Few things are as ordinary as a morning cup of coffee, and few have a history as strange. The most beloved legend credits an Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi, who is said to have noticed his goats growing lively after eating the berries of a certain shrub - and decided to try them himself.
From those highland origins the bean traveled to Arabia, where it was first roasted and brewed, and where the world's earliest coffeehouses became famous as places to argue, trade, and think. From there it conquered Europe, then the world.
That long journey is worth remembering the next time you reach for a cup. What began as a curiosity for a herd of goats became one of the great pleasures - and rituals - of civilized life. Savor it accordingly.
Originally published in View AZ Highlife Magazine, June / July 2007.