Coffee has an interesting history. Read on as I share my experiences with coffee from around the world.
Coffee: An Interesting History from Around the World
A local coffee shop in Decatur, Geogia is named Dancing Goats. I never thought much about the name as I sipped coffee in the shop, but thanks to Sandy Leong, MRHS, a lecturer on board the Viking Sky, she “spilled the beans.” (That was the title of her talk!)
Legend has it that a goat herder in Ethiopia watched his goats eating the red berries off a local shrub and the goats started dancing. The herder was curious about their excited behavior and tried the berries himself and, voila, the first caffeine buzz was born. The bright red berries were what we now call coffee beans. Hence, dancing goats!
Many of us (including me) can’t start the day without a joyful cup of coffee. This coffee shop name in Auckland, New Zealand, says it all for me! An 8-ounce cup of coffee (but most of us have larger servings than 8-ounces) has about 95 milligrams of caffeine and a moderate amount of caffeine is stated as between 200-400 milligrams a day. Caffeine increases alertness and energy, but too much can cause anxiety and coffee jitters. We have different tolerances for caffeine and most of us know what out tolerance is. I know I can’t have coffee (or other caffeine containing beverages or foods) in the late afternoon, or I will be awake half the night!
Early research associated coffee intake with an increased risk of cancer but upon further review, the research did not account for cigarette smoking and coffee intake. Today, coffee has many health benefits, probably due to the more than 1000 plant compounds it contains, called polyphenols. For those who fear “chemicals” in their food, remember that if the chemicals listed in coffee were on the label, some people would be horrified to read names like acetic acid, furfural, 2-methypyrazine, 2-furfuryl alcohol, chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, just to name a few of the compounds in coffee.
Ms. Leong told us the history of coffee growing in Indonesia and as with all things tied to the region, the spice trade was king and queen. Coffee, along with spices, became highly desired in Europe. The Dutch were introduced to coffee drinking in the early 1600 is a Yemen port called Mokha, a trading port, but it was forbidden to take the seeds out of port. An enterprising thief smuggled the seeds out and planted them in the Netherlands and then introduced the plants in Java. The Indonesian climate was well suited for coffee growing and it became a luxury item for Europeans, helping to develop the coffee house culture throughout Europe. Of course, what was good for the Dutch was bad for the local people, a part of history repeated throughout the many regions of the world that we visited. As Ms. Leong explained, Java coffee became the most popular coffee and was said to have a chocolate flavor, today it is called Mocha Java, thanks to the name of the port of Mokha.
The wildest thing she told us about was a very expensive coffee in this part of the world called Koffee Luwak. Bringing as much as $10 US dollars a cup, it rivals Starbucks prices.
However, the origin of the coffee is quite unusual. An Asian Palm Civet (sometime called a Civet cat) eats the coffee berries, and they pass through their digestive system without being broken down. The excrement is collected, washed, and the coffee beans are extracted and roasted and used to make this “special” coffee. It is said to taste “earthy,” says Ms. Leong. Unusual indeed!
On a trip to Bali, I had the chance to visit a small holder coffee plantation where I was introduced to the resident Civet and look at the coffee beans in his…well, you get the gist of this. While I tasted many different coffees, I passed at the Luwak coffee. But I did get some chocolate coffee which is made in a traditional way called Kopi Tubruk. Finely ground coffee powder is steeped in hot water and left to settle. The challenge is drinking the coffee without stirring up the “mud” at the bottom of the cup.
I’ve learned a lot of fun facts about the foods, beverages, and cuisines of different countries. Stay tuned for more stories from around the world!
Thanks to Sandy Leong, an educator, lecturer, and professional speaker on history. Sandy is based in the U.K. and is a member of the Royal Historical Society. She was an enrichment lecturer on Viking Sky.
