History of Coffee - Documentary
Summary
TLDRThis video from 'Fire of Learning' explores the intriguing history of coffee, from its origins in Ethiopia to becoming a global phenomenon. It delves into the first recorded consumption in the Islamic world, the spread through Europe, and the establishment of coffee houses as hubs for intellectual and political discourse. The script also touches on the religious and health debates surrounding coffee, its role in shaping cultural habits, and how Brazil became the leading coffee producer. The video concludes with modern perspectives on coffee's health effects and its enduring popularity.
Takeaways
- ☕ Coffee is a major global industry with over 125 million people employed in some form and is responsible for the production of 400 billion cups of coffee consumed worldwide each year.
- 🌱 The origins of coffee are traced back to the Kefaya plant in Ethiopia, with legends attributing its discovery to an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi between the 6th and 9th centuries.
- 🌍 Coffee's journey from Ethiopia to the Islamic world suggests that the Arabs were among the first to chew the beans and make drinks from them, with the modern form of coffee likely emerging between the 10th and 15th centuries.
- 📜 The earliest certain historical evidence of coffee consumption comes from the mid-15th century in Yemen, where Sufism monks are known to have used it for religious practices and medicinal benefits.
- 🏺 Initially, coffee had a significant religious and medicinal role in Muslim society, but it also faced controversy and was sometimes banned due to its association with intoxicants and unrest.
- 🚢 Coffee spread to Europe through the Ottoman Empire and trade routes, with the Dutch being the first to successfully cultivate it outside of its native region in the early 17th century.
- 🌳 The Dutch East India Company played a crucial role in expanding coffee production in tropical colonies, which led to Europe's growing coffee addiction in the 16th and 17th centuries.
- 🏛 The first coffeehouses in Europe opened in Venice in 1645, becoming centers of intellectual culture and sometimes political dissent, much like their Middle Eastern counterparts.
- 🤔 There has been a long-standing debate about the health effects of coffee, with modern science suggesting that it may offer more benefits than drawbacks when consumed in moderation.
- 🌎 Today, Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world, and coffee has become a staple beverage for people across various professions and cultures.
- 📊 Finland leads the world in coffee consumption per capita, and New York is the most coffee-interested state in America, reflecting the enduring and widespread popularity of coffee.
Q & A
How many cups of coffee are consumed worldwide each year?
-Approximately 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed each year worldwide.
What is the main active ingredient in coffee that contributes to its invigorating effects?
-The main active ingredient in coffee that contributes to its invigorating effects is caffeine.
What is the homeland of the kefaya plant, which is the source of coffee?
-The homeland of the kefaya plant, the source of coffee, is Aromaia, a region in what is today the East African nation of Ethiopia.
What is the legend about the discovery of coffee involving an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi?
-The legend attributes the discovery of coffee to an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi who noticed his goats becoming energetic after eating the red berries of an unfamiliar shrub. He tried the berries himself and experienced the energizing effects, which he then shared with a local monk.
How did the first cup of coffee come to be, according to the legend involving Kaldi?
-According to the legend, the monk rejected the berries Kaldi brought and cast them into a fire. The smell of the roasting beans caught the attention of the monk and others, leading them to retrieve the beans, grind them, and mix them with water to create the first cup of coffee.
What role did the Ottoman Empire play in the spread of coffee to Europe?
-The Ottoman Empire played a significant role in the spread of coffee to Europe by introducing it to Constantinople in the 1550s. European merchants and travelers observed and tried coffee there, which led to its gradual introduction to various parts of Europe.
Which European country was the first to introduce coffee cultivation in its colonies?
-The Netherlands was the first European country to introduce coffee cultivation in its colonies, such as the island of Sri Lanka, Java in Indonesia, and Suriname in South America.
What is the significance of the coffee plant in the context of the Dutch East India Company?
-The Dutch East India Company played a crucial role in spearheading European coffee production in its tropical colonies during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, fueling Europe's growing addiction to coffee.
What is the relationship between the variety of coffee known as 'Arabica' and the story of Gabriel de Clieu?
