Alza Days - Coffee

The History of Coffee

The origins of coffee are believed to lie in the Ethiopian province of Kaffa. From there, Ethiopian warriors in the 13th and 14th centuries carried coffee plants to Yemen. By the 15th century, coffee drinking had spread from the Arabian peninsula to nearby countries in the Orient. In 1517, Turkish armies brought coffee from Egypt to Constantinople (now Istanbul). Over time, coffee drinking became a passion in Turkey, and gradually the custom spread across Europe as well.

Interesting Facts about Coffee

Coffee Is a Fruit

When you take a sip of your latte, you're actually drinking fruit. Coffee berries are edible fruits, which contain the coffee beans from which we make coffee.

The Days of Eating Coffee, Not Drinking It

The first African tribes didn't make a tasty drink out of coffee, as we do nowadays. Instead, they mixed coffee beans with fat and rolled it into balls, which they then chewed as a source of caffeine.

Civet Coffee

Civet coffee is made from the dung of civets, which are small predators living in Asia, Africa, and southern Europe. Civets eat meat, but enjoy the sweet berries of the coffee plant as well. When a civet eats a coffee berry, the berry passes through its intestinal tract almost intact. It does go through fermentation in the civet's stomach, though, and this process gives the resulting coffee a specific and unmistakeable taste and aroma.

Coffe's Health Effects

Aside from coffee's effects on your mind, it has many beneficial effects on your body as well.

Coffee as Medicine

It's well known that coffee acts as an antioxidant in the body, strengthening the nervous and immune systems and helping to avoid premature aging. Many experts also assert that moderate daily consumption of coffee (3 to 5 cups) can ward off diseases such as Alzheimer's and reduce the risk of tumour growth.

Coffee as a Pest

Despite all its positives, coffee can take away more than it gives. With its high content of addictive caffeine, coffee can quickly become an unwanted addiction. Excessive consumption of coffee can harm your health, as it causes nervousness and distraction, and can even raise the risk of heart attacks.

Ways of Enjoying Coffee

Espresso – a stream of water is forced under high pressure for a short time through finely ground, roasted coffee, which must be tightly packed. By using fresh coffee and the right water pressure, you can achieve a fine layer of foam on top. Espresso is stronger and has a more distinct flavour than drip coffee.

Cappucino – the first third of the cup is filled with espresso, and the second third with milk. Then you heat full-fat milk in a pitcher and froth it into a milky foam, which you then pour into the final third of the cup.

Turkish coffee – according to the original Turkish recipe, it is brewed in a copper cezve pot. Around two teaspoons of finely ground coffee and one teaspoon of sugar go into the cezve, and it is filled up with water. The mixture is brought to a boil and then served.

Moka pot coffee – prepared in special moka pots. After opening the pot, pour 7g of coffee per cup into the filter and fill the base with water. Then put the moka pot on the hob, bring it to a boil, and let the steam force the water into the upper part of the pot. You can then serve the resulting coffee.