History of Mr. Coffee

Imagine our life without coffee. The aroma of the brewing coffee in the cold morning breeze and the warm taste of the russet drink as it touch your lips. No wonder coffee is the most popular drink in the world. Coffee lovers should thank Mr. Kaldi. Mr. Kaldi, according to legend, at around 850 AD in Ethiopia, a goat herder named Kaldi noticed that his goats got energetic after eating the red berries of a dark-leaved shrub. He tried the berries himself and he got the same experience. He shared his discovery with the local monks and from then on, coffee became popular not as a beverage but as a medicine.

In reality, coffee was indeed discovered in Ethiopia in Africa. The Arab traders in 1100 AD brought coffee from Ethiopia and cultivated the plant in their homeland Yemen and the medicinal properties of coffee became popular to the entire Muslim world. In fact, the warriors of the Ottoman Empire drank coffee before engaging in their battles. After it became popular in the Middle East, coffee mania spread to Europe via Constantinople. However, coffee was a forbidden plant during that period; it’s like marijuana in layman’s term. Because of the addictive effect of coffee, it did not stop the Dutch traders from smuggling the plant from Yemen. The harsh weather in Europe could not support the plant. This was the reason why coffee was planted in Java, Indonesia, a colony of the Dutch during those days. Indonesia was the main supplier of the plant and this is also the main reason why coffee spread to some parts of Asia.

As of this moment, Brazil is the world’s major producer of coffee. If you are wondering how coffee came to Brazil, well it was Brazilian Francisco Mello Palheta who brought coffee to their country. He was asked by their Emperor to solicit the permission of French Guina to acquire the seed. But they do not want to share it with the Brazilians. So, Palheta used his charm to captivate the wife of the French Governor. It was the French Governor’s wife who gave Palheta the coffee seedlings hidden in a bouquet of flowers that was a farewell gift when he was about to leave the country. The Brazilians successfully cultivated the plant because of their favorable weather and from then on, the country became the biggest producer of coffee. In 1930’s, Brazil experienced surplus problems that’s why they sought the help of Nestle. The team headed by Dr. Max Morganthaler developed the first-ever instant coffee and the product was named Nescafe. Until today, Nescafe is still the leading brand of choice when it comes to instant coffee.

So that’s the story of our dearest companion. Coffee anyone?