The goat herder who first discovered coffee in Ethiopia

Legend has it, a young goat herder from the Kaffa region in Ethiopia, called Kaldi, first discovered coffee in the ninth century. He noticed his goats were full of energy after eating red berries from an unknown shrub.

So, Kaldi tried the strange fruit himself, and soon realised it gave him an energy boost like never before. Kaldi shared his story with the local monks, and when they tried it themselves, they immediately threw the beans into the fire claiming they were from the Devil. But the aromas from the beans roasting in the fire were so heavenly, they collected the roasted beans, placed them in a jug of hot water and covered them. At first sceptical, the monks drank the brew and soon found it kept them awake during nightly prayers. And thus, the earliest forms of coffee were born.