When coffee was discovered. Journey back in time with Chickadee.

The mystery behind coffee’s discovery is one that has bewildered historians since its inception. Today, we will journey through time and peel back the layers of this miraculous elixir. We’ll follow its path from ancient Ethiopia to modern day cafés.

The hypnotizing aroma of coffee has always been a creature of habit for humans, but it all began in an unlikely place – The Ethiopian Plateau. As legend tells it, coffee was born after being discovered among the hills and valleys draped in fog.

Mythical Origins:

According to Ethiopian folklore, a young goatherd named Kaldi stumbled upon something fascinating one day while he was tending to his flock. His goats had somehow managed to consume the vibrant red berries of a shrub nearby and were now sprinting around with endless energy. Intrigued by what he witnessed, Kaldi decided to taste the berries for himself and voila! That’s when magic happened – it was then that he unlocked coffee’s invigorating properties.

Historical Accounts:

As entertaining as Kaldi’s story is, recorded history takes things down a notch and offers a more believable explanation on where coffee came from. The earliest proof we have of coffee cultivation dates all the way back to the 9th century in an area called The Kingdom of Kaffa – which just so happens to be located in present-day Ethiopia. By this point, indigenous people had already been growing and drinking the stuff for quite some time; utilizing beans for their stimulating kick.

The Spread of Coffee:

Once word got out about how well it worked as fuel for long days, it didn’t take long before everyone started brewing their own batches. Soon enough, by the 15th century actually, coffee crops began sprouting up across the Arabian Peninsula where it quickly became a staple drink among locals.

By that point, coffee had already been imported to the bustling port city of Mocha (now Yemen) where it was sold left and right. Being a center of trade for this prized commodity catapulted the city’s economy tenfold.

The Rise of Coffeehouses:

Wherever there was coffee, there were people who wanted some – that much became clear when coffeehouses began appearing throughout the Middle East in the 16th century. Known as qahve khaneh in Arabic, these easygoing hangouts soon became hotspots for intellectual discussions, debates, and business meetings.

Coffee’s discovery has always been an intriguing part of our history – mostly because no one really knows how we stumbled upon it in the first place. But hey! What matters now is that we have it and can enjoy its comforting qualities day after day. So next time you take a sip from your cup remember to pause for a second and appreciate all that went into bringing it to your lips. Chickadee Coffee offers wholesale coffee to retail stores and restaurants as well as coffee subscriptions to the everyday coffee drinker.