The word “coffee” comes from the name of the former region “Kaffa” where coffee first was discovered by a herds boy as a stimulant and later was used as the black liquid which is so well known now all over the world. For ages the secret of coffee remained in Ethiopia. In the 16th century coffee was brought to Arabia by traders and cultivated there and in the 17th century it was introduced in Europe. The biggest coffee plantations of Ethiopia are still in the Kaffa region and coffee is still the biggest export product of Ethiopia.

The coffee grown in Ethiopia today is the same as that which grew in the wild, back when it was first discovered and begun its journey towards the Arab countries. It is a bush belonging to the Rebiaceae family, just above 2meters tall, whose fruit is a bilobulated berry, first green, the red and finally crimson. Within the berry hides two seeds, the grains of coffee.

These grains contain an oil, cafeon, and a stimulating alkaloid, caffeine, used to avoid drowsiness and mental fatigue. Coffee grows in rich, damp soil that absorbs water well and quickly drains excess rainfall. It prefers altitudes between 1,100 – 2,100meters with abundant rainfall of 1,500 – 2,500 millimeteres, spread throughout the year. The areas of greatest production are found in th e southwest regions; Kaffa, Wellega, Gamo Gofa, Sidama and Illubabor. It is also grown in lesser amounts in Haraghe, Gojjam, and Shoa.

The discovery of coffee occurred when a heredsman took his flock to a place where there were coffee bushes. The goats were attracted to the beautiful, shiny red colour of the coffee fruit and ate them. Their sudden over-excitement surprised the herdsman, who then told some monks in a nearby monastery about it. They prepared an infusion from the leaves and fruits. After drinking it they could not sleep at night. Other monks crushed the fruits, ground them and prepared an infusion, making them the first people to enjoy a cup of coffee. This could have happened around 1440, which means the culture surrounding Coffea Arabic would have arisen in the Abyssinian monasteries before spreading across the Red Sea.