Coffee, anyone?

Whilst you relax over your latte this morning, why not give a prayer of thanks to the Lord for his creation - today (1st October) is International Coffee Day. However you prefer your coffee, spare a thought for this incredible product. 

Wild coffee plants were first discovered in 9th century Ethiopia, as a goat herder called Kaldi noticed that some red berries were having an unusual effect on his goats.  The coffee beverage itself hails from Yemen, where it was harvested, roasted and brewed; Sufi Muslims in the 15th century used it to aid concentration during night prayers.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, coffee spread from the Islamic world to Christian regions, through the interactions between Muslim and Christian traders. It was in the monasteries of Europe that coffee found a special place. Monks and priests adopted coffee as a tool to aid in their spiritual practices, as coffee helped them stay awake during long prayer vigils and night-time services.

By the 17th century, coffee was the popular drink for intellectuals as they met in coffee houses to drink, listen and debate. They became hangouts for the likes of diarist Samuel Pepys, architect Christopher Wren, and the French philosopher Voltaire. The Lloyd's Coffee House in central London was the birthplace of the global insurance market.

Finally, the cappuccino owes its name to the Capuchin friars, an order of Catholic monks from Venice, who were known for their brown and white robes.