There is great mystery surrounding
the origins of coffee. No one can say with certainty how or when
coffee was discovered, but by far the most widely renowned story
revolves around a young boy and his goats.
Legend has it that Kaldi, an
Ethiopian goat herder, noticed his goats were more active after
eating a certain berry. He shared the phenomenon with some nearby
monks, who soon discovered that by roasting the beans encased in
the fruit, they could brew them into a stimulating drink.
What is known for sure is that
around the 14th century, the coffee bean was transported
across the Red Sea and introduced to Arabia, where it became
not only a popular drink, but also a pastime, as people began to
congregate in coffee houses. Cultivation of coffee began in Yemen,
and despite initial protests and bans from religious groups who
deemed the stimulating effects to be 'ungodly', its consumption
spread rapidly.
Despite its popularity, another two
centuries passed before Venetian traders bought coffee to Europe in
1615. Once it arrived, the spread of coffee's popularity was
phenomenal. Within 30 years, coffeehouses dominated the cities of
Italy, Great Britain, Austria, France, Germany and The Netherlands,
replacing beer houses as the popular place to meet.
The Dutch began to cultivate coffee
in their colonies in South East Asia primarily on the island of
Java and Indonesia, giving coffee one of its most enduring
nicknames. Cultivation spread across Asia, and through the
Caribbean, Central America and Brazil. These areas continue to
represent a major source of coffee, which is now the world's second
most traded commodity.
From Bean to Cup
The various unique blends of
Moccona instant coffee are created using two main types of coffee
beans, Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica beans originate mainly from Middle and South America and
some parts of Africa, and have a mild, aromatic taste. Conversely,
Robusta beans come from Asia and Africa and are distinguished by
their strong, earthy, full-bodied taste.
Moccona instant coffee is made from 100% coffee beans. To produce
the various Moccona blends you know and love, different varieties
of coffee beans are carefully selected and blended before being
roasted to release the aromas and flavour of the beans. After
roasting, the beans are ground and brewed. The brewed coffee
is then concentrated by evaporating the water component. At the end
of the process, the coffee particles are packed into airtight jars
which you see on your supermarket shelf.
Moccona prides itself on quality control throughout the process so
that we can guarantee the freshness and quality of all our
products.