-Gabriel de Clieu is credited with bringing coffee to the island of Martinique in 1720. It is said that much of the coffee drink around the world, specifically the Arabica variety, which accounts for about 65 percent of production, is descended from his plants.
How did the Boston Tea Party in 1773 affect the popularity of coffee in America?
-After the Boston Tea Party in 1773, tea became a symbol of royal tyranny, leading Americans to prefer coffee, which they still do to this day.
What are some of the health effects associated with moderate coffee consumption?
-Moderate coffee consumption, defined as an average of three to four cups a day, has been associated with a number of health benefits, including a lower risk for various diseases and potentially a longer life span. However, it's important to note that coffee is not very nutritional on its own and can have negative effects when consumed in excess or by individuals with certain health conditions.
Outlines
🌏 Origins and Global Impact of Coffee
This paragraph delves into the origins of coffee, tracing its roots back to the Kefaya plant in Ethiopia. It discusses the legendary Ethiopian goat herder Kaldi's discovery of coffee's energizing effects and the early consumption of coffee in the Islamic world. The narrative highlights the gradual spread of coffee across the Middle East and North Africa, its religious significance during Ramadan, and the evolution of coffee houses as centers for social and political discourse. The paragraph also touches on the initial controversy surrounding coffee's consumption and its eventual acceptance in Christian Europe, leading to its widespread popularity.
🌱 The Spread of Coffee and Its Integration into European Culture
This section explores how coffee spread to Europe through the Ottoman Empire and its introduction to Malta and Constantinople. It details the Dutch's success in acquiring coffee beans and establishing coffee plantations in their tropical colonies, which significantly contributed to Europe's coffee supply. The paragraph also discusses the opening of the first European coffeehouses in Venice and their role as intellectual hubs, contrasting with the more tumultuous Middle Eastern coffeehouses. Additionally, it covers the initial religious and health concerns about coffee in Christian Europe, the Pope's blessing of coffee, and its eventual acceptance and integration into European culture.
☕️ The Rise of Coffee as a Global Commodity and Its Health Impact
This paragraph examines the rise of coffee as a global commodity, with a focus on the significant role played by Brazil in coffee production. It discusses the impact of coffee on labor conditions during the industrial era and the shift of coffee from an upper-class drink to a fuel for the working class. The narrative also explores the geographical 'coffee belt' and the countries that have increased production within this region. Furthermore, it delves into the health effects of coffee, addressing both the historical and modern perspectives on its benefits and drawbacks, and emphasizing the overall safety of coffee consumption within normal limits.
📊 Current Trends in Coffee Consumption and Its Future Outlook
The final paragraph discusses the current trends in coffee consumption, noting Finland's high per capita consumption and New York's interest in coffee. It highlights the enduring popularity of coffee and its transformation from a luxury item to an everyday beverage for the masses. The paragraph also addresses the health implications of coffee, dispelling some historical myths while acknowledging the modern scientific findings that suggest coffee may contribute to a longer and healthier life. It concludes with a cautionary note about excessive caffeine consumption and the potential dangers of combining coffee with other sources of caffeine.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Caffeine
💡Coffee Belt
💡Kaldi
💡Coffee Houses
💡Sufi Monks
💡Dutch East India Company
💡Arabica
💡Enlightenment
💡Boston Tea Party
💡Coffee Production
Highlights
Over 125 million people are employed in the coffee industry worldwide, producing 400 billion cups of coffee annually.
Caffeine, the active ingredient in coffee, has been consumed since before recorded history but coffee as a beverage was unknown for most of human history.
The story of coffee's discovery is attributed to an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi, though this is likely more legend than fact.
Caffeine acts as a pesticide for plants, and its stimulating effects on larger creatures like humans and goats are survivable and enjoyable.
Ethiopian locals, possibly the Gala tribe, discovered the effects of coffee berries, but it was the Arabs who first made a drink from them.
The earliest certain appearance of coffee in its modern form dates back to the mid-15th century in Yemeni monasteries.
