The Allure and Controversy of Coffee Through the Ages
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Chapter 1: The Origins of Coffee
If you were to take away my morning cup of coffee, I might just start to resemble a confused molerat. This beloved beverage is undeniably addictive, steeped in controversy, and immensely enjoyable. Coffee's tumultuous history has wreaked havoc on economies and subjugated native populations. Its power was so potent that it could either diminish sexual desire or ignite an insatiable thirst for romance.
Coffee traces its roots back to Abyssinia, known today as Ethiopia, during the ninth century. According to legend, the prophet Mohammed claimed that drinking coffee gave him the strength to "unhorse forty men and possess forty women." With such a compelling endorsement, coffee made its way along trade routes, gaining popularity in Europe by the seventeenth century.
> This paragraph reflects on the tumultuous history of coffee and its cultural significance.
Section 1.1: The Rise of Coffee Houses
The first coffee houses appeared in Turkey and soon spread to Vienna, eventually reaching the rest of Europe. However, it was the coffee enthusiasts of seventeenth-century London who truly embraced the brew. During this period, a jar was placed on the counters of coffee shops, asking patrons to contribute a few coins "To Insure Prompt Service," a phrase that eventually evolved into the modern term "tips."
Not everyone was enamored with coffee. Many Europeans, particularly Italian clergy, labeled it "Satan's drink" and urged Pope Clement VIII to outlaw it. This aversion was largely fueled by a sense of xenophobia, as Europeans had appropriated coffee from Turkey, and any beverage associated with Islam was deemed diabolical.
However, Pope Clement VIII was not easily swayed. After sampling the controversial drink, he famously remarked, “Why this Satan’s drink is so delicious.” Following this proclamation, he endorsed coffee, leading to its widespread acceptance among Europeans.
Subsection 1.1.1: Cultural Shifts in Coffee Consumption
Section 1.2: Coffee and Gender Dynamics
By the late seventeenth century, coffee houses became popular venues where men congregated to discuss pressing issues, with some claiming that coffee drinking replaced alcohol consumption as the catalyst for the Age of Enlightenment. This shift makes sense, as alcohol often leads to misguided notions of profundity, which dissipate by morning.
However, coffee houses also instigated a change in leisure activities. Rather than spending their time in rowdy taverns, men began to engage in gossip, reading, and sipping coffee—activities that some women viewed as overly effeminate. In 1674, wives petitioned King Charles II to close these establishments, arguing that coffee led to impotence.
Chapter 2: The Debate Continues
In response to their complaints, King Charles II, who had never favored coffee, agreed to shut down the coffee houses. But the public's demand for their beloved beverage was unrelenting, leading to a swift reopening.
By the eighteenth century, discussions surrounding coffee's effects took a different turn. In 1771, a French physician named Bienville claimed that coffee incited nymphomania and posited that its combination with romantic novels could lead to hysteria—an affliction he believed only affected women. This led to the perception that coffee, along with romance literature, transformed young women into insatiable beings.
So, what is the truth? Does coffee enhance sexual desire and fertility, or does it inhibit men's reproductive abilities? Research indicates that while coffee won’t necessarily make men take up embroidery or tear up over sentimental films, it does contain phytoestrogens, which can lower male fertility by mimicking estrogen.
Therefore, if conception is on your agenda, you might want to reconsider indulging in that "Newfangled, Abominable, Heathenish Liquor called COFFEE."
Sources and Further Reading:
- Pendergrast, 5.
- Pendergrast, 8.
Pendergrast, Mark. Uncommon Grounds, The History of Coffee and How it Transformed Our World, Jackson, TN: Basic Books, 2000.
Lee Allen, Stewart. The Devil’s Cup: A History of the World According to Coffee, New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 2003.
The Women’s Petition against Coffee.