early as 8000 BCE. While these samples
are testament to the early consumption of
coffee, it’s a long way from the hot black
brew we identify today. In Uganda (home
of the Robusta variety of coffee - Coffea
canephora) blood brother ceremonies
surrounding the chewing of the coffee
cherry were also practiced, although
it is believed that the first wide spread
consumption of coffee was from the
Oromo tribe in southwest Ethiopia – the
same location where the superior Coffea
arabica variety originated.
For the Oromo, coffee was considered
to be buna qala (the “Tears of Waga”
[supreme being]), the coffee berry was
cooked with barley and butter before
being eaten as a means of sustenance or
as part of birthing rituals. Local ancient
proverbs best describe the role of coffee
in everyday Ethiopian life as buna dabo
naw, simply meaning “coffee is our
bread”. While Ethiopia can lay claim to
both the birth place of man and coffee
alike, it would take the influence of their
neighbour across the Red Sea, Yemen,
before the two would be strongly united.
How exactly coffee was first introduced
into Yemen is still a topic of much debate,
yet with Ethiopia already trading as far
as China in the 4th and 5th centuries AD,
it’s not so big a feat that coffee should
make the 600 or so miles to the coast of
the Arabian Peninsula. As with the tale
of Kaldi (minus the goats) it was religion
which would plant the foundation for the
drink to flourish.
Dedicated to the study and worship of
the Prophet Muhammad, Sufis (a mystical
branch of Islam) used coffee to help keep
awake during late night worship sessions.
Already involved in the practice of
astronomy and alchemy, it is believe that
the skills needed to understand infusion
were first introduced to the Sufis by the
world’s oldest tea brewing nation, China.
With records of tea ceremonies dating
back to the 1st century AD, it was also
in China where the earliest mention
of coffee outside of the Horn of Africa
would be found. In 1270 AD, Chinese
Emperor Duzong of the Song Dynasty,
invited Sufis astronomers to Peking to aid
in the orientation of a new observatory.
There is little doubt that during this visit
the Yemeni would have partaken in a
traditional Chinese tea ceremony. Whether
this empowered the order with their first
alchemical means to understand infusion
or not, will never be known but the timing
and convenience are well placed. An
alternative theory is again rooted in the
influence of the Chinese back on the
home shores of Yemen.
Between 1413 and1415 the fourth voyage
of the legendary Chinese Treasure Fleets
saw enormous vessels laden with vast
riches, sent throughout the unknown
world to establish new trade and alliances,
and all of this some 80 years before
Columbus would accidentally discover the
Americas. Included in the fleet’s ports-ofcall was the great Yemeni port of Aden. As
was tradition, any representing Chinese
dignitaries would certainly have met and
hosted Sufis elders in at least one tea
ceremony. Over the next two decades,
a further three fleets would revisit Aden,
re-establishing strong trade between Asia
and Arabia.
Whether inspired by the Chinese, plague
ravaged princesses or dancing goats,
coffee during this early period would
barely be recognisable today arriving as
one of many early brews;
• Kish’r: An infusion of the dried coffee
cherry with the bean removed (still
consumed in Yemen today)
• Qish’r: Coffee leaf tea infusion with
ginger flavouring (still consumed in
Yemen today)
• Kati: Infusion of the pan fried green
coffee leaves (still consumed in Ethiopia
today)
• Amertassa: Infusion of dried green
coffee leaves (still consumed in Ethiopia
today)
• Sultana Coffee: Lightly roasted dried
coffee cherries (sold as a tea today)
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