Coffee spread across the Middle East and North Africa, initially having religious significance and medicinal benefits.
Coffee houses became places for men of all classes to congregate, leading to some controversy and even bans in certain places.
The spread of coffee to the Christian world came via the Ottoman Empire, which conquered Yemen and introduced coffee to Constantinople.
Coffee was introduced to Europe through trade and war, with the Dutch being the first to successfully cultivate it in their colonies.
Gabrielle de Clieu brought coffee to the island of Martinique, and his plants are said to have given rise to much of the world's Arabica coffee.
The first European coffeehouses opened in Venice in 1645, becoming centers of intellectual culture rather than rowdiness.
Coffee's popularity faced religious and health concerns, but Pope Clement VIII's blessing helped it gain acceptance in Catholic countries.
After the Boston Tea Party, coffee became a symbol of American independence, and the U.S. has remained a major consumer of coffee.
Coffee reached Japan in 1858, and Brazil became the world's largest coffee producer, leading global production until the mid-20th century.
Today, coffee is considered safe and potentially beneficial for health when consumed in normal amounts, with some studies showing longer life expectancy for coffee drinkers.
Finland has the highest coffee consumption per capita, and New York is the most interested in coffee among American states.
Transcripts
[Music]
coffee over 125 million people today are
in some form employed in the industry
surrounding it worldwide helping to
bring the world the 400 billion cups of
coffee it consumes each year many in
fact consider having at least a morning
cup of coffee a necessary part of having
a productive day or at least a stable
one the main reason for this unless
you're drinking decaf is the famous
invigorating and generally safe drug
called caffeine coffee has helped to
fuel mankind in its various pursuits for
centuries but how long exactly where did
coffee come from and how did it take
over the world ladies and gentlemen
hello and welcome to fire of learning
i'm justin in this video we will be
exploring the fascinating origins of
coffee before we begin i'd like to thank
lamia buchrisse eric raider beth baird
mike fantasia stephen colona michael
mcginnis nicola lonesha everett white
anubis anarchy faceless buster david md
lynnae casperson blaine arahara carolis
and alan hastie for being our most
recent supporters on patreon they joined
these supporters who helped make these
videos possible also a past patron had
his name mispronounced jacob sewers is
actually jacob sivers this video is an
improved remake of a video i did years
ago now then let's get to it
many societies such as the united states
home to many of the world's most famous
coffee house chains consider coffee to
be a central part of their dietary
culture however though caffeine itself
has been consumed by humans in some form
since before recorded history for most
of human history coffee itself was
unknown to the world the story begins in
the late middle ages and early modern
era with the berries of a small tree
native to aromia a region of what is
today the east african nation of
ethiopia this is the homeland of the
kefaya plant when exactly people first
stumbled upon and consumed the berries
of the kefaya plant and felt the
stimulating effects of the red berries
or cherries is not known one legend
attributes the discovery to an ethiopian
goat herder named kaldi who lived
sometime between the 6th and 9th century
one day he noticed some of his goats had
become quite energetic after chewing on
the red berries of an unfamiliar shrub
made curious by his dancing goats he
dried the berries for himself and felt
these energizing effects believing his
discovery to be quite important he took
the berries to a local monk the monk
however rejected them and cast them into
a nearby fire however the smell of the
roasting coffee seeds within the berries
which are usually called beans although
they're technically not caught his
attention as well as the attention of
other nearby monks the beans were taken
from the fire ground up and mixed into a
cup of water thus the first cup of
coffee
this story which seems to come from
