Coffee: The Elixir of Life

Easily one of the most popular beverages in the world, coffee has done an exceptional job of working its way into the daily lives of many people. We rely on its high caffeine content to get us going in the morning and help us to get through the dreaded midday droop.

With green unroasted coffee beans being one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world, there is no surprise that coffee has become such an important part of daily Western life.

Cultivation first began in approximately 850 C.E in Ethiopia before the coffee plant was discovered in Arabia in approximate 900 C.E. Although carefully guarded by the Arabians, some plants were eventually smuggled out by the Dutch into the Netherlands. It wasn't until 1723 that the Americas were introduced to the coffee bean with South America now responsible for over 50 per cent of the world's total coffee production.

For me, there is nothing more satisfying than waking up to a house filled with the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

Turkish coffee is prepared by boiling pulverised coffee beans in a pot before being served and the dregs left to settle.