Where is the birthplace of coffee? Certainly not in Europe. She is in Africa. In fact, coffee was given to the world by Ethiopia. It was in this state that they first learned to grow the famous Arabica. This country is still the main producer of the drink in the world. Approximately 200-240 thousand tons of raw grains are harvested here annually.
According to statistics, a quarter of the country's population is engaged in the cultivation of this crop. At the same time, a fairly significant part of wild-growing coffee thickets is still not processed. This country is the true birthplace of coffee, as nature itself gave it to her.
Historically, the concepts of "coffee" - "Ethiopia" have become almost synonymous. It is in this country, in the mountainous area of Kefa (from which the name of the drink comes) that the Arabica variety grows. In ancient times, coffee was not used to brew a drink. Berbers and Ethiopians enjoyed balls rolled from crushed grains. They also insisted on wine.
Although the birthplace of coffee isEthiopia, but the Arabs were the first to learn how to make a drink. It was they who began to soak the grains in water and wait for it to infuse. So it turned out an invigorating drink, which was simply necessary for the tireless nomads who are always on the road. Later, coffee beans learned to roast on a fire and brew with boiling water. In the 13th century, the grains were first dried in the sun, and then also calcined on coals.
Today, coffee in Ethiopia grows both on small plantations of peasants and on large - on an industrial scale. Like millennia ago, most of the production comes from wild coffee trees.
The natural thickets of these trees are very dense. Cultivated plants occupy about a third of all areas. Trees grow at altitudes of 1100-2100 meters at temperatures up to 25C Celsius. Grains are harvested from August to January.
In Ethiopia, one type of coffee is produced - dry-processed Arabica. Famous Ethiopian varieties are Harar and Jimma, which have a great bouquet and are often used in blends with Javanese and Colombian grains.
There is also an opinion that the birthplace of coffee is Brazil. In principle, this is not true, since the grains were brought here by pilgrims who were able to grow trees from them. It happened in the eighteenth century. Nevertheless, Brazil can rightly be called the second homeland of coffee.
One fifth of the country's territory is occupied by coffee trees. Arabic varieties are grown here - maragogype, bourbon andMundanov and others. Unlike Ethiopia, coffee production here is based on a scientific approach. Many varieties (for example, santos) are not a botanical variety of the coffee tree, but are an arranged selection of different aromas and flavors.
In addition to "pure" varieties, they mix and sell various "bouquets" - very interesting taste and smell mixes that maintain a consistently high standard of coffee.
Brazil is now even called the “coffee power”, and a real monument was erected in Sao Paulo Square in honor of this culture - a bronze Coffea tree.
