 | The History The global spread of coffee growing and drinking began in the Horn of Africa, where, according to legend, coffee trees originated in the Ethiopian province of Kaffa. A thousand years or so a goat herder found his goat acting in a berserk manor and when he looked into the goats eyes he saw that the pupils were massively dilated – thinking the goat was possessed he took it to the local monk. After investigation the monk realised that the coffee fruits the goat had eaten were a stimulant and he used this new stimulant for his extended prayer usage. Later the Arabians grew it in their peninsulas, this made the taste much smoother as the caffeine was heavily reduced - unlike in it’s family member from Ethiopia Canephora or also known as Robusta. At high altitude the plant did not need to generate so much caffeine as there were hardly any insects to deal with at high altitude. The plants also receive less oxygen when higher up, so this is also a factor as it makes the fruits/cherries more attractive to the birds so the birds digest the flesh and seeds (beans) and excrete them at lower ground. |
It is recorded that the fruit of the plant, known as coffee cherries, was eaten by slaves taken from present day Sudan into Yemen and Arabia through the great port of its day, Mocha. Coffee was certainly being cultivated in Yemen by the 15th century and probably much earlier. In an attempt to prevent its cultivation elsewhere, the Arabs imposed a ban on the export of fertile coffee beans, a restriction that was eventually circumvented in 1616 by the Dutch, who brought live coffee plants back to the Netherlands to be grown in greenhouses. Many decades later the Venetians adopted the coffee trading and Caffe houses from the Dutch. The word Coffee comes from Cafe (French) who get it from Caffe (Venetians) who get it from the word Koffie (Dutch) who get ir from Kaffa from Ethiopia. Canephora versus Arabica:
Coffee Selection at Brook House: Leonardo (1020) Origins: 40% Brazil Mogiana / 40% Vietnam Robusta / 20% Honduras Roast: Dark Strength Guide: 5 Flavour Profile: A distinctive Italian style espresso, full bodied, pronounced roast flavour, subtle earthiness with notes of toast and roasted nut and a boozy finish. Price: £7.50 Jura (209) Origins: 50% Colombia Huila / 30% Brazil Mogiana / 20% Vietnam Robusta Roast: Medium Strength Guide: 4 Flavour Profile: Rich and complex with notes of dark cocoa and walnut and a malty sweetness. Syrupy coating mouthfeel with a bittersweet finish Price: £8.00 Pure 100% Arabica Beans (587) Origins: 40% Brazil Mogiana / 20% El Salvador Monte Sion / 20% India Mysore / 10% Ethiopia Sidamo / 10% Papua New Guinea Roast: Medium-Dark Strength Guide: 4 Flavour Profile: Balanced & rich, notes of roasted nut, cocoa and berry fruits. Creamy rounded mouthfeel with a lingering dark chocolate finish. Price: £8.95 Triple Certified Beans (453) Origins: 33% Colombia Huila / 33% Sumatra Mandheling / 33% Honduras Roast: Medium-Dark Strength Guide: 4 Flavour Profile: Burnt sugar sweetness, notes of roasted almonds, toast and molasses. Heavy bodied and subtle blackcurrant tones in the finish. Price: £13.95 |