From Africa to Global Hubs: The Journey of Coffee

In the fifteenth century, traders transplanted wild coffee trees from Africa to southern Arabia. It is believed that Sudanese slaves, who chewed fresh coffee berries to endure the journey, brought the beans from Ethiopia to Arabia. The eastern Arabs, the pioneers in coffee cultivation, soon adopted the Ethiopian practice of brewing a hot beverage from ground, roasted coffee beans.

Coffee made its way to England thanks to a Turkey merchant returning from a voyage to the Levant during Cromwell's era. Accompanied by a Greek named Pasqua who mastered the art of coffee preparation, the merchant introduced the beverage to England. Pasqua founded a coffee house in London, which prospered remarkably. Within a year, London boasted as many coffee houses as Constantinople.

The first coffee house in England opened in 1652, sparking a trend that quickly spread across Europe and North America. The term "café" derives from the French word for coffee, reflecting its popularity on the European continent. By the late seventeenth century, coffee houses had sprung up in Eastern American cities such as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.

Today, coffee is a global phenomenon, with coffee houses serving as social hubs. The evolution of coffee culture from its Ethiopian origins to its widespread adoption highlights the beverage's enduring appeal and its ability to bring people together across diverse cultures and regions. The journey of coffee from Africa to the Arab world and eventually to Europe and America underscores its significance as a catalyst for cultural exchange and social interaction throughout history.
From Africa to Global Hubs: The Journey of Coffee

Early coffeehouses in England

Coffee was brought to England first by a Turkey merchant, returning from a voyage to the Levant in the time of Cromwell; he was accompanied by a Greek named Pasqua Rosee who understood the art of preparing the beverage.

This man founded a Coffee house in London in 1652, which prospered so exceedingly, that it is said twelve months there were as many Coffee houses in London as in Constantinople. It was opened on St. Michael’s Alley, off Cornhill.

It should be noted the first English coffeehouse, the Angel was founded in Oxford in 1650. Over the following decades English people entered into the coffeehouses trade, and hundreds of coffeehouses spread over urban England.

The buzz of the coffeehouse came not only from excess of caffeine; it also emanated from political conversation, as coffeehouses became centers for the exchange of political news, gossip and opinion.
Early coffeehouses in England