Did You know that Bean to Cup Coffee House and Roasers is the only Specialty Coffee Bar in the North Okanagan that roasts their own coffee beans?

Here a few fun facts and history about our favourite beverage:

Of Goats and Coffee

A frequently told story about the origins of coffee in the sixth century attributes its discovery to an old Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi and his herd of tired and hungry goats. When the lazy goats got tired of looking for food but were still eager to eat, they came upon a bunch of strange bushes bearing sweet red berries and began to nibble.

Soon the old goats began dancing around the fields and hillsides like kids again. After watching this usual behavior, Kaldi himself tried the bright red berries and he too was soon filled with a renewed sense of energy. He shared his discovery with a monk from a nearby monastery. Fearing that the berries were the work of the devil, he flung them into the fire and a wonderful and exotic aroma soon filled the air.
Now convinced they were God’s work, the beans were mixed with water so all the monks in the monastery could share in this miracle. Soon the news of these special berries spread and the long days and nights of prayer suddenly became much easier.

Coffee as a Food:  

Coffee was considered a food until the tenth century at which time Ethiopian tribesmen mixed them with animal fat to form balls that would sustain them on long journeys. They were also crushed and then fermented into wine. By the 13th century, the restorative powers of coffee made it known as a medicine in the Islamic world and pilgrims spread its virtues all over the Middle East. The first coffee houses were opened during the 15th century and became important meeting places.

The Popularity of Trading Coffee: 

In order to control the coffee trade, Arab traders sold only boiled or roasted beans. Beans that had the potential to germinate and grow into fruit bearing plants were not allowed out of Arabia. In the 17th century, it is thought a Moslem pilgrim was able to smuggle the first fertile beans into India, where he planted and nurtured these special bushes. It wasn’t long before Dutch traders convinced him to part with some of his beloved young trees. Within a few years, dozens of countries were growing coffee beans.
Venetian trades are given the credit for getting the beans into Europe. After being tasted by the Pope and deemed worthy, coffee soon became the social beverage of the European middle class. The first coffee house was opened in England in 1637. In the beginning, its popularity grew quickly and many taverns were replaced. Ultimately, this popularity declined and tea took the lead as the most popular beverage in England.

The Battle of Coffee and Tea in America: 

Although the Dutch introduced coffee in America during the 1660’s, tea was still the beverage of choice among the American colonists. The boycott of tea due to taxes imposed by the King of England led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773. This important fight for freedom established coffee as the traditional democratic drink of the Americans.