coffee was first made into a drink in the 15th century.
when was coffee first made into a drink?
15th century
the first recorded implements for roasting coffee beans were thin pans made from metal or porcelain, used in the 15th century in the ottoman empire and greater persia. in the 19th century, various patents were awarded in the u.s. and europe for commercial roasters, to allow for large batches of coffee. in the 1950s just as instant coffee was becoming a popular coffee drink, speciality coffee-houses began opening to cater to the connoisseur, offering a more traditionally brewed beverage. in the 1970s, more speciality coffee houses were founded, ones that offered a variety of roasts and beans from around the world. in the 1980s and 1990s, the gourmet coffee industry experienced great growth. this trend continued into the 21st century.
coffee roasting
in italy, like in most of europe, coffee arrived in the second half of the xvi century through the commercial routes of the mediterranean sea. in 1580 the venetian botanist and physician prospero alpini imported coffee into the republic of venice from egypt, and soon coffee shops started opening one by one when coffee spread and became the drink of the intellectuals, of social gatherings, even of lovers as plates of chocolate and coffee were considered a romantic gift. by the year 1763 venice alone accounted for more than 200 shops, and the health benefits of the miraculous drink were celebrated by many. some representatives of the catholic church opposed coffee at its first introduction in what today is italy, believing it to be the "devil's drink", but pope clement viii, after trying the aromatic drink himself, gave it his blessing, thus boosting further its commercial success and diffusion. in turin, in 1933, alfonso bialetti invented the first moka pot by observing the lisciveuse, a steam pot utilized at that time for laundry. in 1946 his son renato started industrial production, selling millions of moka pots in one year, versus only 70000 sold by his father in the previous 10, making the coffee maker (as well as coffee) an icon of italy in the world. naples, albeit being known today as the city of coffee, has seen it later, probably through the ships coming in the ports of sicily and naples itself. some date the neapolitan discovery of coffee back to 1614, when the composer, explorer and musicologist pietro della valle sent news from the holy land, in his letters to the dear friend, physician, poet, greek scholar and mario schipano and his gathering of intellectuals, of a drink (called kahve) the arab muslims brewed in hot pots. some believe coffee arrived in naples earlier, from salerno and its schola medica salernitana, where the plant came to be used for its medicinal properties between the xiv and xv century. celebrated by neapolitan art, literature, music and daily social life, coffee soon became a protagonist in naples, where it was prepared with great care in the "cuccumella", the typical neapolitan filter coffee pot derived by the invention of the parisian morize in 1819. neapolitan artisans came in touch with it when brought, once again through the sea commercial routes, to the port of naples. an indication of the approach of neapolitans to coffee as a social drink, is the practice of the suspended coffee (the act of paying in advance for a coffee to be consumed by the next customer) invented there and defined by the neapolitan philosopher and writer luciano de crescenzo a coffee "given by an individual to mankind".
history of coffee