european writers from the late 1600s is
probably much more legend than history
one of a handful of legends pertaining
to the discovery of coffee in fact no
one knows who first discovered the
effects of coffee and we likely never
will however it is certainly quite
possible that the true story is not too
dissimilar
caffeine is a deadly poison
to insects
it's believed that caffeine naturally
functioned as a pesticide overloading
the nervous system of insects causing
them to die before they could consume a
large portion of the plant however that
same effect on a much larger creature
like a human or perhaps a goat is a much
more survivable and enjoyable experience
one way or another ethiopian locals
likely the gala tribe discovered this
effect of the coffee berry however it
does not appear that they were the first
to make a drink from the seeds rather
that appears to have happened in the
nearby islamic world like in africa it
appears that the arabs first chewed the
beans and made drinks from them which
historians believe were quite different
from modern coffee this may have begun
sometime around the 10th century or so
the persian scholar al-razi seems to
have mentioned the stimulating effects
of the berries around this time the
arabs called the drink they made from
the berries kabla a word interestingly
related to their word for wine and
likely the origin of the modern word for
coffee across most languages when they
began making coffee in its modern form
is not known but it seems to have been
sometime between the 10th and 15th
century there is clear written evidence
of the consumption of coffee in the
islamic world by at least the 15th
century a drink which they again gave
the same name as the other drink kabua
according to bennett alan weinberg and
bonnie k beeler in the world of caffeine
the earliest certain appearance of
coffee in its modern form comes from the
mid-15th century in the monasteries of
sufi monks in yemen which was just
across the red sea they also note there
is a strange lack of discussion about
coffee beans or potentially coffee
itself the beans being called boone or
booncham between the 10th and 15th
centuries with the exception of folk
accounts such as that of the sheik omar
his story is another one pertaining to
the supposed discovery of coffee he is
said to have survived off the berries
and the drink he brewed from them after
having been banished men introduced him
to his people in the 12th century
why this 500 year gap regarding the
discussion of coffee exists is yet
another coffee mystery anyway it appears
to have reached the city of moca in
modern day yemen by that time it soon
reached nearby mecca from there mecca
being a mecca of the islamic world after
all it spread out across the middle east
and north africa interestingly coffee
initially had a religious significance
to many muslims especially the sufis who
used it to assist in fasting during
ramadan as well as to aid them in
staying awake at night for prayers it
was also believed to have carried many
medicinal benefits some of which though
not all of course scientists today know
consuming it really does have quite
quickly though in a society which
forbade alcohol it became a drink of the
common people for normal casual use what
followed were places for men men of all
classes but men only to congregate and
consume the beverage these were the
first coffee houses women could consume
coffee at home though in some
circumstances they were allowed to sing
at coffee houses provided they were
hidden from view these coffee houses
became places of both relaxation and
games but also serious discussion and
argument not everyone approved however
other muslims felt that the ban on
intoxicants such as alcohol mentioned in
the quran should apply to coffee as well
furthermore coffee houses became sources
of trouble centers of debauchery
forbidden by islamic law and hotbeds of
political unrest indeed at certain
points and in certain places such as the
city of mecca in 1511 coffee and coffee
house bands were enacted forcing the
trade and consumption underground in
some cases trading and consuming coffee
was punishable by death the spread to
the christian world seems to have come
via the burgeoning ottoman empire which
ruled over parts of europe and much of
the middle east the ottomans conquered
yemen in 1536.
