Legends have linked coffee with priests, poets, doctors and philosophers.

The first coffee drinkers experienced sensations ranging from exhilaration to religious ecstasy.

Coffee was first prepared not as a beverage but as a food by African tribes

The ripe cherries from wild coffee bushes were ground with animal fat and rolled into balls which they consumed on their war parties. The high protein and caffine content provided nourishment and stimulation to spur the warriors on.

It wasn't until 1000 A.D., when the Arabs learned to boil coffee, that it became a beverage

One legend tells the story of Kaldi the goathearder who sees his flock dancing on hind legs after eating certaian cherries. Kaldi resolves to try the fruit himself, and passing monk is astonished to see Kaldi and his flock dancing merrily together in a meadow. The monk learned Kaldi's secret and after adding the process of drying and boiling the beans the monk used this beverage to stay awake for night long religious ceremonies

When coffee began to loose its religious assosiations the first coffee houses began to appear in Mecca where music, gambling and open social, political and religious discussion were common place.

Until the late 17th century almost all coffee came from Arabia but coffee's increasing popularity made the trade monopoly harder to protect. Dutch coffee spies finally succeeded in stealing plants from Arabia and cultivating them in Java and plants were freely distributed throughout Europe.