Coffee: A 1,200-year journey from Ethiopian mountains to your cup

In the Ethiopian highlands, where fog kisses the tops of volcanoes, a tree grows that has changed the social rituals of humanity. Over 12 centuries, coffee beans have gone from shamanic practices to space stations, becoming the second largest commodity trade after oil.

The Birth of Legend: Goats, Monks and the Forbidden Fruits
According to ancient chronicles, in the ninth century, the Ethiopian shepherd Kaldi noticed the unusual activity of goats eating red berries from the bush. Having tasted the fruits, he felt the “divine energy” and brought them to the monks who created the first energy drink for night prayers.



The Arabian Breakthrough: From Medicine to Geopolitics
By the fifteenth century, Yemeni Sufis had turned coffee into a ritual drink, and enterprising merchants had established the first monopoly: The removal of unroasted grains was punishable by death.. The city of Moha became a "coffee mecca", and the Arabic kahwa (from the word "driving sleep") conquered the Ottoman Empire.


Coffee wars: how the drink reshaped Europe

• 1554 Istanbul's first coffee shop becomes center of political intrigue
• 1645 Venetian merchants open Caffè Florian, where Goldoni wrote comedies
• 1672 Parisian intellectuals at Procope Cafe discuss revolution

“Coffees are people’s parliaments where ideas of freedom are born.”
Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, French diplomat

Genetics of taste: why Arabica and Robusta are always competing
Delicate citrus notes Earth bitterness 0.8-1.4% caffeine1.7-4% caffeine


Coffee as a Cultural Code: From Turkish Jezva to Scandinavian Fiki

• Morocco: Coffee with sesame and black pepper – a symbol of hospitality
• Vietnam: Egg coffee – a legacy of the French colonial era
• Finland: 12 kg of coffee per person per year – national pride

Glossary
Jezva Copper vessel for making Turkish coffee
Fica. Swedish tradition of coffee breaks with pastries
Kold brue Cold brewing method (24+ hours)
Q grader Expert in Grain Quality Assessment
terroire The influence of soil and climate on taste



Epilogue: The Drink That Connected Continents
From Ethiopian coal-roasting ceremonies to Japanese coffee quests, coffee remains a mirror of human civilization. As Balzac wrote, drinking 50 cups a day, “Coffee is the ally of the imagination, the last bastion of freedom of thought.”