Ctrl+F, but it understands you.

A short history of coffee

Coffee's story begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, where legend says a goat herder named Kaldi noticed his animals became unusually energetic after eating red berries from a certain shrub.

By the 15th century, coffee was being cultivated in Yemen. Sufi monks drank it to stay awake during long night prayers, and the port of Mocha became synonymous with the trade.

Brazil became the world's largest producer in the 19th century, a position it still holds. Plantation economies relied heavily on enslaved labour, a dark chapter in the drink's history.

Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine normally builds up during the day and makes you feel drowsy, so blocking it keeps you alert.