HISTORY
Historians agree that coffee originated in Capa, Ethiopia. A goatherd named KALDI noticed that his herd became much more energetic whenever the animals ate from some attractive red berries that looked like cherries growing on a bush in the pasture. He carefully observes the behaviour of his flock day after day, and gradually becomes convinced that it is these little red fruits that give his usually meek and quiet animals an unaccustomed energy and alertness.
Thousands of years ago, Arab traders imported the fruit of this shrub across the Gulf of Aden into Yemen. It was there that coffee beans were first cultivated and roasted. Yemenis grind the grains using a mortar and pestle, then boil it in water.
Much of the coffee from this region is transported through the port of Yemen called MOCHA, which over time has become synonymous with coffee. The value of coffee is so great to Yemenis that it has been forbidden to export coffee plants or beans. Violation of this rule led to amputation of the hands and even death.
Gradually coffee became very highly valued in the Arabian Peninsula. In Turkey, a “Turkish” fashion of grinding and roasting coffee beans has been developed. This method is still used in the Mediterranean and Eastern Mediterranean countries, and its uniqueness lies in its ease of preparation. During this period, long before the 13th century, coffeehouses became an integral part of life in the Middle East. The institution of these outlets is rapidly spreading across the world of coffee drinkers. People’s fascination and affection for cafes comes from the fact that there, with the help of the hot drink, they spend countless pleasant moments with friends and strangers in sweet conversations, sipping a cup of fragrant coffee.
In the late 16th century, Venetian merchants began importing coffee into Europe via Constantinople.
In 1616, the Dutch East India Company bypassed the Ottomans and imported coffee directly from Moka. However, coffee’s first real success was during the defeat of Turkish forces in Vienna in 1683. Then the Austrians discovered a huge quantity of coffee, which was abandoned by the enemy. They used this “discovery” and began their own education about coffee and even set up their first cafes where coffee and Kipfel (crescent shaped cookies symbolizing their victory over the Turks) were served.
However, coffee cultivation remains the exclusive property of Yemen. This monopoly brings great profits to the kingdom, but it also becomes a great inconvenience for European coffee consumers, whose numbers are constantly growing. Finally they decided to circumvent this monopoly by smuggling coffee beans from Africa. As a result, the following events occur:
1. Growth of coffee in the Netherlands: In 1616, the Dutch managed to smuggle a coffee plant out of Yemen, and in 1658 they began to discover coffee in their colonies, Ceylon and Java.
2. Expansion of coffee in France. In 1717, Louis XIV received a coffee plant as a gift from the Dutch people. In the 1720s, the French began growing coffee in Martinique, in the Caribbean. These coffee plants develop into coffee bushes that grow in other colonies of the New World.
3. Brazil: The coffee industry in Brazil started thanks to Francisco De Malo Plata, who was an arbitrator in a dispute between France and the Netherlands over coffee. As compensation for his efforts, he receives a bag of coffee beans and several coffee plants. Thus, thanks to this dispute, Brazil discovered and launched this extremely important industry for the country, which is huge in its scale.
MAIN TYPES OF COFFEE
Although many types of coffee grow wild, only two are commercialized: Arabica Coffee and Canephora Coffee, known as Robusta. The Arabica type is more subtle and has a more pronounced taste. Arabica coffee usually has a balanced aroma and its taste is a combination of acidity and sweetness. It is also known to be more expensive due to its higher production costs.
Robusta coffee varieties, which account for around 30% of the coffee produced in the world, grow in swamps and tropical forests, at altitudes between sea level and 700 metres above sea level. This type of coffee was discovered in the late 19th century in the Congo, and is now mainly produced in West Africa and Indonesia. Robusta coffee varieties contain twice as much caffeine compared to Arabica. They are more resistant to disease and are recognized as having a stronger flavor and a denser body.
COMPARISON BETWEEN ARABICA AND ROBUSTA COFFEE VARIETIES
Robusta coffee usually costs about half the price of Arabica coffee varieties, both in Bulgaria and on the world market. For many reasons (mainly the higher cost of production) Arabica coffee varieties are significantly more expensive. The price is formed and directly depends on the complexity and cost of growing, caring for and processing each variety, as well as the quality and size of the harvest in any given year. Over the past year, the price of Robusta coffee has increased significantly and has approached the record price of Arabica coffee.
Arabica coffee varieties need more specific care – they grow mainly only in the mountains, are more difficult to grow, more complicated to transport, and require additional processing, but they have a much brighter taste and aroma. If the weather conditions are bad during the year, the Arabica coffee trees can get sick more easily, and this affects the harvest and the price of coffee rises accordingly.
Robusta coffee varieties are usually cheaper. They ripen 2 months later than Arabica coffee varieties, are not as unpretentious and difficult to grow, and yield significantly higher. The taste of Robusta coffee is stronger, tart, with more density and without as rich nuances as Arabica coffees.
Download a comparison table of the varieties here: ARABICA AND ROBUST COMPARISON
NOTE: The amount of caffeine in coffee is an important factor as it is a key component that influences a person’s coffee consumption. The maximum amount of caffeine the body can take in is 400 mg. The body absorbs 40 mg. coffee for an hour. Thus, in a normal 15-hour workday, a person is able to drink 11 to 12 cups of arabica coffee or 5 to 6 cups of robusta. For comparison in 150 ml. cup of tea or in 330 ml. a can of Coca-Cola has 40 mg. caffeine.
The impact of caffeine in coffee can be seen when comparing coffee consumption in countries such as Scandinavia, where people mainly drink arabica and annual consumption reaches about 13 kg per person. In countries like Portugal, where people drink mostly Robusta, annual consumption reaches only 1.5 kg per person.
The following table shows the annual coffee consumption per person in the world:
AVERAGE ANNUAL CONSUMPTION IN KG. PER PERSON FOR SOME COUNTRIES:
- Finland 12.0
- Norway 9.9
- Iceland 9,0
- Denmark 8.7
- Netherlands 8,4
- Sweden 8.2
- Switzerland 7.9
- Belgium 6,8
- Luxembourg 6.5
- Canada 6.5
- Bosnia 6.2
- Austria 6.1
- Italy 5.9
- Brazil 5.8
- Slovenia 5.8
- Germany 5.5
- Greece 5,4
- France 5.4
- Croatia 5,1
- Cyprus 4,9
- Lebanon 4.8
- Bulgaria 4,7
THE WORD “COFFEE” ORIGINATED FROM THE ARABIC WORD “KAHWA”, MEANING “VEGETABLE DRINK”.