A Short History of Coffee, from Ethiopia to the Wider World
Coffee's early story is linked to Ethiopia, Yemen, trade routes, coffeehouses, and a drink that became deeply social.
Coffee's earliest story is closely linked to Ethiopia, where the plant is native and where legends such as the story of Kaldi helped shape coffee lore.
Coffee eventually moved across the Red Sea to Yemen, where cultivation took hold by around the 15th century. From there, coffee became tied to trade, religious life, social life, and the rise of coffeehouses in the broader Islamic world.
As coffee spread through Ottoman networks and then into Europe, it changed from a regional drink into an international one. Coffeehouses became places for business, politics, reading, and conversation.
