Coffee is among the most powerful beverages in the world. On an individual’s level, it assists in keeping us awake and active. It also, from a much broader perspective, has assisted in the shaping of history and has significant inputs in the shaping of the future. Coffee plants originated in Ethiopia, where they grew in the wild. It is guessed that the plant had been in use for thousands of years by the nomadic communities, but people only realized that its seeds could be roasted in the 1400s when its exploitation began. The drink had, by the 1500s, spread to most coffeehouses in the Arab world and later took Europe by storm within the following 150 years.
The coffee plant and its product had a major effect and influence on the establishment and rise of businesses, with coffeehouses serving not only as coffee outlets but also as spots where people met and exchanged ideas while enjoying a cup. Over 2000 coffeehouses in London led to the foundation of the insurer Lloyd’s of London. Other businesses founded under the influence of coffeehouses include literature and newspapers, among other artworks of great composers such as Beethoven and Bach. In most cases, a story is told that following the Boston Tea Party held in 1773, when British tea ships were raided by the American colonialists and crates of tea were thrown into the harbor, there was a universal shift of the Americans to consuming coffee. Some historians contend that the story contains some truth in it since even some of the prominent American officials of the time wrote letters in which they expressed their thirst and proclaimed their love of tea but the need to shift and embrace coffee drinking instead, citing that taking tea had become and was considered unpatriotic.
Despite the upsides and advantages that coffee has had in the contemporary world, the product has also presented an equal share of downsides and disadvantages. Europeans brought with them coffee in all regions of the world under their colonization and rule, a practice that was frequently attributed to the idea that they enslaved communities with the aim of growing it. Most people point out the irony attributed to coffee, where they claim that it makes individuals think. To some extent, it creates egalitarian joints, especially in coffeehouses where human beings come together and meet. A fascinating fact is that coffeehouses were used in the strategic planning of the American Revolution and the French Revolution. On the contrary, the same coffee product that was used in fueling the French Uprising was also being grown and produced by the slaves captured in Africa and had been transported to San Domingo, currently known as Haiti.
In Brazil state, where slavery had been legal until 1888, coffee farms would apply slash-and-burn farming techniques, which led to the tearing down of rainforests in order to plant coffee trees, which depleted the nutrients and minerals in the soil. Once the soil became sapped and unfertile, the coffee growers and farmers would shift to another region and repeat this agricultural practice. Consequently, there are a lot of coffee naysayers in the history of the plant. For instance, coffee was banned by the governor of Mecca following the advice offered to him by his medical advisors, citing it has had adverse effects on people’s health and well-being. By the year 1674, women in London believed that coffee consumption would make their husbands impotent. However, in the era when beer soup was regarded as breakfast for champions, coffee exhibited one outstanding health advantage: the Western civilization became sober. Notably, coffee had a very significant effect in a variety of ways on Western civilization despite the fact that it was mainly grown by slaves for a long period.
In the contemporary world, coffee is among the drinks that numerous people cannot do without. A large portion of the citizens begin their daily activities by having a cup of coffee, while most of them continue to do it past lunch hour and all day long. This raises questions as to why coffee is so lovable. The most practical and perhaps most popular reason is that people tend to drink coffee as it helps in keeping them awake. When people have loads of work to complete or have other reasons for staying awake past their usual bedtimes, coffee is the best option as it can assist them in staying awake while at the same time stimulating the brain, hence making it active. Another reason is that the drink calms the nerves as a result of its stimulating aspects, thus making its consumers more relaxed.
Additionally, coffee is a good winter drink. Its consumption helps keep people warm during cold periods. Coffee, being a bitter drink, is suitable for drinking sweet snacks and foods. This, therefore, explains some seemingly weird traditions of why coffee is drunk with doughnuts. The acidity present in the coffee provides a pleasant balance for the sweet meals and snacks in most breakfast foods. Coffee is also a good after-meal drink, which is recommendable for meal partners as they catch up some little conversation, enjoying their free time, and letting the meals settle.
In conclusion, coffee is the best beverage in the world. While it traces its origin in Ethiopia, the plant was only discovered much later in the 14th century. Since then, it has become a favorite drink for most people and is associated with a wide range of advantages, such as relaxing the mind and keeping people awake.
References
Chapman, Garry, and Gary Hodges. Coffee. Mankato, Minn.: Smart Apple Media, 2011. Print.
“DECISION UNDER RISK CONDITIONS: ADVANTAGES OF TECHNICAL ANALYSIS FOR ARABIC COFFEE FUTURE CONTRACTS IN BM&FBOVESPA.” Revista Contabilidade e Controladoria 5.2 (2013): n. pag. Web.
Pendergrast, Mark. Uncommon Grounds. New York: Basic Books, 2010. Print.
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