Introduction:Do you know the transcontinental story hidden behind a cup of coffee? From the accidental discovery by Ethiopian shepherds, to its transformation into a medicinal drink in the Arab world, and then its spread to Europe, the Americas, and Asia—coffee’s footprint spans four continents. This article will guide you through the key milestones in coffee’s journey from its origins to the formation of its global cultivation map, while also clarifying how it entered China. This will help you build a clear historical understanding of coffee and appreciate the deep heritage behind this beverage.
Every cup of coffee carries with it a history of transmission across Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania. From the 6th-century Ethiopian legend of the shepherd in Kaffa, to the Arab world’s transformation of coffee into an herbal remedy and daily beverage, to the rise of European coffeehouse culture, the beverage substitution in North America following the Boston Tea Party, and the expansion of the global coffee cultivation map during the colonial era—this black drink has traversed a long and tumultuous journey. At the same time, the path of coffee’s introduction into China is also clearly traceable: it landed in Taiwan in 1884, was introduced to Binchuan, Yunnan by French missionaries in 1892, and appeared in eastern coastal cities during the late Qing Dynasty. This article will take you back along these key geographical routes and time points, while preserving information related to producing regions and varieties, helping you establish a complete historical framework for coffee.
The origin of coffee can be traced back to the 6th century in the Kaffa region of southern Ethiopia. Although there is a lack of definitive historical records, the most widely circulated legend involves a shepherd named Kaldi. It is said that while herding his flock, he noticed that the sheep became unusually energetic after eating red berries, and after trying them himself, he experienced a stimulating effect. He then brought the berries back to the monastery. The monastery’s abbot found that the berries helped the monks stay awake during prayers, so they began using them to make a broth. Since they were first discovered in the Kaffa region, the locals called them kaffa, which later evolved into the Arabic kawha, and eventually became coffee after entering Europe. Initially, Ethiopians used to boil the coffee fruit into a soup or mix it with animal fat to make an energy food. To this day, the region still retains a large number of wild coffee trees, as well as the traditional method of brewing coffee using a long-necked pot.
The introduction of coffee into the Arab world can be traced back to the year 525, when the Ethiopian army invaded Yemen and soldiers brought coffee beans to the area. Records show that coffee trees began to be cultivated in Yemen as early as 575 AD. Later, coffee was also introduced to Egypt through Sudanese slaves. The Arabs initially regarded coffee as an herb, used to relieve migraines and aid digestion. Later, they developed a method of roasting coffee beans to make a beverage. Its unique aroma and rich flavor quickly gained popularity, and the Islamic prohibition on alcohol further boosted its spread. In Arabic, coffee is praised as “the drink bestowed by Allah.” By the 15th century, coffeehouses had already appeared in places like Damascus and Mecca. After the Ottoman Turkish Empire conquered Arabia, coffee was developed into the “national drink,” and the associated coffee etiquette and fortune-telling culture that are still practiced today were formed. Before the 16th century, coffee was extremely precious in the Arab world, and Yemen even monopolized production, strictly controlling the export of seeds and seedlings.
In the 16th century, the Ottoman Turkish Empire, as a hub of East-West trade, drew the attention of European merchants to this mysterious beverage. They not only developed the habit of drinking it but also wanted to bring it back to their homelands. As early as the late 16th century, merchants in Venice, Marseille, and London had begun serving coffee to guests at home. In 1616, Venetian merchants officially introduced coffee beans to Italy for the first time. Europeans were even more eager to obtain coffee seeds and seedlings. In 1615, the Dutch successfully smuggled a coffee seedling from the port of Mocha to their homeland and cultivated it in a greenhouse. As this fashionable drink from the “Ottoman Empire in the East” spread, coffeehouses sprang up all over Europe, becoming places for people to discuss current events and politics, as well as gathering spots for literati and artists. Coffee quickly became integrated into European life.
The earliest recorded mention of coffee in North America dates back to around 1668. By the end of the 17th century, tea, cocoa, and coffee were all introduced, but tea drinking was more popular. It wasn’t until the Boston Tea Party in 1773 that coffee took the place of tea as the mainstream beverage.
The large-scale global spread of coffee originated from Europe’s trade demands and colonial expansion. Due to the significant outflow of foreign exchange caused by large imports, as well as the threat to governance posed by the freedom of speech in coffeehouses, European rulers initially tried to shut down coffeehouses and ban its consumption, but with limited success. As a result, they turned to “opening the source”—establishing coffee plantations in the tropical regions of their colonies. Since the European continent’s climate was unsuitable for cultivation, colonizers turned their attention to tropical areas in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Coffee cultivation in Asia began in 1696, when the Dutch transplanted coffee seedlings that could not adapt to the cold of the north to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and further transplanted them to Jakarta, Indonesia in 1699, making Indonesia the first country in Asia to engage in large-scale coffee production. In addition, during the 17th century, the Indian Muslim Baba Budan secretly brought seven coffee beans back to southern India during his pilgrimage to Mecca, introducing coffee to India. The Islamic holy cities of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem also served as bridges for pilgrims to come into contact with coffee and attempt to introduce it.
The spread of coffee in Central and South America began in the 1820s, when French naval officer Gabriel de Clieu brought coffee seedlings to Martinique, which were later spread to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and other island nations. Around the same time, the British introduced coffee seedlings to Cuba and Jamaica, while French Guiana, Suriname, and Haiti also began large-scale cultivation. Spain developed the coffee industry in its territories such as Colombia and Peru. Brazil’s coffee cultivation originated from seedlings imported from French Guiana, and by the early 20th century, it had become the world’s largest coffee producer.
Coffee cultivation in Africa expanded in the late 19th century with British colonial expansion. In 1893, Kenya, neighboring Ethiopia, began developing its coffee industry and quickly became a high-quality coffee-producing region.
In 1825, coffee was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands; in the 1880s, Australia also saw its first introduction of coffee cultivation. By this point, with Brazil at the forefront, spanning both the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, and covering all four continents of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania, the global coffee cultivation map was officially complete.
The route of coffee’s introduction into China is also clear: in 1884, the British introduced coffee to Taiwan, and its popularity was further promoted during the Japanese occupation period. In 1892, French missionaries brought coffee from Vietnam to Binchuan County, Yunnan, marking the earliest record of coffee cultivation on the mainland. Currently, China’s coffee cultivation is mainly concentrated in certain areas of Yunnan and Hainan. The domestic history of coffee consumption can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty. With the opening of the country, coffee appeared in eastern coastal cities. At that time, the Shanghai bamboo-branch poem “Kǎo Fēi” documented this “bean-made, sand-sugar-colored, sweet-with-bitter” beverage. In the 1920s and 1930s, coffeehouses had already emerged in Shanghai and Kunming, but they disappeared for a time after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. After the reform and opening-up, coffee regained popularity. In the 1980s, instant coffee brands like Nestlé entered China, and “instant coffee” became the mainstream term. Entering the 21st century, the promotion by chain coffee brands and star-rated hotels further advanced the development of the coffee industry. However, as a traditional tea-drinking nation, the quality and culture of coffee in the country still require further development.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
