The Berry that changed the world…

Where did coffee come from and who were the first people to discover it?

There are various myths, but one story dating back to the 10th century is widely accepted as the truth. It tells of a young goat herder named Kaldi. Kaldi lived in Yemen and like most other boys in the region he spent most of his teenage years looking after his family’s goats.

One day he was amazed to find his goats dancing about in a state of great excitement. Remembering that they had been grazing on some red berries growing nearby, he ate some himself and immediately felt energetic.

He rushed off to the leaders in the community to tell them about his discovery. They gathered the berries, made them into an infusion with animal fat and ate it. To their great delight it kept them wide awake during their nightly prayers. The stimulating effect of the caffeine contained in the berry was, up until then, unknown to them.Now, more than a thousand years later, these red berries are still enjoyed, but in a different way. The ripe berries are picked from the coffee plant and the beans inside are dried, roasted and ground.

Then, with water, a beverage called “coffee” is prepared. These days, more than 1.4 billion cups of coffee are consumed around the world every day. After petroleum, coffee is the most traded commodity on earth.

So, every time you enjoy a fine cup of coffee, think of Kaldi, his goats, and the berry that changed the world…