History of Coffee: From the East to Daily Ritual

From Ethiopia and Yemen to European coffeehouses, coffee history is a story of trade, culture and daily rituals. Here we separate legends from documented developments.

Coffee’s journey at a glance

Ethiopia and the legend of Kaldi

Arabica is native to Ethiopia and neighbouring areas; Kew also lists South Sudan. ^[1] The tale of Kaldi and his lively goats belongs to coffee folklore. It proves neither a particular discovery nor a historical visit by Kaldi to Yemeni Sufi communities. Evidence about the earliest beginnings is fragmentary. ^[2]

Yemen: early coffee-drinking traditions

Ethiopia and Yemen are central to early coffee history. Research describes coffee trading around the Red Sea in the late fifteenth century and expanding cultivation in Yemen in the sixteenth. Trade networks linked the region with places including Jiddah and Cairo. This does not establish the identity of a definitive first coffee drinker. ^{[2] [3]}

Early European accounts

Physician and traveller Leonhard Rauwolf described coffee in the late sixteenth century. For Switzerland, the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland cites Johann Jakob Ammann’s account of 1618. Such written evidence records awareness of the drink, not necessarily the first cup ever consumed in a country. ^[4]

Coffeehouses and social life

Coffee drinking and coffeehouses spread through Europe in the seventeenth century. Alongside enjoyment came medical, moral and economic debate. In Switzerland, coffee initially became a familiar habit particularly among more affluent urban communities. ^[4]

Industrialisation: distinguishing Bremen from Switzerland

Kaffee HAG was originally a German company, not a Swiss inventor of decaf coffee. Ludwig Roselius’s early industrial decaffeination is associated with Bremen, where the HAG factory was built in 1906/07. ^[5] The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland dates the opening of a HAG factory in Switzerland to 1912. ^[4]

A separate Swiss example is Nescafé, which Nestlé launched in 1938. This is a product-launch date, not a claim that no instant coffee had previously existed anywhere in the world. ^[6]

International coffee history also includes colonialism and enslaved labour. The National Library of Medicine documents that connection through coffee trading and its spread in the Caribbean. ^[7]

From history to modern espresso

Explore the journey from plant to cup, our Arabica vs Robusta guide, coffee beans, E.S.E. pods and coffee machines.

Frequently asked questions

Where did coffee originate?

Arabica’s botanical origins lie in Ethiopia and neighbouring areas. The history of the drink is also closely associated with Yemen. ^{[1] [2]}

Is the story of Kaldi true?

It is a familiar legend, not historical evidence of a specific discovery. ^[2]

When did coffee become popular in Europe?

Coffee drinking and coffeehouses spread especially in the seventeenth century. ^[4]

What was Switzerland’s role?

One example is Nescafé’s launch in 1938. Germany’s HAG opened a Swiss factory in 1912; that operation is distinct from its origins in Bremen. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Sources and context

These sources address botanical origins, early accounts, trade and company history. Publicly accessible summaries were used for the academic book contributions. A travel account or commercial launch does not automatically establish a worldwide first discovery.

1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Arabica coffee.
2. Oxford Research Encyclopedia – The Ethiopian and Yemeni Roots of Coffee (abstract).
3. Cambridge University Press – Coffee in the Red Sea Area (summary).
4. Historical Dictionary of Switzerland – Coffee (German).
5. Bremen heritage authority – Kaffee HAG Factory I (German).
6. Nestlé – company history, 1938 section.
7. National Library of Medicine – Fire and Freedom.