A History of Coffee on its way to the U.S.
A History of Coffee on its way to the U.S.
The first coffeehouse opened in Istanbul, Turkey in 1554 after a previous 10 year ban by Imams for being too stimulating a drink. This was rescinded by a sultan and fatwa. By the 16th century, coffee that the Turks and men of Yemen drank began to spread in many directions. Coffee as a drink now spread through Persia, Turkey and northern Africa. These coffee beans became known as Arabica beans. Going north it first went to Italy by way of the Ottoman Empire; it then traveled to the rest of Europe. Coffee was now brewed in a few minutes in a “coffee maker” pot rather than half a day. The Dutch took coffee seeds and plants to the Dutch East Indies, now called Indonesia. Cultivated there they became known as “Java Coffee” by1719. Coffee beans now come to the Americas.