The History of Coffee, The Drink of Muslim that Enlighten Europe

History of coffee begins from the story of a goat herder from Abbasiya (Ethopia) around the 9th century AD. At that time the shepherd found his goats after eating the red fruit that falls from the tree, it turns out that the goats could not sleep and restless all night. Then he tried the fruit and feel the same effect.

Drinks from the coffee beans originally came to prominence in Yemen in the mid 1400s. Yemeni people at that time processing the coffee beans into a beverage that can make them awake, they roast coffee beans, then boil it to produce rich caffeine drink, a substance that stimulates the body to the brain become more energetic and think more clearly.

In the 1400s and 1500’s, the coffee begin to spread throughout the Muslim world, such as Egypt, Persia, Turkey and North Africa, coffee shops started popping up in big cities. Coffee shops started to become haunts at that time, as a place to socialize and get acquainted with other people.

From the Muslim world coffee began to spread to Europe and became popular during the 17th century. During medieval, Europe only recognize water as the only option other than alcoholic beverages. In France and other areas overgrown with grapes, grape distilled water (wine) is the dominant beverage. Even the Europeans are more like alcohol than water because they think alcohol is cleaner than water and more filling. Though the result of alcohol causes a European society is often drunk.

Then in the 1600’s, coffee shops began to spread to the plains of Europe. Earlier there was opposition from the European Christian community, because coffee is considered “Muslim drink.”

Coffee shop eventually became “the center of Enlightenment”, especially in France. European societies that have been previously used to drink alcohol, and now they meet in coffee shops to discuss philosophy, government, political and other ideas that become pillars of enlightenment. The famous French philosopher like Diderot, Voltaire, Roussesau are regular customers at coffee shops of Paris.

If it were not for this drink originating from Muslim countries, Europe might never have enlightenment, as the philosophers would never meet each other to discuss ideas, or have mental clarity (as previously immersed in alcohol) to be able to think logical and philosophical.