Esoteric Coffeehouse

As with all major discoveries, serendipity was at play when legendary Ethiopian goat herder Kaldi first noticed the strange properties of the coffee berry. Myth has it that he observed his goats behaving strangely upon consumption of the mysterious berries: they began “dancing” around excitedly. An enterprising – and courageous – gentleman, Kaldi took it upon himself to try out the berries. As chance would have it, he did not die, but in fact became a happier man (and apparently made his wife a happier woman too!).

One cannot help to identify in this short story the hints of ancient beliefs. In fact, the story has a flavour of forgotten mystery rituals, recalling the Greek legends of Dionysus the discoverer of wine or the goat-like Pan with his invention of the reed flute.  In the absence of evidence, one can speculate  on the association with ‘goats’, frenzy, wild dances and ‘wife-pleasing’ in the little Kaldi story. The suggestion may be of an earth mystery that could easily be associated with devil worship, which in fact it was.

Another beautifully ambiguous tidbit of the Kaldi story has the goat herder, impelled by his happy wife, presenting himself with the berries to the local monk of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The monk promptly attributed the berries to the work of the devil, but in a twist, the other monks were delighted with the smell and tried it themselves¹. In this tale, the ambivalent religious use of coffee was first prefigured.

 Coffee – in the form of a crushed mixture with fat – then traversed to Arabia and particularly Yemen, where it became deeply associated with Sufi traditions. Some accounts have the Sufi mystics Shaikh ash-Shadhili² or Omar the Dervish³ the discoverers of coffee instead of Kaldi, but the stories are virtually the same.

From Yemen, the coffee ‘holy land”, the use of coffee spread into the Islamic world as part of the Sufi religious tradition. In the 9^th century, the well-known alchemist, physician and astronomer Razi (or Al-Rhazes) mentioned ‘bunchum’, believed to be coffee, as an effective medicine ⁴.

As a testimony to the growing influence of coffee in the Islamic world, coffee houses began to be opened in different cities, including Mecca, Medina, Baghdad and, after the conquest of Constantinople, in Istanbul. To the despair of secular authorities, the coffee houses became havens for artists, gamblers, political activists and other fringe characters. The ‘destabilizing’ nature of coffee is witnessed by its surname of the ‘milk of chess players and thinkers’ ⁵. Consequently, bans began to be instituted: in Mecca in 1511, in 1532 in Cairo, in 1656 in Istanbul. Yet time and again these prohibitions were overturned, most times by subsequent sultans and authorities that enjoyed coffee. In fact, coffee became so ingrained in the culture of the Islamic world, that it became often referred to the as the ‘drink of Islam’⁶. This was more so in the Ottoman empire, where it became intertwined with courtship and relationships. Thus, a man would judge the suitability of a potential wife according to her skills of making Turkish coffee. Conversely, a woman had the right of divorcing her husband if he failed to provide her daily quote of coffee.

From Istanbul, the consumption of coffee spread into Eastern Europe, Italy and to the Austrian empire. Despite initial misgivings that coffee was a drink of infidels, it quickly won over Pope Clement VIII who baptized it as a ‘Christian drink’⁷. During the 17^th century the consumption of coffee exploded in Europe, with coffee houses opening in London, Paris and Vienna. Just as in the Islamic world, authorities were not always pleased with the phenomenon: Charles II managed to ban coffee for two days in England before public outcry forced him to outturn his decision⁸ and Frederick the Great of Prussia attempted to ban imports of coffee. As in Islam, no ruler succeeded.

Coffee was one of the first truly globalized products, as French traders successfully transplanted it in their American colony of Martinique. From there it began to be cultivated in Mexico, the Caribbean and Brazil. The circle was complete when the coffee beans were brought back to Kenya and Tanzania, close to their homeland of Ethiopia. Today, Brazil and Vietnam are the main world producers of coffee.

The 20^th century is also known for the growth of coffee consumption in the Western world. During this period the instant coffee, the espresso and Nestle’s freeze-dried coffee variants were invented. Coffee house chains, beginning mainly with Starbucks in 1971, spread into the main Western cities and then into other parts of the world.

The secret of coffee resides in caffeine, which is in fact a mild poison. In vindication of Paracelsus’ support of poison-based medicine, coffee does have positive effects, including invigoration and improved sexual activity⁹ .However, as with all poisons, too much coffee can have a negative effect, including reduced sexual potency, sleeplessness or aggravated health problems.    

Tags: coffee, Coffeehouse, history, islamic culture, sufi

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