From the botanical evidence
indicates that Coffea Arabica originated on the plateaus of central Ethiopia . And it is
several thousand feet above sea level.
Initially, coffee was brewed from green, unroasted beans to yield a tea-like beverage. By
the late 13th century, Arabians roasted and ground coffee before brewing it. Coffee was
used for it's medicinal properties and as a ritual drink. The world's first coffee shop,
Kiva Han, opened in Constantinople in 1475.
The modern coffee drink
was invented at the end of 15th century, when roasting and crushing the coffee beans
before extracting them with hot water grew in acceptance. Turkish people claimed coffee to
be an aphrodisiac and husbands kept their wives well supplied. Around 1650 a Moslem
pilgrim from India named Bab Budan returned from Mecca with seven seeds of the wonder
bean, Coffee. He planted them in the Chandragiri Hills of Karnataka, whose conducive
climate and altitude proved ideal for coffee cultivation.The East India Company with its
relentless spirit of exploration for harnessing commercial avenues in India, discovered a
gold mine in coffee cultivation and developed it into a viable plantation crop.
By the end of 19th century, the green hills of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala were
covered with thriving coffee plantations. However, Karnataka State, the home of Indian
Coffee remains the largest producer of finest varieties of coffee even today . |