Where Did Coffee Originate? The History of Coffee from Arabian Monasteries

I decided to delve into the history of coffee and how it traveled from the Arabian Peninsula to Lithuanian cafes. In this post, I share my findings with you.

I remember my first thought as a child tasting coffee was, “Yuck, who invented this drink?” Of course, coffee was not meant for children at the time, and the floating grounds didn’t improve the taste. The main criterion for coffee was a “strong” flavor.

Over the years, coffee culture in Lithuania has significantly changed. Nowadays, city centers are full of cafes, offering hundreds of coffee varieties, catering to coffee gourmets and connoisseurs. Cafes have become part of our culture. What we call coffee today has also changed—it’s no longer just a black, bitter drink (often of the cheaper Robusta variety) intended for adults. Yet the question remains, “Who invented such a drink and how did it reach us?” So, in this post, a bit about the history of coffee and how it reached us.

Where Did Coffee Originate? The Beginnings of Coffee in the Arabian Peninsula

Although tracing who made and drank the first cup of coffee would be very difficult, it is known that the name coffee comes from the Turkish Ottoman word “kahve,” which in turn was borrowed from the Arabic “qahwah” (قهوة), meaning a type of wine.

So logically, the name was devised by those who first started preparing this drink. Coffee’s history began in this region. It is believed that using roasted beans brought from Ethiopia, Sufi monks in Yemen, on the Arabian Peninsula, started making and drinking coffee in the 15th century. As soon as the black mysterious drink appeared, it began to spread. It soon reached the cities of Mecca and Cairo, and from there, constantly traveling pilgrims further spread this drink across Asia and Africa.

Coffee quickly crossed home thresholds and cafes called qahveh khaneh opened in the Middle East (I can’t imagine how to pronounce it either). Even then, drinking coffee became an integral part of social life. Music, conversations, and various performances took place in cafes. The elite gathered over a cup of coffee to discuss various matters of science, business, war strategy, and culture.

Coffee’s Journey to the European Continent

The history of coffee on the old European continent began with Turkish Muslim slaves imprisoned during the Siege of Malta. The imprisoned slaves brewed coffee according to the custom that had already become a tradition and introduced this decoction to the surrounding residents. Almost simultaneously, European merchants began transporting coffee from the East.

Initially, the black Muslim drink seemed suspicious to many Europeans. It was even called the “bitter invention of Satan.” Few know that in 1615, the Catholic bishopric condemned coffee when it appeared in Venice. Disputes over coffee grew so much that soon the Pope had to intervene. Tasting the roasted bean decoction, he was so impressed that he gave his blessing to the drink, and thus, with the Pope’s permission, coffee began to spread across Europe.

Initially, the particularly expensive imported coffee was available only to the elite of the Old Continent. However, over time, as more coffee was grown, prices began to fall, and cafes opened in European cities, following the Eastern example and becoming local cultural centers. In England, cafes began to be called “penny universities” because, for a penny, you could buy a cup of coffee and join the ongoing intellectual conversations and broadening discussions.

In the mid-17th century, over 300 cafes were operating in London, some of which eventually grew into brands known to this day, including Lloyd’s of London.

History of Coffee in the New American Continent

Modern cafes today are perhaps most associated with the United States and Starbucks-style cafes. However, it took quite some time for this drink to reach its peak popularity and become a staple of the American morning.

Although coffee beans and brewing traditions arrived in the New World with the first colonists, tea was a much more popular drink among the settlers. This changed only in 1773 during the revolt when the new American residents, frustrated by the taxes demanded by King George III of the United Kingdom, resisted the authorities by throwing tea chests into the water at Boston Harbor. Tea became a symbol of oppression and high taxes, making coffee appear much more attractive and ‘patriotic’ as an alternative. Over time, the United States gained independence from the United Kingdom and tea supplies, but coffee’s popularity continued to grow in the newly forming country.

Growing Global Demand

As coffee gained popularity worldwide, coffee beans began to run short. To meet the growing demand, more and more countries began looking for ways to grow and sell coffee tree fruits.

In the second half of the 17th century, the Dutch, having received coffee seedlings, decided to plant them in India. After unsuccessful attempts, they abandoned the idea, and coffee plantations appeared on the island of Java, Batavia (modern-day Indonesia). As coffee trees flourished, the Dutch established themselves in the coffee market and expanded to neighboring islands.

Coffee also thrived in North and South America, where entire plantations grew from a single seedling. Travelers, merchants, and colonists, seeing the potential of coffee, spread the seeds across the continent, and by the 18th century, coffee had become one of the most sought-after commodities.

The Beginnings of Major Coffee Empires

Although the Dutch started growing coffee earlier, most coffee today is grown in Brazil. It all began thanks to Brazilian colonist Francisco de Melo Palheta, who in 1727, during a visit to Guyana, asked for coffee seedlings. After receiving a negative response, he seduced the French governor’s wife and obtained a handful of seedlings from her.

Bringing the seedlings back to Brazil, the colonist planted them and started what has now become a billion-dollar industry. Although the seedlings took root and multiplied quickly in Brazil, the country only became the leading coffee producer after more than a century—in 1826—and remains the leader to this day.

Modern History of Coffee and the Spread of Starbucks

The widespread consumption of coffee attracted the attention of inventors—in the first half of the 19th century, a Parisian metallurgist created the percolator, which remains largely unchanged to this day. Soon, familiar coffee roasting machines appeared. Less than a decade later, machines for packing coffee appeared as well.

In Italy, in 1901, the first espresso machine appeared, making coffee much faster, but the resulting coffee was very bitter. The machine evolved, using lower temperatures and higher pressures. Other coffee drinks emerged, further increasing the number of coffee enthusiasts. Paper coffee filters began to be used in Germany. Thanks to Nestlé’s research efforts to preserve the surplus of Brazilian coffee, easily transportable instant coffee appeared.

In the third decade of the 20th century, the American coffee market experienced two more booms—alcohol was banned in the country, and coffee was declared by scientists to have beneficial properties for the body.

At the end of the 1960s, a new coffee revolution began in the USA, continuing to this day. In 1971, the first Starbucks store opened. At that time, only locally roasted beans were available. A few years later, Starbucks began making coffee drinks, and marketing specialist Howard Schultz joined the team. With Schultz’s help, cafes filled with visitors and became “third places” for meetings more intensely than ever before.

Coffee Culture in Lithuania

Although there are not many sources in Lithuanian history mentioning coffee, it is believed that coffee was loved in our country long ago. According to coffee-making utensils found in descriptions of the noble’s wealth, coffee was consumed in Lithuania at least 300 years ago. It is likely that the first cafes in Vilnius appeared in the first half of the 18th century.

During the Soviet era, when there was not much choice of coffee, it was just one of the available drinks like tea or compote. In Soviet times and even a decade after, coffee was usually made by pouring boiling water over ground beans directly in a cup. However, much has changed since Starbucks-like cafe chains, such as Vero Cafe and Caffeine (formerly Coffee Inn), have been present in Lithuania for more than a decade.

Now we drink nine times more than tea, and we have made significant progress in coffee-making methods. We no longer have to drink a bitter black liquid with floating grounds, which I had to grimace at in my childhood. We can now enjoy responsibly roasted, carefully ground diverse beans and professionally prepared coffee and coffee drinks.

Did you like the post? Want to know more?

So do I. I regularly share my discoveries on Instagram. Follow @1kava.lt and let’s chat there, also check out other posts on the 1kava.lt website 🙂