coffee plant

Coffee is a widely consumed stimulant beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. Coffee was first consumed in the 9th century, when it was discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia. From there, it spread to Egypt and Yemen, and by the 15th century had reached Armenia, Persia, Turkey, and northern Africa. From the Muslim world, coffee spread to Italy, then to the rest of Europe and the Americas. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide

coffeehouse were hotbeds of political activities in the 18th and 19th century

Coffee berries, which contain the coffee bean, are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown species are Coffea canephora (also known as Coffea robusta) and Coffea arabica. These are cultivated in Latin America, southeast Asia, and Africa. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted, undergoing several physical and chemical changes. They are roasted to various degrees, depending on the desired flavor. They are then ground and brewed to create coffee. Coffee can be prepared and presented by a variety of methods.

The English word coffee first came to be used in the early- to mid-1600s, but early forms of the word date to the last decade of the 1500s. It comes from the Italian caffè. The term was introduced to Europe via the Ottoman Turkish kahveh which is in turn derived from the Arabic: , qahweh. The origin of the Arabic term is uncertain; it is either derived from the name of the Kaffa region in western Ethiopia, where coffee was cultivated, or by a truncation of qahwat al-bunn, meaning "wine of the bean" in Arabic. In Eritrea, "bunn" (also meaning "wine of the bean" in Tigrinya) is used. The Amharic and Afan Oromo name for coffee is bunna.

Coffee use can be traced at least to as early as the 9th century, when it appeared in the highlands of Ethiopia.According to legend, Ethiopian shepherds were the first to observe the influence of the caffeine in coffee beans when the goats appeared to "dance" and to have an increased level of energy after consuming wild coffee berries. The legend names the shepherd "Kaldi." From Ethiopia, coffee spread to Egypt and Yemen., It was in Arabia that coffee beans were first roasted and brewed similarly as they are today. By the 15th century, it had reached the rest of the Middle East, Persia, Turkey, and northern Africa.

Coffee from the species Coffea arabica are richer in flavor than their Coffea robusta counterparts. C. arabica has many different varietals, each with unique characteristics. Some well-known arabica coffees include:

* Colombian — Coffee was first introduced to the country of Colombia in the early 1800s. Today Maragogype, Caturra, Typica and Bourbon cultivars are grown. When Colombian coffee is freshly roasted it has a bright acidity, is heavy in body and is intensely aromatic. Colombia accounts for about 12% of the coffee market (by value) in the world, second only to Brazil.
* Colombian Milds — Includes coffees from Colombia, Kenya, and Tanzania, all of which are washed arabicas.
Unroasted coffee beans of the Coffea arabica variety, from Brazil
Unroasted coffee beans of the Coffea arabica variety, from Brazil
* Costa Rican Tarrazu — from the San Marcos de Tarrazu valley in the highlands outside of San José.
* Ethiopian Harrar — from the region of Harar, Ethiopia. Known for its complex, fruity flavor that resembles a dry red wine.
* Ethiopian Sidamo from the Sidamo (now Oromia) region of Ethiopia as well. All three are trademarked names with the rights owned by Ethiopia.
* Ethiopian Yirgacheffe — from the area of the town of Yirgacheffe in the Gedeo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region of Ethiopia. All three Ethiopian varieties are trademarked names with the rights owned by Ethiopia. [2]
* Guatemala Huehuetenango — Grown at over 5000 feet in the northern region, one of the most remote growing regions in Guatemala
* Hawaiian Kona — grown on the slopes of Hualalai in the Kona District on the Big Island of Hawaii. Coffee was first introduced to the Islands by Chief Boki, the Governor of Oahu, in 1825.
* Jamaican Blue Mountain — From the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica. Due to its popularity, it fetches a high price in the market.
* Java — from the island of Java, in Indonesia. This coffee was once so widely traded that "java" became a slang term for coffee.
* Kenyan — Known among coffee enthusiasts to have a bright, "acidic" flavor.
* Mexico - Produces hard bean coffee.
* Mocha — Yemeni coffee traded through the once major port of Mocha. Not to be confused with the preparation style (coffee with cocoa).
* Santos - from Brazil's famous coffee pass through, is a low acidic light bodied brew. [1]
* Sumatra Mandheling and Sumatra Lintong — Mandheling is named after the similarly spelt Mandailing people located in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The name is the result of a misunderstanding by the first foreign purchaser of the variety, and no coffee is actually produced in the "Mandailing region". Lintong on the other hand, is named after the Lintong district, also located in North Sumatra.
* Sulawesi Toraja Kalossi — Grown at high altitudes on the island of Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) in the middle of the Malay archipelago in Indonesia. Kalossi is the small town in central Sulawesi which serves as the collection point for the coffee and Toraja is the mountainous area in which the coffee is grown. Celebes exhibits a rich, full body, well-balanced acidity (slightly more than Sumatra) and is multi-dimensional in character. It has dark chocolate and ripe fruit undertones. It is an excellent coffee for darker roasting. Because of its semi-dry processing, it may roast a bit unevenly.
* Tanzania Peaberry — grown on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. "Peaberry" means that the beans come one to a cherry (coffee fruit) instead of the usual two. Peaberries are naturally occurring and account for approximately 10% of any crop.
* Uganda- Although it mostly produces Robusta coffee, there is a quality Arabica bean grown there known as Bugishu.

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