History of coffee

The history of coffee spans many centuries. Wild coffee plants originated in Ethiopia, while the beverage itself has its roots in Yemen, where it was harvested, roasted and brewed; Sufi Muslims in the 15th century used it to aid concentration during night prayers.

From Yemen coffee spread to Mecca and the wider Arabian Peninsula, and by the early 16th century it had reached Cairo, Damascus, and Istanbul. Debates over its permissibility arose in Muslim society, but it soon became a central part of urban life.

Through Mediterranean trade routes, coffee entered Europe in the mid-16th century, first in Italy and later in other regions. Coffee houses were established in Western Europe by the late 17th century, especially in Holland, England, and Germany. One of the earliest cultivations of coffee in the New World was when Gabriel de Clieu brought coffee seedlings to Martinique in 1720. These beans later sprouted 18,680 coffee trees which enabled its spread to other Caribbean islands such as Saint-Domingue and also to Mexico. By 1788, Saint-Domingue supplied half the world's coffee.

For nearly two centuries up to the end of the 17th century, Yemen was the world’s sole gateway for coffee. But as demand grew, cultivation spread to other parts of the world.

By 1852, Brazil became the world's largest producer of coffee and has held that status ever since. Since 1950, several other major producers emerged, notably Colombia, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, and Vietnam; the latter overtook Colombia and became the second-largest producer in 1999.

Today, coffee is one of the world's most popular beverages, with a significant cultural and economic impact globally.