Development of coffee

Arabian wine is making its way to Europe

Early on, travelers from the Middle East reported on the stimulating "Arabian wine"—the coffee of the Orient. Initially as an exotic souvenir and later as an import via Venice, the beverage reached Europe. Contrary to popular belief, Venice, not Vienna, was the cradle of European coffee enjoyment.

The first coffee house in Europe opened in Venice in 1647 – it still exists today in St. Mark's Square – and quickly secured a monopoly on coffee imports. In Italy, this led to the development of a unique roasting tradition, and it was here that the term "espresso" was coined.

It was only about 40 years later, after the Turkish siege of Vienna, that an Armenian merchant opened the first Viennese coffee house – with 50 sacks of coffee that had been left behind as war booty.

Through the expansion of European colonial powers, coffee spread throughout the world in the 17th and 18th centuries. Latin America, Asia, large parts of Africa, and other tropical regions proved to be ideal growing areas. The coffee introduced by European colonial rulers soon displaced the original Yemeni trade. In 1727, Portuguese colonists introduced the coffee plant to Brazil – today the world's largest coffee producer and exporter.

The good name

Coffee labelled "Mocha" is not necessarily of superior quality; it simply means it was originally shipped from the Yemeni port of Mocha. Similarly, the term "Brazil Santos" refers only to the Brazilian port of Santos.

Even the label "100% Arabica" is no guarantee of top quality. Only about five percent of the world's Arabica harvest is actually considered premium coffee.