Coffee: a brief history lesson

Coffee is a plant native to Ethiopia. Legend has it that everything began with “Kaldi’s dancing goats”.

On a hot day, a herder named Kaldi was watching his goats as usual. Suddenly, he noticed the animals rising onto their hind legs and apparently dancing as they tapped their hooves.

Confused and alarmed, he scattered them. Behind them he saw shrubs with silvery bark, thick glossy leaves and branches covered in red berries.

Kaldi, known for his curiosity—and thankfully so—decided to taste the tempting fruit. To his surprise, his mind became alert and his sleepy eyes opened wide.

News of the magical berries spread quickly. Monks became interested in the seeds and, hoping to release their remarkable properties, brewed them like tea. According to the story, this was the beginning of coffee as a drink.

This is a legend, not a documented account of coffee’s discovery. Its dates and details vary between tellings; the original version of this article placed Kaldi around 900 BC, a date that should not be treated as established history.