Ethiopia, which is in Eastern Africa was the first known area where coffee first became known or discovered. A goat herder by the name of Kaldi, noticed his goats acting giddy one day after eating the berries from a bush. Trying them himself, he noticed he felt a renewed sense of vigor. Of course he spread the word and soon the wonder of these unique berries was known throughout the land. Eventually, Monks dried the berries so that they could be transported to far away monasteries. They ate the berries and also mixed them with water and drank the liquid. It kept them more alert during prayer.
Coffee didn’t find it’s way to the America’s until the 1700’s. Since that time, the coffee industry has become a giant employing more than 20 million people. There is more to the story but I’ve condensed it so not to keep you reading for too long. If you’d like the full store, check this website: Coffee Universe. They really do a nice write up on it.