Forklore is back, diving into legends and myths surrounding your favorite foods from all over the world. Today: the origins and spread of coffee, the small but mighty bean that overcame extreme adversity to become the global powerhouse it is today. If legend is to believe, the world has a goat to thank for starting it all.
The prevailing story of coffee's introduction to humankind surrounds Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder who tried the fruit after seeing the stimulating effect it had on his goats. He shared his findings with a group of local monks who were having difficulty staying awake during their late-night prayers. The coffee fruit solved their problem and then some, converting the monastery into the first java-heads in history. As time went on and the legend of the coffee plant spread, its desirability made for some serious hijinks in making the crop available all over the world. Watch the video above to learn more.