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.