Legend has it that coffee was discovered in 300 AD by an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi. One morning at the rise of sun, Kaldi set out to tend his daily path when his herd began feverishly eating red and green berries from a low-lying bush. Full of energy and an uncharacteristic charisma, the goats began kicking up their heels in a seemingly joyful state.
Kaldi tried the beans.
After succumbing to immediate effects of alertness and unwavering energy, he shared the news of his new “wonder berry” with the people of his village, and word quickly spread. This prompted Arab traders in the region to bring the beans home to their farms where cultivation of coffee plants began. At harvest, the farmers boiled the beans, creating a liquid elixir, which they named “Gahwa” (translating as “Preventer of Sleep.”)
World on a Fork 