The history of coffee has many versions, from the story of an Ethiopian herder named Kaldi who wondered why his berry-nibbling goats were getting frisky; to a 15th Century Sufi who found coffee drove away fatigue.
Read on and discover how what was once a goat's favorite snack has become one of the world's most popular drinks.
The Arabica coffee tree is indigenous to Ethiopia (the home of the apocryphal Kaldi) and had been known there since "time immemorial." Sometime early in its history, a dried version of its berry was developed, especially for travel, and was either eaten straight or mixed with dried grain. These two preparations comprised a pre-medieval "powerbarŪ" and a very early form of granola.
