforcing the ban with brutal punishments. In England, too, coffeehouses were eyed suspiciously by the crown. Yet, the drink persisted and coffeehouses remained hotbeds of rebellious thinking around the world.
In 1511, the governor of Mecca banned coffee, fearing it might encourage dissent among the city’s intellectuals and religious scholars.
KIWI COFFEE
Until the mid-20th century, New Zealand was very much a tea-drinking nation. Freshly brewed coffee was largely confined to European migrants, while instant coffee made modest inroads – with local inventor David Strang of Invercargill patenting a “soluble coffee powder” in 1889.
Everything began to shift during the second world war with the arrival of American servicemen and European refugees who introduced Kiwis to new coffee habits and cafe culture. By the 1950s, as post-war optimism spread and youth culture flourished, coffee began gaining serious ground. Espresso machines arrived, and cafes started to spring up in major centres.
In Wellington, Alfred Fagg cleverly scattered coffee beans along the footpath to lure customers into his store. In Christchurch, Trevor Smith’s family firm, Browne and Heaton, helped bring fresh-roasted coffee to the South Island. Much of New Zealand’s early coffee scene took inspiration from Australia’s thriving Greek and Italian cafés, where espresso was already a staple.
By the 1980s and 90s, coffee had become central to New Zealand’s urban identity. The legendary Robert Harris, who began roasting beans in Hamilton in 1952, was a key figure in this transformation, offering barista training and helping to professionalise the industry. He eventually sold his business to Cerebos Greggs in 1990, but not before laying the groundwork for the thriving cafe culture we know today.
FULL OF BEANS
Despite the name, a coffee bean isn’t actually a bean but the seed found inside the coffee cherry. One of the world’s most unique and expensive coffees is Kopi Luwak, from Indonesia, made using ‘beans’ that have passed through the digestive system of a palm civet (a small, weasel-like mammal). The fermentation that occurs in the civet’s gut gives the coffee a smooth, distinctive flavour. Coffee is also rich in antioxidants and may reduce risks of type 2 diabetes, liver disease, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s when enjoyed in moderation (3-4 cups a day, preferably without cream and sugar!).
LIP SERVICE
The mispronunciation – or not?! – of espresso as expresso continues. Though ‘espresso’ is the correct term, it is derived from the Italian word for ‘expressed’ which refers to how the drink is made using high-pressure hot water forced through finely-ground coffee.
