How and when was coffee introduced in Europe?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “when did coffee come to europe“
How and when was coffee introduced in Europe?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “when did coffee come to europe“
Personally I like the story that associates the use of coffee (and caffeine) with the Norse Berserkers from the 1100s. This article touches on the concept that these warriors ate or drank something that sent them into a frenzy, but does not mention coffee directly…
The Viking Berserkers – fierce warriors or drug-fueled madmen?
It would fill a bit of the time gap in Rhys Bowen ’s excellent response.
Ah yes, a history question! Based on my knowledge, coffee was first introduced in Europe in 1526 by the Turks when they invaded Hungary . The first coffee house was opened in Constantinople (now Istanbul), becoming very popular among the Ottoman elite.
Coffeehouses spread to other parts of Europe and eventually became popular among the general public.
Coffee even became more popular in Venice, Italy, in 1615. Although some people were actually reluctant to drink this beverage and even called it a “bitter invention of Satan”. But after Pope Clement VIII had baptised it, coffee became more acceptable to the public.
Coffeehouses started to increase in Europe starting in the 16th century. These establishments served as places where intellectuals could gather and discuss politics and literature. Coffee also became popular among the upper classes because of its stimulating effects.
Today, coffee remains one of the most popular drinks in Europe, with millions of cups consumed daily.
Coffee was introduces in Europe through Turks and in the 1700s.
There is an interesting story that it was actually Pope who is behind all the hype that was made in Italy about this new drink that was otherwise deemed as a Satanic drink.
Read the entire story here:
There is a legend in Vienna that after the breaking of the second Ottoman siege in 1683 the victors found bags containing strange beans in the Ottoman camp. They took these for camel fodder and wanted to burn them – but a man who had served as a spy among the Turks before knew that these beans could be used to make a delicious drink. He acquired them and opened up a coffee house.
This is very probably not true…
The truth is that coffee came to Europe via the Turks in the mid 17th century. First it reached ports and other commercial centers (especially those engaged in the Levant trade like Venice) from where it spread further into the “backwaters”.
European travelers had encountered coffee several decades prior in the Ottoman Empire but they had not brought significant amounts (enough to serve it publicly) back to their home countries.