How Europe acquired a taste for coffee
There are some legends about how coffee was discovered. The best-known story tells about a shepherd boy called Kaldi in Ethiopia who noticed that his goats became extremely lively after they had eaten cherry-like fruits from a bush. Full of curiosity, he tried the red berries himself and discovered that they gave him new energy.
Coffee arrived in Europe in the 17th century. European merchants, who had become acquainted with coffee on their travels and had learnt to appreciate this beverage, brought it back home with them When street vendors started to sell coffee in seaports, the unusual new drink became increasingly more popular. The first coffee houses in Europe then opened straightaway.
After the Turkish siege of Vienna ended in 1683, around 500 sacks of coffee beans were left behind. The foundations for the world-famous Viennese coffee house culture were therefore laid.
