Brazilians Got Their Coffee Because of an Affair
Coffee is originally from Ethiopia, with its use documented only in the 15th century. It is said that Sufi monks in Yemen were the first to drink coffee, which helped them stay awake during their night prayers. In the early 15th century, coffee spread to Mecca and subsequently throughout the Middle East. Travelers later brought coffee to Europe. In the early 17th century, some Catholics suspected coffee was the devil's drink and urged Pope Clement VIII to ban it. However, the Pope tasted the drink himself and, to their surprise, gave it his blessing. Coffee then gradually became popular in Europe. In his book, *The Travels of Four Englishmen and a Preacher into Africa, Asia, Troy, Bythinia, Thracia, and to the Blacke Sea* (1612), William Biddulph described his first impression of tasting coffee in Turkey: "The most common drink is one called Coffa, a black drink made from a paste called Coaua, which resembles peas. The preparation involves grinding the beans and boi...