Coffee has always been synonymous of
tradition and culture for many countries, being talked about since
the mythics times, and has entered the Legend. The Turcs say that
Archangel Gabriel has offered it to the prophet Mahomet in order
to overcome the long nights spent in prayers. In a chapter of the
Odissey, it is said that Elena of Troia discovered
coffee when it was offered to her by the Queen of Egypt Polidamna
and offered it herself to Telemaque and his companions not only
to keep them awake, but also to alleviate their desperation for
the disparition of Ulysse. In fact, coffee was used to stop crying
and avoid sadness. The name of the coffee tree derives from the
name of the village Caffa, in Abissiny (Ethiopy). The islamic tradition
tells that the great Queen of Balkis, hearing of the Jewish ruler
Salomom, left Saba and went to have a son from him. After having
the desired son, she went back so many times to that country, that
some of her people established a colony there. It was during the
time of these travels that the Saba people monopolized the trading
of gold, copper, spices, for a long time in the Red Sea ,.and probably
brought the plants of coffee which they liked particularly. Centuries
after the disappearance of the Saba, some muslim priests who lived
on the hills of the shores of Yemen found abandoned crops of caffee
reduced to a wild stage. They discovered that coffee was an excellent
tonic and had extraordinary qualities: They used it against fever.
They restarted the growth and in a very short time the plant of
coffee was appreciated and expanded in all islamic countries, and
especially in Turkey, where a multitude of coffee houses were opened.
In 1590 The Dutch Van Hom brought to Indonesia some yemenite coffee
plants from the areas of Aden and Moka while they were introduce
to Brasil in 1727. Afterwards, the plant was brought to Martinique,
in the Antilles and to Colombia. Crossing the Atalntic Ocean in
the other direction it arrived to the African colonies, in Ivory
Coast and Camerun. After these exportations, the plant went through
transformations due mainly to the climate and was divided in two
branches: the first, called Robusta, is very strong and full of
caffeine and is typical of the African countries; the second called
Arabica is found in South and Central America where in function
of the selection the caffeine content is very low while maintaning
its properties. From then, this extraordinary plant has written
the History of these countries and solved most of their economic
problems. Surely, drinking a cup of coffee help a lot of us to start
better the day.

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