The most famous legend names Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder whose goats became unusually lively after eating red cherries. Historically, it's not verified.

Who Discovered Coffee? (The Legend of Kaldi)

The most famous legend names Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder whose goats became unusually lively after eating red cherries. Historically, it’s not verified.

Why that matters

The Kaldi legend goes like this: a herder in the Ethiopian highlands noticed that his goats jumped around excitedly and couldn’t sleep at night after eating certain red berries. He brought the berries to a monk, who threw them into the fire — and was so impressed by the scent of the roasting seeds that he brewed a drink from them.

The story first appeared in European sources in the 17th century, centuries after the presumed discovery. Historians consider it a retroactive narrative, not a factual account. There are no contemporary Ethiopian documents mentioning Kaldi.

What is historically established: coffee was being prepared as a beverage in Yemen by at least the 15th century. Before that, coffee cherries in Ethiopia were likely chewed or processed into a paste — not brewed as a drink. The Sufi monks in Yemen developed roasting and brewing as we know it today. They used coffee as a stimulant for nightly prayers.

Why the legend still matters: it connects coffee to its country of origin, Ethiopia, and tells of a chance discovery that founded an entire industry. Every barista knows Kaldi — even though he probably never existed.

At Green Wall Coffee

I regularly tell the Kaldi story at our café in Berlin-Lichtenberg when guests ask how long coffee has actually been around. Behind the counter on Sophienstraße, there’s a small illustration of the legend — a conversation starter that never fails. And anyone who tries an Ethiopian filter coffee afterwards suddenly has a completely different connection to the drink in their cup.

Related Questions

• Where does coffee originally come from?
• When was coffee first drunk in Europe?
• Why is coffee so popular?

More depth on this topic in the article How to Make Perfect Espresso. Or stop by at Sophienstraße 27 — Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 10am–5pm.