How did coffee spread to Europe?

Wild coffee plants originated in Ethiopia, but the beverage took root in Yemen where Sufi Muslims used it for night prayers in the 15th century. From Arabia, coffee moved through Mediterranean trade routes, entering Europe via Italy and other Mediterranean regions in the mid-16th century. By the late 17th century, coffee houses were established across Western Europe in places like Holland, England, and Germany.

What we know

• Coffee entered Europe in the mid-16th century via Italy and other Mediterranean regions through Mediterranean trade routes. [2]
• Coffee houses were established in Western Europe by the late 17th century, particularly in Holland, England, and Germany. [2]
• Arabic coffee traveled from Yemen to Mecca, Egypt, the Levant, and then to Turkey in the mid-16th century before reaching Europe. [3]
• Until the end of the 17th century, the Yemeni port of Mocha served as the world's sole gateway for coffee. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow did Sufi Muslims use coffee in Yemen?
• whereWhat role did the port of Mocha play in global coffee trade?
• what caused itHow did coffee cultivation expand beyond Yemen?
• a case in pointWhat is Arabic coffee and how is it traditionally prepared?
• the bigger pictureHistory of coffee
• an unexpected connectionHow did a Yemeni port become the world's sole coffee gateway?Although wild coffee plants originated in Ethiopia, the entire global trade relied exclusively on the Yemeni port of Mocha as its sole gateway until the late 17th century.

Sources

• [1]history of coffee (Wikidata Q2635744) · CC0 1.0
• [2]History of coffee · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Arabic coffee · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Coffee · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Specialty coffee · CC BY-SA 4.0