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What do goats have to do with coffee?

Legend has it that the unique properties of coffee were discovered thanks to... goats. An Ethiopian shepherd named Kaldi was said to have noticed an unusual stimulation in the goats of his herd, which prompted him to taste the fruit, eaten by the animals. This is how he discovered the unique stimulating properties of coffee beans. There is also another legendary story attributing the discovery of coffee's invigorating effects to Ethiopian monks, who used a decoction of its seeds to endure long hours of nightly prayers. As is often the case with legends, it is difficult to say how close they are to reality.

The conscious cultivation of coffee plants began in Yemen, where the process of roasting coffee beans was also used for the first time.

Ethiopia, Yemen and the Ottoman Empire

The fact is, however, that it is in Ethiopia that the origins of this noble beverage can be traced. It is likely that as early as the first millennium B.C., the people of this area consumed decoctions of the coffee fruit to mobilise their strength before tribal battles.

Today, some of the best coffee comes from Yemen, where coffee plants are grown in mountainous areas as high as 3,000 metres above sea level. The inventors of the drink we consume today were therefore the Arabs. It was the Arab culture that developed the methods of preparing and brewing coffee that we know today. It is probably also responsible for the name of the drink. The Arabic term kahva, meaning both coffee and wine, spread throughout the Middle East and Europe with a similar sound. The Arab conquests in the 15th century, covering the Middle East, saw the beverage gain further strongholds with the invaders. In the 17th century, the Ottoman Empire became the greatest coffee superpower - and it was thanks to the Turks that coffee reached the European continent.

A well-known legend has it that the Polish nation played a leading role in the spread of coffee in Europe. After Sobieski's victory at Vienna in 1683, the fleeing Turkish invaders were said to have abandoned large stocks of coffee, which Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki used to set up the first coffeehouse in Vienna, called Zur Blaue Flasche. Undoubtedly, Kulczycki's café was of great importance, but much earlier, on the British Isles and the European continent, so-called coffee houses had been established, mostly by people of Turkish origin, as only this nation knew the secrets of brewing this beverage. The British nation was at the forefront of the coffee brewing explosion - by 1671, there were already 3,000 coffee houses in England. In Poland, brewed coffee did not gain popularity until the turn of the 17th century.

Initially an elite drink, by the 18th century coffee had already become widespread among the general public. In Poland, it was promoted not only by celebrities but also by the daily press. As the custom of drinking coffee became more widespread, a whole culture associated with it was born. Faience and porcelain manufacturers began to produce coffee services, and different types of coffee became widely available - gourmets began to pay attention to the smallest nuances of taste. Milk, cream, sugar, eastern spices or spirits began to be added to coffee. Cafés became increasingly popular meeting places during the 18th and 19th centuries, although among the wealthy Polish landed gentry, drinking coffee at home played a huge role. For a time, there was even a special profession of 'café-maker', a qualified person employed to brew and serve coffee at lordly manors. This was not a simple task: the coffee, which was bought unprocessed, had to be roasted and ground before it could be brewed. Over time, the coffee market developed to the point where it was now possible to buy roasted coffee. Ground coffee cans, first produced in the United States in 1878, also appeared in shops. Various types of coffee brewing equipment, preparation and storage accessories came into use.

At the same time, porcelain was also conquering the European table. The love of porcelain led to the development of special coffee cups: porcelain cups hold the temperature of your favourite brew for a long time, while the narrow shape of the cup allows the contents to evaporate more slowly. Find out more about the history of porcelain in the Magazine: Porcelain. A secret closely guarded.

Arabica and Robusta

We must be aware that there are only two commercially cultivated coffee varieties: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is a legendary coffee that grows wild only in Ethiopia and was consciously cultivated in Yemen. Its plantations require special conditions - it grows best in mountainous areas (the higher, the better its flavour characteristics). It is a very delicate species, susceptible to climate change, disease and pests. Often, tall plants such as banana trees, palm trees and bamboo are additionally planted on Arabica plantations - they protect the delicate coffee plants from too much sun.

Arabica contains relatively little caffeine (1 - 1.7%).

Its cultivation has spread mainly throughout Africa and South America, accounting for 70% of coffee plantations. Arabica beans are characterised by a harmonious, refined flavour and a strong aroma, often with spicy or chocolate notes. The flavour characteristics of Arabica depend on many factors: the type of coffee (there are hundreds, the most popular being Arabica Typica and Arabica Bourbon), the altitude of the plantation, climatic conditions, as well as the roasting method and length.

The second type of coffee is Robusta. This is a species, only discovered in the 19th century, that does not require as much care as Arabica. Robusta grows faster, is resistant to disease and tolerates climate change well. It can be grown in the lower parts of the mountains and even in the lowlands. The largest Robusta plantations are in Vietnam, Uganda and Cameroon.

The caffeine content of Robusta beans is 2 - 4.5%.

Unfortunately, Robusta beans are characterised by much poorer taste qualities - they are bitter and pungent. As a less noble species, Robusta is therefore three times cheaper than Arabica. Prepared ground coffees available in our shops are mostly blends of both types - Robusta is often added to increase the caffeine content of the drink.