Coffee grown worldwide can date back to the ancient forests of Ethiopia. There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered coffee bean after he noticed that after eating the fruits from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night. Coffee trade began on the Arabian Peninsula. By the 16th century it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.
Coffee was hardly known in Europe before the 17th century. The Venetians were the first people to bring coffee into Europe. The first European coffee houses started opening in Italy around 1645. In the following 100 years, at least 3000 coffee houses were operating in England. It was the coffee houses of England that started the custom of tipping waiters and waitresses. In a short time, coffee and coffee houses spread throughout Europe. In 1822, a Frenchman Louis Bernard Rabaut invented a machine which forced the hot water through the coffee grounds using steam instead of merely letting it drip through. The first espresso machine (咖啡机) had been born.
In the coffee industry, there are two important coffee species — Arabica and Robusta. Arabica originates from the coffee trees discovered in Ethiopia. It represents about 70% of the world’s coffee production. Arabica coffees bring the highest prices on the world market. Meanwhile, these coffee trees require additional care and attention. Robusta is primarily used for instant coffees. The Robusta bean itself tends to be slightly rounder and smaller than an Arabica bean. It can produce a coffee which has a distinctive taste and about 50-60% more caffeine. The Robusta tree is more resistant to disease, which makes it easier and cheaper to grow.
To preserve coffee beans’ fresh roasted flavor as long as possible, you can store them in an air-tight container (容器) at room temperature. Coffee beans can be beautiful, but avoid clear containers which will allow light to influence thee taste of your coffee. Exposure to air is bad for your beans. If you do freeze your beans, be sure to use a truly air-tight container.
【小题1】Where was the coffee bean first discovered?| A．In Egypt. | B．In Turkey. | C．In Ethiopia. | D．In Saudi Arabia. |
| A．It was the British people who brought coffee to Europe. |
| B．The custom of tipping came from Italian coffee houses. |
| C．Drinking coffee became popular before the 17th century. |
| D．Louis Bernard Rabaut invented the first espresso machine. |
| A．Arabica has a higher cost. |
| B．Arabica contains more caffeine. |
| C．Arabica beans appear smaller and rounder in size. |
| D．Arabica accounts for most of the world’s instant coffees. |
| A．Ways to store coffee beans. | B．The process of making coffee. |
| C．The methods of choosing coffee beans. | D．The difficulty of adjusting the taste of coffee. |
