Mystical Coffee to Starbucks
Coffee was first discovered in Yemen and Ethiopia. The shepherds cooked the beans into a soup. Soon only the mystic priests were allowed to drink it. They believed it would aid in their concentration and even in spiritual intoxication when they chanted the name of God. It didn’t last long though. Coffee shops soon sprung up around the religious college where many men had philosophical discussions and shared poetry and even religious debates. After it spread to Mecca, shaykhs discussed whether or not coffee should be forbidden like beer and wine had been by Islam. They believed that created situations not unlike where people got together and shared alcohol. However all attempts to ban it, even under penalty of death, failed and soon scholars came to the consensus that coffee was permissible. Coffee spread to Europe through the Ottoman Empire and then through the European trade, it spread across the world. At first it had been viewed with suspicion as a muslim drink until Pope Clement VIII suggested that it be baptized. Many different countries quickly adopted it and adapted it to their own tastes. The coffee industry quickly moved to more tropical areas in South America and sadly today none of Arab countries are listed among the world significant producers.
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