syrians introduced coffee to the capital
of constantinople in the 1550s and the
turks became very enthusiastic about it
many european merchants and travelers
first observed it there tried it on some
occasions and sometimes wrote of it
coffee's gradual introduction to europe
appears to have been through both war
and trade in 1565 the ottomans attempted
to conquer the island of malta they were
defeated however by the knights of saint
john they took ottoman soldiers as
slaves who introduced the maltese to
coffee decades later the venetians
became interested in the drink and
acquired it through trade becoming the
first to introduce the drink to the
continent throughout the late 1500s
coffee quickly spread to many other
parts of europe england france the other
italians and the dutch were especially
interested the people of europe began to
search for the plant which produced
these wonderful new beings the dutch
were the first to succeed in 1616 when a
sly merchant peter van der brooke
acquired them while in the city of moca
this was no simple task the yaminis
guarded their coffee supply closely
requiring that any beans which left the
area be boiled or roasted to prevent
germination however peter was not the
first to succeed in smuggling them a
muslim pilgrim had already succeeded in
bringing them to india by taping the
seeds to his stomach under his clothes
still burka's success was of great
importance to his people he took them
back to his home in the netherlands
where he began to successfully grow them
however such cold climates as northern
europe are not ideal for large-scale
coffee production thankfully for the
dutch however in this time they were in
the business of acquiring tropical
colonies such as the island of sri lanka
south of india the island of java in
indonesia and suriname in south america
the dutch east india company spearheaded
european coffee production in these
areas in the late 16 and early 1700s
fueling europe's new coffee addiction
for many years
other european empires would follow suit
in their warmer colonies as well
in 1720 gabrielle de clau brought coffee
to the island of martinique legend says
he introduced it to the island and kept
it alive on a ship by sharing his
limited water ration with it though in
truth others may have already brought it
there much of the coffee drink around
the world arabica is said to be
descended from his plants arabica by the
way is one of the four main varieties of
coffee drank around the world to this
day accounting for about 65 percent of
production the other main one being
robusta which makes up much of the
remainder liberica and excelsa are
somewhat rarer anyway coffee was also
farmed by the slaves of the french
colony of sandaming modern-day haiti
which would later begin to produce
massive amounts of coffee as well
the first european coffeehouses opened
in venice in 1645
the rest of europe followed suit with
thousands of copy houses springing up
throughout the continent in the
subsequent decades european coffeehouses
were not quite as rowdy as the middle
eastern counterparts as they already had
pubs with alcohol for that thus they
were more likely to become centers of
intellectual culture however that does
not mean they were not centers of
trouble at all coffee houses were
frequent meeting places for those
seeking to discuss new ideas new ideas
which often contradicted the ideas of
ruling political elites in 1675 charles
ii the son of a king who had had his
head cut off by political dissidents
after a civil war attempted to shut down
coffeehouses throughout england but
retracted his order when the public
outcry was too great likewise french
enlightenment philosophers were later
known for gathering in coffee houses in
the years prior to the french revolution
coffee wasn't always popular with those
supportive of the enlightenment however
in his book uncommon grounds mark
pendergast shares a quote from frederick
the great the 18th century king of
prussia and by the way friend of the
enthusiastic coffee addict voltaire in
which he denounced it he was recorded to
have said
it is disgusting to notice the increase
in the quantity of coffee used by my
subjects and the like amount of money
that goes out of the country in
consequence
my people must drink beer his majesty
was brought up on beer and so were his
ancestors and quote he then banned the
roasting of coffee outside of government
establishments for four years old fritz
was known for being a bit of a
curmudgeon in frederick's defense
importing coffee to prussia was costly
others however believed the coffee had
helped to bring sobriety to their
countries and were glad to see the
change
like in the islamic world christians
initially also had religious concerns
about coffee though their concerns were
not as strong they did have concerns
about a muslim drink becoming popular
among their people however when pope
clement viii tried it around the year
1600 he gave it his blessing it is
claimed and it may or not be true that
he said quote
why
this satan's drink is so delicious that
it would be a pity to let the infidels
have exclusive use of it we shall cheat
satan by baptizing it and making it a
truly christian beverage end quote and
thus the catholic world especially italy
and eventually france accepted coffee
and never looked back the italians in
particular would become creative with
coffee inventing many ways of having it
including espresso in victorian england
christian prohibitionists encouraged
coffee houses as an alternative to
alcohol a few branches of christianity
however eventually did decide against
coffee most famously the mormons in 1683
a massive ottoman army attempted to
conquer the austrian capital of vienna
at the battle of vienna they were
