Europe coffee trade

By the Middle Ages, coffee was a popular drink of Muslims. In fact, the word coffee is derived from the Arabic, qahweh (pronounced kahveh). It was the Turks, however, who controlled much of the world s trade in coffee by the Middle Ages. The Turkish Empire, attempting to expand into Europe, laid siege to Vienna in 1683. The war failed, but the retreating Turks left behind 500 sacks of coffee beans, which an entrepreneur used to... 

Cocoa was already known in Mexico as early as 1500 BC. Christopher Columbus brought the plant to Europe after his fourth American voyage in 1502, but the drink made from cocoa was first tasted only in 1528 by Spanish conquistador Heman Cortes. Chocolate drink first appeared in Spain in 1544, cocoa trade began between Seville and Veracruz in 1585. Therefore, caffeine in cocoa made its first European appearance before caffeine from coffee or tea did (Fig. 2.35). 

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