WI Earlier Global Spread of Coffee

[wilcoxchar]

One of the peculiarities of commodity spread is that coffee, while it was discovered in Ethiopia possibly as early as the 800s, it only spread to Yemen and Mecca in the 1400s, and only arrived in Indonesia when the Dutch brought it there.

So say coffee spreads throughout the Islamic world much faster than OTL. Say, Yemen by the 1100s, then to Cairo and Mecca by the 1200s and to southern India, Sumatra, and Java by the 1400s. How big an impact would this have?

 

[Gurroruo]

What did you read the History in 6 Glasses?

I read that book a few years back and distinctly remember that it claimed coffee affected the world via coffeehouses, and though it did it wasn't vital. The major impact of coffee was commercial with coffee plantations sprouting up in the Americas and being highly successful, meanwhile Africa has a huge coffee industry. In all honesty I don't see coffee having a big effect on history and human development.

 

[wilcoxchar]

What did you read the History in 6 Glasses?

I read that book a few years back and distinctly remember that it claimed coffee affected the world via coffeehouses, and though it did it wasn't vital. The major impact of coffee was commercial with coffee plantations sprouting up in the Americas and being highly successful, meanwhile Africa has a huge coffee industry. In all honesty I don't see coffee having a big effect on history and human development.

I read it quite a few years ago. Now I'm reading Uncommon Grounds, which is what inspired this question. And I was actually thinking more about the plantation impact as well, primarily with coffee starting up in Sumatra and Java before Dutch colonialism. I'm also thinking an earlier spread of coffee to Kenya and the rest of East Africa. This would also make the coffee there different as the trees would likely be transplanted from Ethiopia or southern India instead of from Brazil.

 

[Riain]

Isn't a big problem that natural coffee needs shade, so it couldn't break out in a big way until strong light tolerant plants/beans could be bred?

Also, wasn't some custom tax thing in centuries gone by the reason the British drink tea instead of coffee?

 

[Jared]

A quote from Frederick the Great of Prussia seems apposite here:

"It is disgusting to notice the increase in the quantity of coffee used by my subjects, and the amount of money that goes out of the country as a consequence. Everybody is using coffee; this must be prevented. His Majesty was brought up on beer, and so were both his ancestors and officers. Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer, and the King does not believe that coffee-drinking soldiers can be relied upon to endure hardships in case of another war. "

 

[wilcoxchar]

Isn't a big problem that natural coffee needs shade, so it couldn't break out in a big way until strong light tolerant plants/beans could be bred?

Not necessarily. Coffee does need only a small amount of sunlight to get the best roasting bean, but in a place that is wet or cloudy sun-grown coffee can produce a good enough crop. Brazilian coffee and I think Yemen grew and might still grow most of their coffee in the sun. It is a lot worse on the soil though.

Also, wasn't some custom tax thing in centuries gone by the reason the British drink tea instead of coffee?

IIRC it was more that the British East India Company had a virtual monopoly on tea so could artificially undercut the price of coffee.

 

[Just Leo]

Not necessarily. Coffee does need only a small amount of sunlight to get the best roasting bean, but in a place that is wet or cloudy sun-grown coffee can produce a good enough crop. Brazilian coffee and I think Yemen grew and might still grow most of their coffee in the sun. It is a lot worse on the soil though.

IIRC it was more that the British East India Company had a virtual monopoly on tea so could artificially undercut the price of coffee.

The type of bean, and the method of harvesting are just as critical as soil quality, location and roasting method. I have learned to frown on Brazilian plantation grown Robusta and crave mountain grown, hand-picked Arabicas. India was one of the first places where Ethiopian Highlands Arabica beans were purloined and cultivated although later developments became more commercially viable. Starbucks has just opened up a shop in Jamaica, home of Jamaica Blue Mountain, with promises of employment, not great coffee.