Coffee: A History, or a Mystery?
Coffee: a magical substance that keeps you sane; a liquid that smells like freshly ground heaven; survival juice! Coffee has (thankfully) reached every corner of the world and is enjoyed by so many people. We all have blatant appreciation for coffee, but did you ever stop to wonder where the magical little beans that wake you up every single day came from? Coffee has been around for ages- but where did it actually come from?
Well, nobody REALLY knows exactly how or when coffee was discovered (sorry to disappoint you history-buffs!) But there are many legends about coffee’s origin! We are going to tell you about two of them! So, go brew a cup of Velo coffee, and get ready for story time!
Once upon a time in the ancient coffee forests of Ethiopia, there was a goat herder named Kaldi. Kaldi had discovered his goats eating unfamiliar berries from a tree. After the goats ate the berries, they became so energetic and did not want to sleep at night. Some say the goats were so energetic they even began dancing- imagine that!
Kaldi took his goats and reported this information to the superior of the local monastery. The abbot made a drink using the berries found by Kaldi’s goats. The abbot found that the drink kept him awake and alert through the long hours of evening prayer! The abbot shared this with others at the monastery and word of the “energising berries” began to spread like wildfire!
The second legend comes from Yemen through Omar the healer. Omar was banished from his homeland of Mocha for reasons that are unknown. Omar was struggling to survive when he stumbled upon strange red berries. Omar was desperate but thought the berries were extremely bitter. He roasted the berries and then drank the water in which he cooked them.
When people from his town of Mocha heard that he survived his banishment due to creating and consuming a ‘magical potion’, he was immediately invited back! Local patients in the town consumed this new concoction, which alleviated many of their ailments. Omar was deemed a local hero!
The End…!
And so, that’s how the story goes! Regardless of how our beloved coffee beverage came about, we are so thankful it was discovered; and at least there are some legends to keep things interesting!