Coffee History.
How it all begin: A story of passion, imagination, and dancing goats.
The story of coffee begins as far back as 9th Century Ethiopia. Legend has it that a goat herder named Kaldi noticed that after eating the cherry-like fruit of a certain tree, his goats became much more energetic, frolicking, jumping and refusing to sleep. Intrigued, Kaldi took some of this strange, energy giving fruit to a local abbotwho tasted them for himself. Unimpressed with the bitter taste, the abbot hurled the berries into a nearby fire. That’s where the magic started. Kaldi and the abbotwere suddenly struck with the most delicious aroma they had ever encountered. They had found the secret to this sacred bean. By roasting it they found its trueflavour. They brewed the freshly roasted beans in some water and the first cup of coffee was born.
Since then word about this delicious, energy giving drink spread throughout the world. Coffee houses sprang up in early Arabia where folk would gather and discuss issues of the day over a cup of the magical brew. Early coffee houses became known as ‘schools of the wise’.
Trade bloomed and the humble coffee bean spread round the world, through Europe, to the Americas and eventually, to Australia. Ancient roasting methods were honed to perfection and blends of various kinds of bean were refined into endless varieties of delicious brews and eventually, Antico’s slowly roasted Coffee was born. So let’s raise a cup to Kaldi and the abbot, the original coffee.