Coffee isn?t just a beverage. It?s an art form. The same goes for tea. Tea and coffee are both social beverages which have depth and history behind them. Here?s a look at the two drinks in all their caffeinated glory.
Legend has it that coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia; the local shepherds realized that their herds, after munching on the stuff growing wild all around them, couldn?t sleep at night. Another tale tells of a man who was banished to the desert; this man called Omar, found only the coffee plant and in a bout of desperation, boiled it. The plant saved his life and the residents of a neighboring town, called Mocha, took it as a miracle.
Coffee was first brewed in around 1000 AD, according to researchers. Sufi monasteries in Yemen in southern Arabia were said to drink coffee regularly enough for it to be mentioned. It seems that coffee made its way from Ethiopia to Egypt and Yemen. Arabians are credited with roasted and brewing coffee in the manner that we are accustomed to today. Coffee spread to the rest of the Middle East and northern Africa by the middle of the 15th century. From there it spread to Italy and the rest of Europe, then to Indonesia where it was then transported to America.
In order to protect their investment, Arabians made their coffee beans infertile by boiling them before shipping them out. According to legend, an Indian man whose name was Baba Budan defied the Arabian measures by sneaking out fertile beans strapped to his stomach. Thus came coffee to Europe through ancient Venice and the beverage boomed.
The Dutch began importing coffee in significant amounts, defying the Arab prohibition in 1616. They then took their crop to Java and Ceylon. Exports of Indonesian coffee to the Netherlands took place around 1711.
Today, coffee is ubiquitous. You really can?t go anywhere without seeing it. The art of brewing the perfect cup is something that is prided by many.
Tea has a long and varied history too. It can be traced back to ancient China. The emperor Shen Nung is credited with discovering tea about 5,000 years ago. As a wise and learned man, the emperor passed an edict that all water should be boiled before it was drank. One day, while the emperor and his court were traveling, they stopped for some water. The servants set up the pot to boil it and some dried leaves from a bush fell into it, making tea. The emperor, always inquisitive, tasted the new concoction and was delighted. This was the birth of tea.
Tea culture was pervasive in ancient China. In 800 AD Lu Yu wrote the first guide to tea called the Ch?a Ching. The book detailed various tea rituals, cultivation methods and preparation. The work was heralded as a masterpiece and backed by the Emperor himself.
The Japanese weren?t introduced to the beverage until the priest Yeisei brought it back to his homeland from China some years later. After that tea was big in Japan.
Tea was introduced to Europe in 1560 via the Portuguese Jesuit Jasper de Cruz. From there it spread like wild fire. - 30241
Legend has it that coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia; the local shepherds realized that their herds, after munching on the stuff growing wild all around them, couldn?t sleep at night. Another tale tells of a man who was banished to the desert; this man called Omar, found only the coffee plant and in a bout of desperation, boiled it. The plant saved his life and the residents of a neighboring town, called Mocha, took it as a miracle.
Coffee was first brewed in around 1000 AD, according to researchers. Sufi monasteries in Yemen in southern Arabia were said to drink coffee regularly enough for it to be mentioned. It seems that coffee made its way from Ethiopia to Egypt and Yemen. Arabians are credited with roasted and brewing coffee in the manner that we are accustomed to today. Coffee spread to the rest of the Middle East and northern Africa by the middle of the 15th century. From there it spread to Italy and the rest of Europe, then to Indonesia where it was then transported to America.
In order to protect their investment, Arabians made their coffee beans infertile by boiling them before shipping them out. According to legend, an Indian man whose name was Baba Budan defied the Arabian measures by sneaking out fertile beans strapped to his stomach. Thus came coffee to Europe through ancient Venice and the beverage boomed.
The Dutch began importing coffee in significant amounts, defying the Arab prohibition in 1616. They then took their crop to Java and Ceylon. Exports of Indonesian coffee to the Netherlands took place around 1711.
Today, coffee is ubiquitous. You really can?t go anywhere without seeing it. The art of brewing the perfect cup is something that is prided by many.
Tea has a long and varied history too. It can be traced back to ancient China. The emperor Shen Nung is credited with discovering tea about 5,000 years ago. As a wise and learned man, the emperor passed an edict that all water should be boiled before it was drank. One day, while the emperor and his court were traveling, they stopped for some water. The servants set up the pot to boil it and some dried leaves from a bush fell into it, making tea. The emperor, always inquisitive, tasted the new concoction and was delighted. This was the birth of tea.
Tea culture was pervasive in ancient China. In 800 AD Lu Yu wrote the first guide to tea called the Ch?a Ching. The book detailed various tea rituals, cultivation methods and preparation. The work was heralded as a masterpiece and backed by the Emperor himself.
The Japanese weren?t introduced to the beverage until the priest Yeisei brought it back to his homeland from China some years later. After that tea was big in Japan.
Tea was introduced to Europe in 1560 via the Portuguese Jesuit Jasper de Cruz. From there it spread like wild fire. - 30241
About the Author:
Damian Papworth loves his Krups 4 cup coffee maker. You can read his write up on the One Cup Coffee Makers website.
