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Writer's pictureBrynn Paulin

The Daily Joe, August 6


Good morning, friends!


Just a quick post this morning. Truthfully, I actually considered not blogging today, but I know some of you are counting on me.


That's the hazard of being under a deadline--everything else tends to fall to the wayside.


So...do you know what comes with deadlines? Coffee. And today, I'm talking about the history of coffee. Episode 2 of Brynn's Quickie Guide to History (LOL).


Did you know that consumption of coffee dates back to the 15th century, that's as early as 1414? It's thought to have originated in Ethiopia. By the 16th century, it had spread around the world. No surprise there.


The word coffee entered the English language in 1582 and came from the Dutch koffie which came from the Arabic qahwah. Some trace the origin of the word Qahwah to a type of wine that was an appetite suppressant called qaha. Others trace it to the Arabic word quwwa, meaning power or energy. Others attribute the word qahwah to the name Kaffa, which was a medieval kingdom in Ethiopia.


In early days, the use of coffee was associated with concentration and meditation. This meditation was noted to be a spiritual intoxication while chanting God's name. By the early 1500s, coffee houses were popping up all over Egypt, Syria and Istanbul. Just imagine! It's like medieval Starbucks!


But things took a turn for the worse! Outraged and horrified by coffee's stimulating effects the prevailing religious sects in Mecca issued a ban on coffee in 1511. I guess it just wasn't to be a Mecca of coffee... The ban was overturned in 1524. It seems pretty similar to prohibition in the US during the early 20th century. It was also banned in Cairo for a time in 1532. And by the Ethiopian Orthodox church for a period in the 18th century. Poor oppressed coffee.


Coffee grew in popularity during the 16th century in Europe. Coffee houses started popping up there in the 1500s. It was at that time, it became popular to start adding cream and sugar to their brews. By 1675, there more than 3000 coffee houses in England. These were places for religious and political discussions. The also became known as places of political dissension.


In the 1730s, Johann Sebastian Bach composed the Coffee Cantata, in which a girl pleads with her father to understand her coffee drinking. Translated from German, it says:


Oh! How sweet coffee does taste,

Better than a thousand kisses,

Milder than muscat wine.

Coffee, coffee, I've got to have it,

And if someone wants to perk me up,

Oh, just give me a cup of coffee!


It should be the inside of a greeting card.


Coffee plants were brought the Americas in 1720. They flourished in the Caribbean and Mexico then spread to Central and South America.


And next thing you know, Starbucks on every corner! And a caffeinated Brynn.

Today, August 6, 2019

I'm still under deadline. I'm looking at being done with my project on Thursday. Yay! Ahead of schedule. I'm actually pretty relaxed about things even as I'm approaching the due date. Other than this blog, that's about all I'm up to today.


Don't forget Wedding Jitters is FREE through tomorrow. And I will see you tomorrow.


Have a great not-Monday!

~~Brynn



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