Culture in a snippet: The History of Coffee and Tea 

Introduction

In our everyday lives, there are two beverages that most of the population of earth drinks on a daily basis: tea and coffee (excluding water, of course). But why? We do not think about the reason why we drink these beverages on a whim. For starters, many people drink coffee or tea in the morning as a routine, but we do not question the exact reason why. Whether you started to drink coffee due to work, or simply wanted a cup of tea to relax, or vice versa. The two drinks seemingly came to our lives, and we simply cannot get enough of it. But the question is: Where did it come from?

The Brief History of Coffee

According to the National Coffee Association, the legendary history of coffee begins in Ethiopia in the 9th century, where an Ethiopian herder named Kaldi saw his herd eating berries from a bush. Kaldi observed that his goats were energetic and restless from eating the mysterious berries. Curious about the beans properties, he relayed his observations in a monastery, where they brewed the beans for the people in the monastery. Not only did they feel energetic, but the mysterious drink helped the people in the monastery to not fall asleep during their daily prayers. 

As such, the invention of brewed coffee was born. This legend is the most popular myth regarding the discovery of coffee beans in history. In the 15th to 16th centuries in the Arabian Peninsula, the concept of brewed coffee began to gain popularity, leading to the creation of coffee houses. It was through those coffee houses that many people would go to socialize in their community.

In the Ottoman Empire, coffee became a staple of egalitarian mingling due to its affordable price in the empire. Eventually, the coffee business would spread from the Arabian and Ottoman lands and manage to make its way to European markets. Coffee houses would spring up in Europe, gaining massive popularity. In England alone, coffee houses would be called “Penny Universities” due to the regular scholarly debates that would happen. In the Arabian Peninsula, coffee houses would be called “Schools of the Wise” because many scholars and travelers exchanged information across the region. 

In the 17th century, Dutch travelers would travel to Asia to create plantations for coffee beans. It was in Indonesia that they would create coffee plantations in the region, upholding the coffee demands back in Europe. Later on, the French would introduce the coffee bean to Vietnam. 

The coffee beans would eventually make their way to the Americas via trade in the 18th century. Not only would coffee become a favorite staple of drink in the Americas, but the creation of different coffee blends would revolutionize the coffee market. 

The Brief History of Tea

The history of tea is an older tale, which starts in China. The famous myth on the invention of tea began in 2737 BC when Shen Nung, the emperor of China, observed a leaf falling on top of boiled water that his servant had made for him. Curious, he drank the infused drink, and it ended up being the premise of tea that we know today. 

Since then, the popularity of tea has become so great within the nation that it became a staple in China. Soon afterwards, tea became a drink for Buddhist monks to help with meditation. With the popularization of tea started bubbling, instructions for brewing tea started to appear around 760-780. The drink became so influential, the creation of porcelain dishware and cups were invented to retain the taste of tea even better than wooden cups. In 805, the tea sapling carried its way to Japan, which also became a staple in Japanese ceremony and culture. 

It was during the Song Dynasty in 1127 that Arab merchants got hold of the tea sapling, which spread around the Arabian peninsula. In the 15th century, it was the Dutch sailors that brought tea to Europe, which became a popular substitute for coffee. The drink did not immediately catch on with the European audiences. In fact, the drink was often expensive for the regular populace to consume. Tea was also viewed suspiciously due to their “oriental” ties with Asia during this time as well. It was only wealthy Europeans that consumed tea.

Eventually, tea would make its way to coffee houses through the traders affiliated with the Dutch East Indies Trading Company in Europe. In London, the beverage soon emerged in coffee houses as well. While the drink was viewed with suspicion, it would eventually dwindle down in the U.K when Charles II married the Portuguese Princess, Catherine of Braganza. She was an avid tea drinker, and it was with her influence that tea drinking became popular in the U.K. With that, both coffee and tea became a staple in many nations. 

What are the imports and export levels of both tea and coffee?

In the realm of coffee, coffee is grown in hot tropical climates. Coffee nations lie between the tropic of cancer and Capricorn. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, Brazil produces the most coffee among the coffee growing nations. It creates approximately 35% of global production. Next is Vietnam, which creates 17% of global coffee production. Third is Columbia with 8%. Fourth is Indonesia at 7% and Ethiopia is at 6% of global coffee production. Just under 5% Uganda, India, Honduras, Peru and Mexico. 

In a report from the Government of Canada, the top importers of coffee are western countries. The top 5 nations that import coffee are the U.S, Germany, France, Italy, and Canada. The U.S spends on coffee imports alone cost $12.3 billion CAN dollars; Germany is $8.3 billion CAN dollars; France is $4.7 billion CAN dollars; Italy is $4.3 billion CAN dollars and Canada spends $2.6 billion CAN dollars all in 2024 alone. This alone does not explain coffee consumption. 

The nation that drinks the most coffee is the United states, which consumes 1.4 million tons. Brazil comes next with 1.06 million tons; Philippines is third with 489k tons; Germany with 449k tons; and Vietnam with 387k tons. 

In the realm of tea, the top 5 nations that grow the most tea are China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and Turkey. China produces 24 million metric tons of tea; India produces 9 million tons; Kenya produces 3.05 million tons; Sri Lanka produces 3 million tons; and Turkey produces 1.75 million metric tons of tea in 2022. In terms of consumption, Turkey drinks the most tea, which is followed by Ireland, Azerbaijan, the U.K and Pakistan.