Kaldi, Goat, and Coffee
Have you ever heard of Kaldi?
Legend has it that Kaldi was the one who found the coffee. You may believe it or not. But the most meritorious in the discovery of this coffee are Kaldi goats. So, for you coffee addicts, then you should thank goats. Haha.
Who was Kaldi? According to wikipedia, Kaldi or Khalid was a legendary Ethiopian Sufi goatherd in Ethiopia who discovered the coffee plant around 750 AD, according to popular legend, after which it entered the Islamic world then the rest of the world. In a legend it is mentioned that Kaldi, noticing that when his goats were nibbling on the bright red berries of a certain bush, they became more energetic (jumping goats), chewed on the fruit himself. His exhilaration prompted him to bring the berries to an Islamic monk in a nearby Sufi monastery, but the Sufi monk disapproved of their use and threw them into a fire, from which an enticing aroma billowed. The roasted beans were quickly raked from the embers, ground up, and dissolved in hot water, yielding the world's first cup of coffee. Please read this source.
In other source it is mentioned also that when Kaldi investigated, he saw that the goats were merrily eating the red berries and shiny leaves of an unfamiliar tree. Kaldi decided to try some, and when he did he joined the dancing goats and became “the happiest herder in happy Arabia.”
Furthermore, Kaldi has had a tremendous influence on the Sufis living at that time. It is as described in this source:
Later, Kaldi carried samples of this mysterious plant to a local Sufi monastery. After some skepticism, the monks partook of the strange beans. That night, their midnight prayers came easily. The monks stayed up for hours, praying in the state of spiritual ecstasy they had always sought. They embraced the consumption of coffee – for that is what Kaldi had discovered – as a vehicle toward mystical visions.
From some literature I read concluded that the history of coffee comes from Ethiopia. You can read this statement: "Coffee grown worldwide can trace its heritage back centuries to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau. There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans."
Wow. Thanks goather!
@goatpeng Very interesting story. Love it and thank you for posting it!
Thank you for comment