Coffee: A Beverage Appreciated by Those in Times Past up through the Present

A Brief Introduction to the Coffee Bean

Coffee beans come from coffee berries, which grow on an evergreen tree belonging to the genus Coffea. The two most commonly known species are Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora also called Robusta. However it is the Arabica species which you will typically find in stores. Coffee plants are cultivated mostly in tropical as well as in sub-tropical regions such as Latin America, Hawaii, Africa and Southeast Asia. Yearly, countries of these regions export large quantities of coffee beans all across the globe and have become quite famous for the quality of their coffee. Coffee is the second most traded commodity worldwide.

Where Did Coffee Originate?

As one of the most famous and worldwide recognized beverages, coffee had its first historical appearance noted as far back as the 9th century. The cultivation of coffee beans started in Ethiopia and then moved to Arabia. It is Ethiopia which gives us the Yirgacheffe, Harrar, and Sidamo coffee bean varieties. Arabs, the great world traders, soon saw coffee as an opportunity for the expansion of their trading business. Before long, Yemen became the world’s greatest coffee bean trade center of the time.

Coffee as a beverage became so popular that it soon began dominating European and Indian markets. The American market was no exception and around 1720, the first coffee seeds were brought by Gabriel de Clieu to Martinique, an island located in the Caribbean Sea. Fifty years later the coffee cultivation managed to spread to other regions such as the Caribbean islands, Mexico and Haiti. Coffee also managed to find a way to the Isle of Bourbon. The coffee trees cultivated in Bourbon were giving smaller beans and therefore a different variety of Arabica. Famous Brazilian Santos coffee and Mexico’s Oaxaca coffee are the offspring of this particular coffee tree. In 1727, after the Emperor’s many attempts to acquire their own coffee seeds, coffee was finally introduced to the Brazilian market by Francisco de Mello Palheta. The coffee industry of Brazil started growing and today Brazil is considered to be one of the most famous producers of Arabica coffee.

In 1893, coffee came back to Africa and was introduced to Tanzania and Kenya which are found near Ethiopia, the original cradle of coffee. It is from these regions we gain the Kenyan and Tanzanian Peaberry varieties. This was the end of a six century long journey that coffee accomplished.

Regional Differences in Coffee Preparation

There are many famous beverages that became popular through the centuries but we can surely say that coffee is considered a Goddess among them all. From the famous Turkish saying “Coffee needs to be black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love”, to Starbucks’ “DoubleShot Bring on the day”, different ways of brewing, preparing and serving coffee were born.

French Press: The French brew their coffee using a French press. In this process ground coffee is added to a manual plunger inside the press. Boiling water is then poured into the press where it sits for a few moments. Then the user gently pushes the plunger through the water to the bottom of the press resulting in a nice rich coffee. The use of French presses is currently gaining in popularity throughout Northern America.

Espresso Makers: In Italy espresso is often the coffee bean of choice. Most Italians own and operate convenient stove top espresso makers. These small appliances make espresso by bringing a lower chamber filled with water to a boil. This pushes steam up through a basket in the middle chamber which houses the ground espresso beans. The grinds must be very fine. This particular type of grind is called an espresso grind. The strong espresso now rests in the upper chamber where it is ready to be poured into espresso cups.
Coffee Pots: In Northern America it is more common to find coffee pots which operate on a drip method where water passes down through a basket of ground coffee and into a chamber or pot which sits on a heating element. These come in a vast number of varieties and sizes.

Cezve: Middle East, traditional coffee, popularly called “Turkish coffee” is prepared in a small brass pot known as a Cezve and is served in small cups. This kind of coffee is quite strong and preferably made sweet. It is consumed slowly and it will leave a lot of coffee grounds on the bottom of your cup. This method of preparing coffee is also popular in the Balkan countries.

It can be said that no matter how a person prefers to consume their coffee, it remains a beverage rightly cherished through the ages up through today.

About the Author: A coffee drinker from her early teens, Elizabeth Krause grew up in an Italian home where coffee was the treasured drink of the house. Today she manages her own cooking website which displays her family Italian cooking recipes. She enjoys preparing Italian meals and serving pasta in large pasta bowls with a nice salad and fresh bread on the side. Of course she always enjoys finishing off the meal with a nice Italian latte.