New York – On September 29, we celebrate International Coffee Day as created by The International Coffee Organization in 2015. Coffee is known as a central nervous system stimulant. Its discovery was first attributed to Ethiopians in the year 850 AD. Since then, our intake of coffee has evolved tremendously. Year after year, new treasured treats are created to satisfy the taste buds of many coffee indulgers. Whether used in trade, medicine, as an aphrodisiac, or a simple treat, coffee has always held down its stomping grounds. No pun intended.
Believe it or not, when coffee beans were first discovered, its exceptional flavor was considered evil. However, this train of thought did not last long once our ancestors realized that the beautiful plant not only could produce ravishing aromas and flavors but also possessed traits such as energy-boosting benefits.
The coffee trade first arrived in Venice, Italy, in the early 1600s. Due to its popularity with the people, the local clergy believed it to be satanic. Pope Clement VIII succumbed to the temptation and enjoyed the drink so much that he declared that “coffee should be baptized to make it a true Christian drink.” As trade expanded, it arrived in England shortly after. At first, coffee was only available to the nobility and upper class of England. However, as its demand increased, the first coffee house in all of England opened near Oxford University, where eager students pushed the drink’s popularity.
As coffee’s popularity and demand increased throughout Europe, it began to be offered in more styles. By the 1700s, coffee had become a breakfast beverage as it paired better with eggs and toast than beer. As we know it, coffee made its way to the mainstream scene soon after being permanently conjoined to the breakfast menu. To the people of England, coffee was of significant importance in their daily lives, with reports that some women would even leave their husbands if not provided with good coffee. We wonder how that would stand in a divorce court today!