THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF COFFEE
The purpose of this date is to promote and celebrate coffee and fair trade and recognize producers within the coffee industry.
In honor of International Coffee Day, here is a little history of coffee and its distribution around the World.
The much talked about and widespread legend about the origin of coffee is that of a shepherd from Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia) named Kaldi. He observed the stimulating effect of some small red fruits of the bush on the goats that had consumed it in the mountains, an effect that he himself verified by renewing their energy.
Kaldi took some samples of leaves and fruits to a nearby monastery, where the monks put them to cook. On tasting the drink, they found it to be tasteless and threw it on the bonfire. As the grains burned, they gave off a pleasant aroma. Thus, one of the monks came up with the idea of preparing the beverage from roasted beans.
The word coffee comes from the Arabic word qahwah which means "stimulant". The drink spread from Ethiopia and reached the Arab countries (Persia, Yemen, Arabia.) Where the first to describe coffee was the German physician and botanist Léonard Rauwolf in 1583.
Coffee arrived in Europe around 1600, thanks to Venetian merchants. Pope Clement VIII was advised to prohibit coffee because it represented a threat from the infidels. After having tasted it, the latter baptized the new drink, declaring that it would be a pity to leave the pleasure of this beverage to his infidels alone.
Coffee crossed the Atlantic in 1689, with the opening of the first establishment in Boston. The beverage gained popularity after the rebels threw tea over-priced by the British crown into the sea during the Boston tea riot.
Coffee in Mexico
The introduction of coffee in Mexico dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. In the state of Michoacán it was introduced by Don Mariano Michelena, or in 1822 in Yautepec, Morelos by Jaime Salvat, however, there are versions that it was brought from Cuba by the Spaniard Antonio Salebert in 1784.
According to Baron Alejandro de Humboldt, the cultivation of the coffee tree on a commercial level began in 1812 with Juan Antonio Gómez de Guevara, in the region of Córdoba, Veracruz. Don Matias Romero made an extensive study on the cultivation of coffee in 1875, but little was said about its history in Mexico.
Today, coffee is everywhere, and we believe it is important to celebrate its humble beginnings by spreading the word about International Coffee Day. So this Saturday, bring a friend to A Page In The Sun to celebrate with us. Our beans are all locally grown organic Mexican coffee.
One of the best combos in life is a great book to go with your delicious cup of coffee. Luckily, we're not just any coffee shop. We also have a great selection of new and used books in both English and Spanish.
October 1 International Coffee Day.
