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The history of coffee is the stuff of legends. One coffee history legend tells of an Arabian shepherd named Kaldi, who dwelled in the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. One day Kaldi innocently found his goats dancing around a dark green leafed shrub with bright red cherries. Kaldi soon realized that his goats had been intoxicated by the bright red cherries on the shrub, which were causing them to act in such a peculiar yet joyous way. Kaldi was tempted by the rich, deep red colour of the cherries. After trying them himself, he experienced their power. The stimulating effect of the cherry was soon broadcast throughout the region. The monks at a local monastery made particular use of the cherry, consuming it to help them remain lucid during the early morning hours of their prayer times. The monks soon distributed their find to other monasteries around the world. Apparently, this is how coffee as we know it came about.

However appealing this legend might appear, there is evidence to suggest otherwise. There is contrary evidence which reveals the plateaus of central Ethiopia as the origin of the coffee bean. This bean must have somehow found its way to Yemen where it has been cultivated since the 6th century. It was the introduction of the first coffee houses in Cairo and Mecca which turned coffee into a passion rather than just a stimulant.

Over time, the coffee bean made its way around the world to many exotic regions. Here are some of them:

• Hawaiian Kona Coffee
• Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee
• Kenyan Coffee
• Cuban Coffee
• Ethiopian Coffee
• Italian Coffee
• Guatemalan Coffee
• French Chicory
• Colombian Coffee
• Yemen Coffee
• Java Coffee