defeated by a combined christian force
who upon pillaging the ottoman army
camps found coffee initially they
assumed it was camel food so they burned
it but thankfully for them a commander
who had lived in the ottoman empire for
a time recognized the smell this helped
coffee's immediate spread throughout
central and eastern europe coffee was
very well received throughout europe
however throughout this time it should
be remembered that coffee was in
competition with tea for which the
british for example developed preference
this was the case in their american
colonies as well that is of course until
the tea act was placed upon them after
american patriots held the boston tea
party in 1773 tea became a symbol of
royal tyranny and americans began to
prefer coffee which they still do to
this day though it was expensive and
less common in america in those days for
example in 1774
john adams wrote to his wife abigail
saying quote t must be universally
renounced and i must be weaned the
sooner the better
caffeine was first separated from coffee
by friedlib ferdinand runge in 1819 at
the suggestion of johann wolfgang von
gotta coffee only reached isolationistic
japan in 1858 in the end the king of
coffee plantations would be brazil
coffee became popular there after the
country gained independence from
portugal in 1822. by 1852 brazil was
leading the world in terms of coffee
production much of this was through
slave labor in fact coffee production
played a large role in making brazil the
last country in the americas to abolish
slavery not doing so until 1888 and only
then in part because paid labor from
europe became cheaper to this day the
large warm and fertile country of brazil
remains the world's largest coffee
producer from 1850 until 1950 in fact it
exported more coffee than the rest of
the world combined since then other
countries namely vietnam colombia
indonesia and of course ethiopia have
begun to increase production each of
these countries lies between the tropics
of cancer and capricorn or what's called
the coffee belt a geographical belt
stretching around the planet where
conditions are ideal for growing coffee
today brazil produces one-third of all
the world's coffee in the industrial era
when coffee production became more
bountiful coffee began to move from
being a drink more often than not
associated with the upper classes to one
which fueled working people in their
gruesome labor conditions to this day
common folk fuel their labor across a
wide variety of fields with coffee
though as i mentioned brazil produces
coffee at great levels proportionally
speaking finland drinks more coffee than
any other country at over 26 pounds per
capita per year the rest of scandinavia
has high consumption levels as well if
you consider finland scandinavia anyway
of the american states new york is the
most interested in coffee
today coffee's popularity is stronger
than ever man it doesn't appear likely
that that popularity is going anywhere
with so many people consuming so much
coffee many wonder
how exactly is coffee affecting our
health
coffee has been viewed as a drug since
its beginnings indeed in its early days
it was perhaps viewed more as a drug
than as a comestible in its early days
it was said to cause impotence sterility
exhaustion dry up cerebrospinal fluid
and eventually cause paralysis inversely
others said that it was a remedy for
plague and that it prevented stillbirths
these claims weren't exactly scientific
but modern science has shown that there
are a number of benefits and drawbacks
to coffee some of which were indeed
suggested by the people of the past
overall coffee is considered very safe
when consumed at normal amounts i.e on
average three to four cups a day each
cup of normal coffee contains about 95
milligrams of caffeine almost four times
the amount in a cup of tea we all know
people who would call that rookie
numbers though that amount may be too
high for pregnant women coffee intake
may be associated with low birth rate or
even miscarriage but the science on this
is not very clear overall coffee may be
more beneficial to human health than
harmful many studies show coffee
drinkers seem to live longer than
non-drinkers and are at lower risk for a
whole list of diseases whether or not
this is causal that is to say whether or
not coffee itself is actually causing
people to live longer and be healthier
or if it's co-correlated with something
else is unclear coffee may also improve
gastrointestinal health lift mood and as
many are well aware give an individual a
feeling of increased energy still coffee
is not very nutritional in itself and it
can have negative effects especially
when consumed in excess or consumed by
individuals suffering from disorders
such as gerd an anxiety disorder or much
more seriously an unruptured aneurysm in
case you were wondering on average it
would take about 70 cups of coffee or
over four gallons at once to kill a
healthy adult though you would likely
begin feeling extremely unpleasant
before even nearing that number and find
yourself unable to go through with it in
fact you would likely die from water
intoxication well before caffeine
overdose more concentrated forms of
caffeine have been deadly however so be
careful about combining coffee with
other stronger sources of caffeine i
hope you enjoyed this video if so i
invite you to come check out the rest of
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once again listed here we are also on
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called lusinox which you may want to
check out too sources are listed in the
description history of spain part 2 is
coming thank you for watching
alright well i'm going to grab a cup of
tea
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