Coffee – Beverage or Food?
Coffee is a beverage in every country in the world. Granted, the coffees of different countries vary in taste (and strength), but every country has coffee of some kind. The history of coffee is long and storied, and coffee is called by many names in many lands. The Arab traders of yesteryear called it Gahwah. The Spice Islands’ name for it was Java. Ancient Portuguese explorers called it café. That word is often used to mean a gathering place in many countries now. It stands to reason — coffee is most often a shared experience between friends.
Scientists believe that coffee was born in Ethiopia and was a food rather than a beverage in the beginning. Coffee was actually used as a replacement for wine. The drinking of wine was (and is) forbidden by Islamic law. Coffee was first used in religious ceremonies in place of wine and the plants were considered so valuable that removing even one was punishable by death. (I’ve been dying for a cup of coffee before, but that seems a little extreme. 
Turks pulverized coffee beans and mixed them with water and spices like cinnamon, cloves and cardamom back in the thirteenth century to make what we call Turkish coffee. It is believed that Venetian traders may have smuggled coffee plants out of the East and into Italy.
Over the centuries we have learned a lot about coffee, especially how important it is to store it in airtight containers. Air is the biggest thief of coffee flavor, whether the beans are whole or ground. Coffee should always be stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place but never in a refrigerator. Correct storage is one of the major secrets of producing a great cup of coffee with every brewing.
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