“Neither coffee nor coffee shop is the ultimate goal. Coffee leads to friendly conversation – the true desire of the soul…”
Anonymous
The coffee tree originally came from the high plateaus of southern Ethiopia, and Sufi dervishes in Yemen prepared the first drinkable coffee. This is the oldest known way of brewing any type of coffee, and is still today prevalent in many parts of the world. The ability of caffeine to stimulate the mind and ward off sleep was the main reason why coffee gained popularity among Sufis of the day. Not only did coffee serve such practical purposes, but also over the years a complex system of ceremonies that spiritually complemented the order’s rituals was created around it. In time, public interest grew towards what had been essentially an item of Sufi esoterica. Starting in the dervish lodges and spreading along pilgrimage routes, coffee became an integral part of socio-cultural and daily life as well as a good trade item around the Mediterranean.
