Are you aware of any archaeological and historic research into the early use of coffee in the mediaeval period, before coffee found its way to plantations in the colonial period and became a major commodity?
First introduction into Europe by Greek merchants in Smyrne (Asia Minor) from Ethiopia in late 1700's. No plantations there, just beans brought in. From there it was sent to Paris & London - favourite trading destination of these merchants.
Thank you, Michael! The introduction of coffee into Europe from the Ottoman empire is relatively well known story. I am currently intriqued much more by the question how coffee originally got from Ethiopia to Arabia and if there is any serious research on this process.
Hi Ladislav,
I've been looking for relevant papers about coffee recently, but I was more interested in impact of coffee consumption upon bones. Aparently if you drink a lot of coffee your bones may break easier :) There is a new handbook 'Coffee in Health and Disease Prevention' published this year with good overview of history of coffee. It goes back to Islamic world somethin like 10th century AD.Information is scattered across several papers..I have one good paper on coffee 'all-in-one' chemistry with short overview of consumption, freshly downloaded form Science Direct and few papers from Procedia.they are attached below hugsxDalia
Amazing! Many thanks! I am going to look at these publications first and hopefully we will discuss some specific issues later!! Best, Ladislav
Thank you, Ladislav, for your interesting quregion! If you find related literature, I am interested in it as well. As a plant biologist I may assume that early H. sapiens living close to the forest places where coffee grew in the understory ate the ripe berries but, instead of animals interested in the sweet pulp onlpy, chewed also the seeds. I guess that with the advent of pottery and the related use of the ashes of dried animal dung, the roasting of coffee had started. In my view, modern archeology using DNA techniques on excavated (roasting) pans and pots could give an answer.
Regards. Thomas
www.villacoffea.com
Again me, but this time from my imac not freely changing the text input. OK, 'an interesting question' I meant. We did some analyses on an archeological sample. Look at the link page below.
Best Thomas
http://www.villacoffea.com/wa_36.html
Thank you very much Thomas! Very interesting web indeed, I am learning a lot while reading through it! Can I describe my new project idea about coffee to you in a personal e-mail? I would like to know your opinion on it and to find out if we could possibly find a way how to work together? Best, Ladislav
Starting from the Ethiopian connection... from consumption to trade.
Article Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transform...
Article The Early History of Ethiopia's Coffee Trade and the Rise of Shawa
Thank you so much! These references are much appreciated!
Best regards,
Ladislav
Ladislav, short history of coffee in Europe is described here (page 109)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235685378_New_Plants_at_Prague_Castle_and_Hradcany_in_the_Early_Modern_Perioda_History_of_Selected_Species
Article New Plants at Prague Castle and Hradčany in the Early Modern...
Jaromír, of course this is an excellent source for Europe, but the earliest history of coffee in Africa and West Asia is still a challenge!
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