{"id":30649,"date":"2024-09-10T09:49:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T07:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pontevecchiosrl.it\/?p=30649"},"modified":"2024-11-28T11:06:06","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T10:06:06","slug":"who-invented-coffee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pontevecchiosrl.it\/en\/who-invented-coffee\/","title":{"rendered":"Who invented coffee?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is the only thing that can be corrected despite being error-free? Obviously, <\/span>coffee<\/b>! This drink, which we now take for granted, was not always so and there was even a time when people were <\/span>unaware of its existence<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We bet that, at least once in your life, you too will have wondered <\/span>who invented coffee<\/b>. After all, we all get those mornings when we can’t get out of bed at all, if not thanks to this irreplaceable drink. In those moments, therefore, it is perfectly legitimate to ask ourselves who <\/span>we have to thank for having given it to us<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, the purpose of this article is precisely to satisfy your curiosity, revealing all the secrets and background behind our beloved coffee!<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the real origins of coffee?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"storia<\/p>\n

The origins of coffee date back to the distant past, roughly <\/span>between the<\/b> 9th and 10th centuries<\/b>. Legend has it that it was discovered by a shepherd named <\/span>Kald\u00ec<\/b>, who lived on the <\/span>Ethiopian highland of Caffa<\/b> (from which the name ‘coffee’ derives).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Apparently, the sheep he was leading to pasture fed on some of the beans, getting a <\/span>great excitement<\/b> from them in return. This unusual reaction did not go unnoticed in the eyes of the shepherd, who decided to sample some beans himself, discovering for the first time ever the <\/span>energising effects<\/b> of caffeine.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to another version of the legend, however, it was the <\/span>Ethiopian ancestors of the Oromo group<\/b> who discovered coffee and its benefits. Also, shepherds, they used to create <\/span>energy ‘snacks’<\/b> by mixing coffee fruits with fat, to be consumed during the long hours of herding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A third and even more suggestive legend has it that coffee was a <\/span>gift from heaven sent by the archangel Gabriel to Muhammad<\/b> in order to give him strength and vigour during a night battle against the infidels. It is said that thanks to this ‘miraculous gift’, the prophet was not only able to unseat no less than forty knights, but even to satisfy as many virgins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Minor licentiousness aside, this was only the beginning. Once discovered, coffee was an <\/span>almost immediate success<\/b>, triggering a veritable <\/span>‘mission of expansion’<\/b> that involved the whole world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of coffee<\/span><\/h2>\n

While legends tell us about the discovery of coffee, <\/span>botany<\/b> reveals interesting details about the plant itself. Coffee is a tropical plant that can grow up to 10 metres in height, but is generally cultivated at around 2 metres to facilitate the harvesting of the fruit.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many species of plants in the genus Coffea, but only two are of significant economic importance for the production of the coffee we drink every day:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Coffea arabica, commonly known as <\/span>Arabica<\/b>;<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Coffea canephore, better known as <\/span>Robusta<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Each of these species has unique characteristics that influence the taste and quality of the coffee produced.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Arabica: the king of coffees<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Arabica is considered the most valuable variety and accounts for about three quarters of the world’s coffee production. Here are some of its distinctive characteristics:<\/span><\/p>\n