Coffee ?Nectar of the gods


About 850 A.D it is said that a lone shepherd and his flock came across a strange and mysterious plant growing upon a secluded and forgotten hillside. Before he could stop them some of his herd had began to gnaw away at this unusual berry. After about fifteen minutes or so the herder started to notice that his sheep were behaving in an odd manner. Not only were they unusually alert but they also appeared to be extremely hyperactive. Now being a little weary and extremely tired the shepherd decided to try the berries and see if the end results would be the same for him as they had been for his flock. To his pleasant surprise the shepherd began to feel wide awake and he too became very alert. After a few hours had passed along came a wandering monk who, after being informed of the plants amazing qualities proceeded to scold the poor shepherd and lecture him on his foolish indulgence. After he had finished telling the shepherd just what a sinner he had been the monk set upon his journey but not before he had added a little something to his backpack and supplies.

When the monk reached his monastery his fellow holy men also decided to try this new and enchanting beverage. Soon the endless hours of prayer no longer seemed so wearisome, in fact they became easy to endure with the help of this exciting new drink. Coffee, had now well and truly arrived and the news began to spread! Its widespread consumption first commenced in the wilds of the Ethiopian outlands before then moving on to the heart of Arabia . Here it was to be held as a holy delicacy but was eventually to be unlawfully exported by a trader by the name of Baba Budan. In no time at all word of its qualities began to spread and coffee was to evolve into one of the most valued drinks ever known to the human civilisation. Its hard to believe that each year we consume a staggering four billion cups and there are many among us who would not contemplate starting their day without it.

Although coffee is usually thought of as a sleep suppressant there are many who think that it also has many health benefits. It is said that folk who suffer from the complaint of asthma and drink coffee have an average of at least 25% less symptoms due to a substance in the coffee named theophylline. This is known to be a bronchodilator which helps those who suffer with the disease to breathe a little more easily. Drinking coffee on a daily basis is also thought to help lower your chances of developing colon cancer. This is also by a figure in the region of about twenty five percent.

Its curious that the vast majority of folk have no idea of the different tastes and delights that this king of all drinks has to offer us. One of the swiftest growing trends of the last few years has to be the rising popularity of buying coffee via the internet. Never before have we been able to so easily get hold of such a large and voluptuous variety of blends, tastes and tantalising aromas from all over the world. With the aid of the wonderful web, trekking around the local neighbourhood to try and find some new exciting coffee blends has became a thing of the past. Sitting at home I can now search out an almost infinite variety of coffees from all over the world and order them at the click of a mouse. I tend to place numerous orders via the web and I always make a point of recording blend, country, and from exactly whom I purchased.

Now you know the history of this magical bean I hope that if in the days to come you are thinking of visiting your local coffee shop you recall the information you have read on this website and make the most of this wonderful drink. Go on and try some new varieties. Not only will you impress your friends, your tastebuds will be thrilled as well.

Latte or Cappuccino?

Valerie Shapero is the owner of Fuzzy Coffee, Inc. which is a premier source of information about coffee. For more information, go to: http://fuzzycoffee.com







Related News



Brazil to Offer Coffee Subsidies of Up to 300 Million Reais - Bloomberg

Brazil to Offer Coffee Subsidies of Up to 300 Million Reais
Bloomberg -21 hours ago
4 (Bloomberg) -- Brazil, the world's biggest coffee producer, will probably spend 300 million reais ($175 million) to support prices for growers this year. ...

Care for a coffee? - Telegraph.co.uk

Care for a coffee?
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom -18 hours ago
In the coffee wars, statistics are the first casualty. Are there solid grounds to think coffee shops are being deserted in favour of domestic ...


Coffee Break: Governor to speak at Tenn. Air National Guard base ... - Memphis Commercial Appeal

Coffee Break: Governor to speak at Tenn. Air National Guard base ...
Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN -12 hours ago
Gov. Phil Bredesen will be keynote speaker for dedication of a $245 million Tennessee Air National Guard base, the largest Air National Guard project in ...

Coffee prices rise even as dollar advances - Forbes

Coffee prices rise even as dollar advances
Forbes, NY -21 hours ago
AP 09.04.08, 3:36 PM ET Coffee futures rose Thursday, despite the dollar's continued rebound against currencies such as the euro and the British pound. ...
Coffee prices fall as dollar reboundsForbes
all 4 news articles

New coffee shop robbed - Lee's Summit Journal

New coffee shop robbed
Lee's Summit Journal, MO -5 hours ago
By Brett Dalton, The Journal Staff Sisters Jesi DeMeire and Erin Parks work to prepare tasty beverages at their new coffee shop, the Lee’s Summit Coffee Co. ...
Coffee shop burglarized hours before grand openingJefferson City News Tribune
all 2 news articles

Community Coffee's Louisiana Plant Still Shut, Awaiting Pwr - CNNMoney.com

BBC News

Community Coffee's Louisiana Plant Still Shut, Awaiting Pwr
CNNMoney.com -16 hours ago
Community Coffee Company's roasting plant in Port Allen, Louisiana , remains without power after Hurricane Gustav struck the state Monday, the Baton Rouge ...
Video: Gustav Evacuees Make DoCBS
Our Views: A hard hit in Louisiana2TheAdvocate
all 1,454 news articles

Open Coffee - Nature.com (subscription)

Open Coffee
Nature.com (subscription), UK -8 hours ago
Bob et al. showing the way to Open Coffee research at the Library, Royal Institution, London. How far I will be able to take it will depend on the ...

Colombian soldiers forced 'drug smuggling' Tory to eat coffee whitener - guardian.co.uk

Times Online

Colombian soldiers forced 'drug smuggling' Tory to eat coffee whitener
guardian.co.uk, UK -2 hours ago
A Tory MP today revealed that he was forced to eat coffee whitener by Colombian soldiers who suspected him of drug smuggling. Michael Fabricant, the MP for ...
MP's gunpoint Coffee Mate ordealBBC News
Coffee-loving MP Michael Fabricant mistaken for cocaine traffickerTimes Online
Tory MP Michael Fabricant forced to eat coffee whitener at gunpointTelegraph.co.uk
Reuters UK - Daily Mail
all 35 news articles

"The Various Flavors of Coffee": Coffee serves as eye-opener in ... - Seattle Times

"The Various Flavors of Coffee": Coffee serves as eye-opener in ...
Seattle Times, United States -9 hours ago
Anthony Capella's new novel "The Various Flavors of Coffee" is set in London and Africa of the 1890s, when the international coffee trade was a gateway to ...

Morning Coffee: Ball State's season begins tonight - ESPN

Morning Coffee: Ball State's season begins tonight
ESPN -1 hour ago
Ball State will host Navy Friday night in what Greg Fallon of the Muncie Star Press is calling the opening of the Cardinals' season. ...