The Reputed Origin of Coffee: Part Two

To continue recounting legends surrounding the origin of coffee, let us turn to the story of how coffee was brought to Arabia from Ethiopia.

According to one account, coffee was brought to Arabia (the Middle East) from Ethiopia by Sudanese slaves, who apparently chewed on the berries enroute to help them survive the journey. There is some evidence that the coffee berries were ground up and mixed with butter, and was then consumed like chocolate for sustenance. This method was reportedly used by the Galla tribe of Ethiopia, which is believed to lend some credence to the Sudanese slave story. The practice of mixing ground coffee beans with ghee (clarified butter) persists to this very day in some parts of Kaffa and Sidamo, two of the principal coffee-growing regions of Ethiopia. In Kaffa, the drink is brewed today with the addition of melted ghee, which gives it a distinctive, buttery flavour.

Coffee's invigorating powers have been linked to religion. Islamic legend describes the discovery of coffee as being linked to the devout Sheikh Omar, who found the coffee growing wild in Mocha, a well-known coffee producing region in Yemen. The Sheikh is said to have boiled some berries, discovered the stimulating effect of the brew, and administered it to the locals who had been stricken with an ailment of unknown origin, and cured them.

There are numerous versions of this story concerning the reclusive Sheikh Omar. One story has it that he cured the King of Mocha's daughter with coffee; another tells of how a wondrous bird led him to a tree filled with ripe coffee berries.

We will continue with our survey of stories and legends concerning the origins of coffee in the next blog.