Chapter 1: Page 7
Hello again! As promised, I have another fun fact for this week.
In the last panel of this page, you can see Jember drinking from a coffee cup. Coffee has a long and rich history in Ethiopia, considering that’s where it originated from! The tale of its discovery is as follows (according to Wikipedia, lol):
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In the 6th century a goat herder named Kaldi from Kaffa noticed that when his goats were nibbling on the bright red berries of a certain bush, they became very energetic. Kaldi then chewed on the fruit himself. His exhilaration prompted him to bring the berries to the nearest church in the village.
After a brief explanation, the head Monk deemed the berries to be the “Devil’s work,” and abruptly threw the berries into a nearby fire. Soon thereafter, a sensual and powerful aroma filled the room that could not be overlooked. The head monk, whom had thrown them in the fire in the first place, ordered the embers be pulled from the fire and for hot water to be poured over them to preserve the smell.
Upon drinking the mixture, they experienced the peaceful, warming, and calming sensation it gave them. The after-effects were just as powerful, as they were able to stay alert and discuss important matters for longer periods of time.
The monk then shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and knowledge of the energizing berries began to spread.
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And there you have it, the origin of coffee. If you don’t drink coffee, tea/chai is also a popular drink in Ethiopia, which Aster will demonstrate on the next page.
See you next week for another page and another fun fact!