History of Tea and Coffee
History of coffee
The coffee plant originated in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, but the propagation of the coffee bean began in Yemen as early as AD 575.
Originally coffee was eaten as a whole berry. Later it was crushed, mixed with fat and then a type of wine was made with the fermented fruit. Roasting did not become popular until the 13th Century when (most likely) some berries fell into a camp fire by accident.
The first coffee plant to be taken to Europe was stolen by Dutch traders in 1616. From this point, cultivation outside Arabia began to flourish. The Dutch set up plantations on their colonies of Ceylon, Java, Timor, Sumatra, Celebes and Bali.
With time, the French managed to join in with a single plant that parented the millions of coffee bushes in the West Indies and Latin America. Soon after, Spain's West Indies colonies joined in, and then Britain cultivated Jamaica in 1730 and India in 1840. Today, Brazil produces 60% of the world's total coffee production.
Coffee Harvesting and Processing
History of tea
Tea originated in ancient China over 5000 years ago when Emperor Shen Nung boiled water under a tree. Leaves fell into the water, creating a delicious and refreshing drink.
The consumption of tea soon spread throughout Chinese culture and reached every aspect of society. The cultivation and preparation of tea in ancient China began to take shape and in 800 AD Lu Yu wrote the first definitive book on tea.
In Japan, Buddhist priest Yeisei brought the first tea seeds and the association of tea and Zen Buddhism elevated it to an art form and created the Japanese tea ceremony. Over time, tea houses began to develop and drinking tea became an every day part of life.
In Australia, tea arrived with the first fleet in 1788 and soon became an imported staple during colonial times. Everyone from servants and officers to convicts drank tea and in early folklore, swagmen roamed the countryside sharing stories over a cuppa beside the campfire.