What is Coffee

No one really knows who had the first thrill of consuming a cup of coffee.  The legend is that, more than a thousand years ago, an Abyssinian was attracted to the clinging fragrance that came from a certain wild shrub that was burning.  He chewed a few berries of this plant and was impressed.  He later brewed a beverage from the berries -  and thus discovered coffee!  This goes to prove that the Abyssinians were the first to use this drink.

Image source: www.wikipedia.org
From Abyssinia the coffee plant was taken into Arabia and then to various countries of the tropics.  In the 17th century the Dutch began growing this shrub in Java and other places.  This was to profit from this commodity, as by the 16th century, the beverage was introduced into Europe.  The first London coffee shop was opened in 1652.
Most of the coffee consumed in Europe came originally from Arabia.  They had a virtual monopoly for about half a century.  It was the Dutch who made a serious effort to cultivate coffee on a large scale.  Later it reached West Indies from where to Brazil.  Brazil now supplies than half of this commodity to the world.  We find the largest coffee plantations there.  It is also grown in several other countries as well.
Coffee cultivation in India is mainly confined to Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu.
Years of experience go into the blending of good coffee sold in the market.  Usually a blend requires a number of coffees from different countries to get the desired flavour, and aroma.  There are twenty five species of coffee that grow in the tropics.  Only two produce fruit with the distinctive flavour appreciated by people.

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