Coffee History: From Ethiopia to Your Cup
Cafès Illes Balears
A millennial journey from the mountains of Africa to your cup
There is something profoundly human in the act of drinking coffee. Perhaps because its history blends mystery, legend, spirituality, and revolution. The history of coffee doesn’t begin in a factory or a modern roaster. It begins centuries ago, in the mountains of Ethiopia, when everything was silent… except for a few unusually restless goats.
🌱 A legend that changed everything
Kaldi, a curious shepherd, noticed his flock stirring after chewing the red fruits of a wild bush. Intrigued, he tasted them himself and felt an unknown energy coursing through his body. Tradition has it that he took the berries to a monastery, where the monks discovered that the infusion helped them stay awake during the long nights of prayer.
Thus, between chance and intuition, one of the most universal rituals in the world was born: drinking coffee.
Image representing the legend of Kaldi, the origin of coffee.
🌍 From the temples of Yemen to the squares of the world
Although the exact origins of the coffee plant are lost in time, it is believed that it was in Yemen where the bean began to be roasted and ground, mixing it with hot water (and on occasions, salt). From there, coffee crossed deserts and seas, spreading throughout the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa and a good part of the Islamic world.
It wasn’t just a drink: it was company, reflection, energy, culture.
In cities such as Cairo, Damascus and Constantinople, the first coffee houses, the qahveh khaneh, sprang up. These spaces brought together poets, merchants, thinkers and artists. Here they debated, played chess and, above all, dreamed aloud.
Thinking, coffee and revolution
The impact of coffee was so profound that it even led to tensions. In 1511, in Mecca, coffeehouses were ordered closed for fear that their customers would become too critical of power. The decree was short-lived. Coffee had already taken root, both in habits and in the collective consciousness.
Europe: from scepticism to fervour
When coffee arrived in Europe, it came with controversy. Some religious people branded it ‘the devil’s drink’. However, Pope Clement VIII decided to try it and was so captivated by its taste that he is said to have blessed it in the name of Christians. The rest is history.
London, Paris, Vienna… they all wanted their own coffee houses. Not only coffee was drunk there, but also philosophical revolutions took place there. Johann Sebastian Bach even composed a cantata for it. By then, coffee was no longer an oriental fashion: it was a symbol of a new way of thinking and living.
🌎 Coffee conquers America
During the 18th century, coffee cultivation spread to Latin America. Brazil and Colombia soon became world leaders. In Colombia, in particular, coffee became synonymous with national identity: each farm, each harvest, is part of a family history, woven with hard work, tradition and a great deal of pride..
Photograph of a coffee plantation in Colombia
The aroma of coffee is no longer an exotic rarity but has become part of the daily awakening of millions of people.
Spain: the scent of conversation and culture
In Spain, cafés became salons of ideas. Places like the Café Gijón in Madrid or the Novelty in Salamanca brought together writers, painters and journalists. Works, friendships and sometimes even love were born there. The café became an excuse and a stage for conversation. And it still is.
Image obtained from the Photo Library of the Cultural Heritage Institute of Spain.
☕ A legacy to savour
Today, in a hyper-connected and fast-paced world, coffee retains that almost magical power to stop time. It is a pause. A small personal ritual. A link with the history of humanity.
At Cafès Illes Balears, we carry this history in every bean we roast. We select with care, we respect the origin and we celebrate the art of preparing a coffee as it deserves: with time, with soul and with passion.
Our coffee plantation in flower
A lot of passion is what we have in our experimental coffee plantation in Son Ferriol.
Unique in this latitude and in the Mediterranean.
Soon you will be able to drink our coffee, from Km0.
Which means: sustainability, reduced carbon footprint, no pesticides or chemical fertilisers…
Because we want the best and because we want a better world. Thank you for joining us on this journey !
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