According to legend, coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian shepherd named Kaldi, sometime in the 9th century AD. He noticed the effects coffee beans had on his goats, so he took the beans to some Sufi monks living nearby. Researchers, however, believe that the story is apocryphal, because it first appeared in the 17th century, in the writings of Antoine Faustus Nairon, the author of one of the first treatises on coffee. Legend aside, the first historically documented evidence of coffee consumption appears in the writings of Arab authors in the mid-15th century. Coffee beans were first used in a similar way to today by Sufi monks in Yemen, who consumed the drink made from roasted and ground beans as an energizer during religious rituals. In just a few decades, coffee spread from the Arabian Peninsula to the surrounding regions, from Persia to Turkey and North Africa. In Europe, coffee first appeared in Venice in the second half of the 16th century, from where it spread to other parts of the continent. The first coffee house opened in Rome in 1645. The Dutch were the first to extensively import coffee into Europe and even began to cultivate it extensively in their colonies – the crops on the island of Java became one of the main sources of coffee for the European market. In the 18th century, coffee was exported to the New World, and at the same time, the main crops in Central America and Brazil were established. In the following centuries, coffee would become one of the most sought-after and popular beverages.

 

It is considered the first type of coffee to be cultivated. The Coffea arabica shrub is also called "mountain coffee" or "Arabian coffee" and is widely cultivated worldwide: approximately 60% of the total coffee production is Arabica coffee.

 

Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) originated in Ethiopia and is a variety rich in aromas, very fragrant, sweet, and slightly acidic. The plant is quite sensitive compared to other varieties and requires intensive maintenance. The coffee beans, before roasting, are elongated and blue-green in color. The best area for cultivation is between 600 and 2,000 meters altitude. The higher the altitude of the cultivation, the greater the chances of obtaining higher quality coffee.

 

Arabica coffee is mainly grown in Central and South American countries, as well as in some countries in Africa and Asia. This coffee variety contains 50% less caffeine than other varieties (Robusta, for example), but the aroma is much more intense, and the beans are used for superior quality coffees.

Discovered only towards the end of the 1800s, Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) is native to Central and West Africa, from Guinea to Uganda. Unlike Arabica coffee, this variety can grow successfully at altitudes between sea level and about 600 meters. It has adapted successfully to warm, high-humidity areas and is more resistant to parasite attacks.

 

Robusta coffee is widely cultivated in Africa, Indonesia, and Brazil and accounts for almost a quarter of the world's coffee production. It flowers several times a year, meaning it is more productive than Arabica coffee. In addition, Robusta coffee is also known for the large amount of caffeine it contains: almost 2.5%, double that of Arabica coffee.

 

 

Coffee usually bears the name of the country or region where it is harvested, and coffee beans can be identified by different flavors, acidity, consistency, and taste intensity. These taste characteristics depend not only on the area where the coffee beans were picked but also on the varieties or how they were processed. Among the most well-known regions are:

 

• Bourbon - is one of the two initial varieties of Arabica coffee. It was first cultivated on Bourbon Island, now Reunion.
• Typica - is one of the most important Arabica coffee varieties in the world, extensively cultivated in Central America;
• Colombian - is Arabica coffee harvested in Colombia;
• Java - is harvested on the Indonesian island of Java;
• Kona - is a variety of coffee grown on the slopes of the mountains in Hawaii;
• Catimor - is a hybrid between Caturra and Timor coffee varieties. It was created in Portugal, matures quickly, but needs certain conditions for fertilization.
• Catuai - is a coffee variety recognized for its increased resistance to bad weather;
• Mundonovo - this coffee variety is one of the most common in Brazil. It is ideal for the country's climate and yields abundant crops.
• Caturra - is a variant of the Bourbon variety, first planted in the Brazilian city of Caturra. It is resistant to bad weather and pests.

 

Gourmet coffees - of the highest quality - are produced almost exclusively from Arabica coffee beans. Among the most well-known are:

• Jamaican Blue Mountain
•  Colombian Supremo
•  Tarrazú
•  Guatemalan Antigua
• Ethiopian Sidamo