Southwest Asia, the home of coffee

World geography Magnet / Lawrence , a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

The home of coffee is Yemen, where you will find the city of Mocha.

Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia, says passionfocoffee.com, but was first cultivated on the Arabian Peninsula.

When coffee came to the Arabian Peninsula in c1100, it was the time of the Arab Empire. As those who lived in the Arab Empire were Muslims, they were forbidden to drink alcohol, unlike their European counterparts.

Over time, coffee became to the Arabs what wine was to the Europeans. The effects of caffeine were well-suited to Muslim religious customs. According to Islam, Muslims should pray 5 times a day. The stimulating effect of caffeine made it possible for many Muslims to stay awake during prayer time.

As the Arab Empire stretched through Arabia, North Africa, and parts of Europe, trade routes were established . Arab traders brought coffee to Europe, and Europeans too enjoyed the stimulating effects of caffeine and the taste of coffee. Coffee remained popular in Europe. As time went on and Europe expanded its influence over the world, like the Arabs before them, they traded coffee throughout the world.