History

According to legend an Arabian goatherder named Kaldi found his goats dancing joyously around a dark green leafed shrub with bright red cherries in the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Kaldi soon determined that it was the bright red cherries on the shrub that were causing the peculiar euphoria in the goats. After trying the cherries himself, he learned of their powerful effect. The stimulating effect was then employed by monks at a local monastery to stay awake during extended hours of prayer. Coffee was born.

Despite the appeal of such a legend, recent studies indicate that Coffee arabica originated on the plateaus of central Ethiopia, and somehow was brought to Yemen where it was cultivated during the 6th century. Since its introduction in the first coffee houses in Cairo and Mecca, coffee has become a worldwide passion rather than just a stimulating beverage.