Coffee’s Wild, Banned Origins

Coffee was actually banned multiple times throughout history. In the 16th century,

religious leaders in Mecca outlawed it because they thought it stimulated radical thinking.

The Ottoman Empire punished coffee drinkers by throwing them into the sea. Even in Europe,

clergymen petitioned to ban it, calling it the bitter invention of Satan until Pope Clement

VIII tried it and loved it so much he baptized it. Here's something wild: coffee beans

aren't actually beans. They're seeds from coffee cherries, which are bright

red fruits. The entire cherry is edible and farmers often eat them fresh or use them to make

tea. And get this: coffee was discovered by goats. An Ethiopian goat