I’m currently reading Uncommon Grounds – The History of Coffee and How it Transformed the World, by Mark Pendergrast. So between practical posts of different ways of brewing coffee and tasting different beans, I’ll post short historical pieces. If history is not your thing, just avoid reading “Coffee History” posts.
Myth has it that a young goat herder in Ethiopia found his goats jumping, dancing, bleating, and biting each other after eating the leaves and red berries of a particular tree. They didn’t die, but rather the next day they went back to the same group of trees for a second helping. The young boy decided to try the plant himself. As he began to chew the bitter leaves and the sweet beans, a tingle traveled from his tongue down his gut and spread throughout his whole body. He began to jump, dance, sing, and play with his goats. The young boy was convinced that he would never be tired or grouchy again. Coffee was found! Humanity would never be the same!
