A Cup of History
A cup of coffee, which is now an integral and arbitrary part of our everyday lives, is overlooked daily by society. Coffee is much more than a drink. In fact, the very definition of coffee can propose a variety of responses, and reflect a long and tumultuous history. For some, coffee is a sign of globalization, for others a drink, a plant, or a bean. Although coffee now remains a mundane aspect of daily life, this was not always the case. Delineating the history of coffee demonstrates that coffee has had its share of conflict, and many of the opposing views surrounding coffee stem from differences in religion, social status, and gender.
The Islamic and Christian crusades were not the only point of disagreement for the two religious groups— as coffee was also a matter of debate. According to Islamic legend, a goat herder found that his goats were restless and unable to sleep. Finding the source of their vivacity, the goat herder discovered that he felt stimulated and invigorated, and thus named the drink “k’hwah” (Jacob pg. 7-10). Coffee facilitated attendance midnight prayer without strain, and shortly after, the drink was shared with others. The story, rooted deeply into Islamic culture demonstrates the importance and reverence for the drink. When coffee first began consumption, the Islamic community was accepting towards the beverage, as it provided them with energy for midnight prayer, and allowed for Muslim Sufi brotherhoods to engage in mystic ceremonies without fatigue (Global Coffee Economy, pg. 5). There was not much opposition in the Islamic world towards coffee as towards coffee houses, as people congregated there rather than places of worship such as mosques. Christians however, opposed coffee, and did so until the 20th century. This resistance to coffee had more to do with the Christians’ opposition towards Islam than the drink itself. Christian Abyssinians held hostility towards the neighboring Muslims and thus the drink that...