Ethiopian Coffee History

Legend has it that a herder from the Highlands of Ethiopia first discovered coffee beans. After witnessing his goats eating what looked like red berries from a cluster of shrubs, he realized that the livestock had a surge of energy. The herder, Kaldi, tasted the berries himself and was in turn as euphoric as his livestock.

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Versions of the tale claim that Kaldi cut off branches with the berries and took them to a local monastery. Kaldi explained that his goats were up all night after eating the berries and his wife believed they were heaven sent. One of the monks declared the coffee beans as "the Devils work" and threw the branches into a fire, not long after an exhilarating aroma filled the space. The monks are said to have removed the beans from the fire, crushing them in the process of extinguishing the flames. They put the crushed beans  in a jug with hot water to preserve them.  The exotic smell soon attracted others to the monastery. 

The monks began chewing the beans and drinking the brewed coffee before long prayer sessions.  This custom grew and spread throughout the Ethiopian country.

 

Coffee was originally found in the Kafa region of Ethiopia and it is believed that the term is a derivative of the name of the place of origin. Coffee was later taken  to Arab countries from Ethiopia, where the term 'Arabica' stems from.