The story of the bean

The Bean

Taste in coffee is personal and bean choice can make or break a coffee.

The freedom to select any type of bean or grounds you like is crucial to the end result. There are two kinds of bean – Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans are widely considered to be the best beans, but only grow in altitudes higher then 600m. Every year over 7 million tonnes of beans are grown in over 50 countries around the world. These beans are then treated and roasted in different ways by an industry employing over 25 million people.

Much like wine, the region where a bean grows impacts on flavour. The amount of water, sunshine, fertile soil and the time from picking to roasting can impact on the final taste. This is not to say one bean blend is universally better then another but one will better suit your personal taste – so experiment and enjoy discovering your perfect coffee.

Ethiopia

The birth place of Coffee.

The coffee story begins in Ethiopia. There is anecdotal evidence of coffee existing as far back as the 13th Century in the Kingdom of Kaffa in Ethiopia. It is not until the 15th Century that hard evidence of coffee consumption appears in the nearby region of the Sufi monasteries of Yemen.

Middle East & North Africa

The first Café.

By the 16th Century Coffee had reached the Middle East and North Africa. By the second half of the 16th Century the first cafés appeared in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). These cafés soon became preferred meeting places for diplomats, artists, authors and intellectuals.

Venice

Coffee arrives in Europe.

As a popular hub for trade, the Venetians were the first to import this new trend from the Middle East, in about 1600. There was initial controversy over the drink until Pope Clement VIII approved it for consumption by Catholics in 1600. The first European coffee house was opened in 1645 in Venice, not far from De’Longhi’s hometown of Treviso.

The rest of Europe

Trade companies spread the word.

These Venetian Cafés were a huge hit and soon started to spread. On the back of the British India Trade Company and the Dutch East India Trade Company Europeans were quickly introduced to coffee and they embraced it with gusto. Today, coffee is an intimate part of the modern European lifestyle.

Australia

Coffee in the sun.

Whilst Australian’s did not invent coffee, we have adopted it enthusiastically. The Flat White is an Australian invention and is one of Australia’s most popular types of coffee. The Café culture in Australia is second to none and Café have become a social hub, location for offsite meetings and a spot to unwind.