The history of coffee goes back a long way. From Ethiopia to Europe, coffee has made a long journey, during which the way it is prepared has also developed.
The long coffee journey to Europe
Coffee enjoyment is said to have its origin in Ethiopia. Europe learned about coffee in the 16th century and the first coffee houses in Constantinople, Venice, Hamburg and other major European cities opened in the 17th century. The coffee was traditionally prepared in different ways. We present the history of coffee preparation to you in more detail.
From Ethiopia to Europe
The coffee is said to have its origins in the Kaffa region in south-west Ethiopia. Coffee was drunk here as early as the 9th century. In the 14th century, coffee made its way to Arabia and from there to Europe via the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. The seeds of the coffee cherries were roasted, ground and boiled in water to make the coffee. The early coffee preparation in Europe was also similar to the traditional Ethiopian one, in which the beans are roasted in an iron pan and then pounded with a mortar. The ground beans are then filled with water and some sugar in a jabana, a bulbous clay jar, and boiled. This method of infusion is used in many countries to prepare coffee, such as in Italy with the Italian mocha pot.
The coffee grinder
In order for the coffee to be enjoyed in the coffee houses established throughout Europe in the 17th century, the beans had to be ground. Since reducing the size with a mortar was too strenuous and not very efficient, the coffee grinder found its way into Europe in the 16th century. The design of the mills varies depending on the degree of grinding that is to be achieved. Before electrification, the beans were still ground by hand. Cone mills were used for this. These had a truncated cone-shaped grinder and, due to their low speed, did not heat up much and were therefore gentler on the aroma during grinding.
Making coffee today
The basic principle of coffee preparation has not changed much since coffee was created. Even today, the beans have to be ground up. The type of preparation determines the degree of fineness. The coffee bean becomes a drink by pouring hot water on it. As a rule, the coffee is prepared using two different methods:
Maceration: Maceration means leaching or dodging. The ground coffee is placed in boiling water and allowed to steep for at least five minutes. This is how Turkish mocha is prepared, for example.
Percolation: Percolation means straining. (Almost) boiling water runs through the ground coffee. The percolation process is always used when preparing coffee in fully automatic coffee machines.
