.: Java or Coffee?
Category:Home / Food and Drink / Coffee
Ever wonder how the wonderful concoction that we know today as coffee become known as java? Well, my friends, it’s a long story. In other words, it’s time to wake up, smell the coffee, take a sip, sit back and learn!
The origins of coffee are shrouded in uncertainty, although it is more than likely to have been African, particularly Ethiopian, in origin. One legend tells of a goat-herder named Kaldi, who one day found his goats to be a happy lot as they frolicked around a cluster of dark-leafed shrubs bearing red berries. Since this was before the age when one wore berries on hats, shoes and other accessories and he wanted to be happy too, Kaldi decided to test the berries by eating them. Soon he found himself as one among his flock, more carefree than he had ever been before. He shared his discovery with the nearby monastery, and the monks soon used the wondrous beverage to keep them awake during their evening prayer sessions. (They deserved to be happy too!)
After some thousand years, traders brought coffee across the Red Sea and into Arabia (Yemen), where Muslim monks began cultivating the shrubs in their own private gardens. At first, they made a type of tea-like beverage from the pulp of the fermented berries and this concoction was known as “Qahwah”. This is the Arabic word for wine and the source of the modern word for coffee. Because it was forbidden for Muslims to drink wine, this new drink was used during religious ceremonies. Initially, it was prepared from green, un-roasted beans boiled in water. By the late 13th century, Arabians began roasting and grinding the coffee beans before adding them to boiling water, improving the flavor. At that time, coffee was also a kind of revered elixir, and physicians prescribed it regularly for longevity, increased stamina and a host of other things.
Until the early 1500s, coffee was a closely hoarded secret. Uncooked berries could not be taken out of the country, insuring an Arabian monopoly. Religious pilgrims visiting Mecca each year slowly eroded this isolation, and coffee seeds soon found their way to Turkey, Egypt and Syria. Many eastern cities opened coffeehouses, where patrons lingered over conversation and games of backgammon and chess. Here European traders were introduced to the wonderful brew and sought to export it for their own caffeine-free purposes and colonies. In 1516, with a plant obtained from Yemen, the Dutch became the first Europeans to transport and cultivate coffee commercially. By 1658 cultivation had spread to Indonesia, particularly Ceylon and their East Indian colony of Java, which would become the world’s center for coffee production.
The warmer Indonesian climate provided the perfect breeding ground for the delicate coffee trees and their tasty fruit became known worldwide as “java.” In 1714, the Mayor of Amsterdam presented Louis XIV with a Javanese coffee plant. King Louis’s love of coffee was life long and only interrupted by the loss of his head during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. He was thrilled with his gift and entrusted the plant’s care and cultivation to the botanist of the royal court. In a few short years, the offshoots of the Javanese coffee trees crossed the Atlantic. From there coffee spread into the New World and South America, particularly Brazil, which today is the world’s largest producer and exporter of coffee.
So with the next sip you take, pause and reflect. This wonderful drink has a noble and formidable past. If you forget the details, don’t worry about it. Just finish your cup and have a wonderful java-enriched day!
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J. Williams writes for a site which offers free free online recipes. Stop by today and get your free recipes.
.: New Coffee Articles
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The word espresso literally means an extraction of coffee using high pressure from a special espresso machine. But you may need some special espresso machine instructions if your machine is different from some of the other types of machines are available, but basically to make an espresso is much the same no matter what machine you use.
2). Fair Trade Coffee Products
We are all becoming increasingly familiar with the Fair Trade logo as we go around our stores and supermarkets.
3). Find The Best Commercial Espresso Machine Available
Because of this and the proliferation of coffee shops and cafes producing these drinks this has created a demand for commercial espresso machines and manufacturers are producing them by their hundreds. But with so many massed produced espresso machines on the market how do you which is the best commercial espresso machine for your business?
4). An Explanation On How To Use An Espresso Machine
Now you place the ground coffee into the basket and tamp it down. The best coffee to use is one that has been freshly ground as after grinding the volatile oils which were previously protected by the bean are exposed to the air which then oxidize and the coffee becomes stale
5). Espresso Coffee Machines What Are The Differences?
There are several different types of espresso machines available. You need to decide how much control you want over the coffee brewing procedure. There is a fine line between how hard the machine is to operate and how much control you want.
6). How To Master The Art Of Buying Coffee
It used to be a trip to the corner store netted a single choice or maybe two for the coffee lover. One-size-fits-all in a can to go, thank you very much. With the appreciation for coffee hitting an all-time high, this is no longer the case.
7). Great Coffee Is Like Fine Wine
To the true coffee connoisseur, the beans, roast and resulting aromas and flavors are not unlike fine wine. Rich, rewarding and full of flavor, good brews are meant to be savored, enjoyed and taken in.
.: Top Coffee Articles
1). Can Coffee Be Used As A Fertilizer?
My garden has never looked so good and it is all due to used coffee grounds. It is amazing what used coffee grounds can do for your garden.
2). Caffeine Benefits - Does It Boost Memory?
Caffeine, like chocolate, often receives bad publicity. Whilst in some instances, and in excess, these can have negative effects on our body, they can also be quite beneficial.
I am not disputing that some people are more sensitive to the negative effects of either caffeine or chocolate. For example, excess caffeine can create anxiety, nausea (particularly if taken on an empty stomach), an increase in heart rate, and even depression in some people.
3). Coffee is an mysterious drink and so is its past
About 850 A.D it is said that a lone shepherd and his flock came across a strange and mysterious plant growing upon a secluded and forgotten hillside. Before he could stop them some of his herd had began to gnaw away at this unusual berry. After about fifteen minutes or so the herder started to notice that his sheep were behaving in an odd manner.
Not only were they unusually alert but they also appeared to be extremely hyperactive.
4). Coffee Or Tea - Which Is Better For You?
Most people cannot function without either their morning cup of coffee or tea. While, it’s mostly the caffeine that gets people going, a side benefit from drinking these beverages is that you may be boosting your immune system and helping to fight disease.
5). Is That Hot Coffee Really Good For You?
It is common knowledge that the caffeine content in coffee is not good for human health. In spite of that caffeine consumption the world over has increased in the past decade. If you are a regular hot coffee drinker and still not familiar with the health issues it poses, it might be worthwhile to read this article.
Tremendous amount of research time has been spent to study the effect of caffeine on people.
6). Espresso Cups
Serve your java in style with beautiful, elegant espresso cups. You can find a great selection of espresso cups that are cute, elegant, trendy or classic. The best espresso cups available are double-layered to hold in the heat and to keep your espresso hotter longer. You can find double-layered cups in glass as well as ceramic, and there are a great variety of designs to choose from.
7). Wake Up! Smell the Coffee…
Coffee is everywhere. It’s a staple for morning and many people swear they can’t live without it. Whether it’s Maxwell House, Folgers, Eight O’Clock or Starbucks, Colombian, Hazelnut or French Roast, coffee is coffee, right? Wrong. Coffee isn’t just a drink, it’s an experience. And to fully experience coffee, you need to go gourmet.