Coffee is one of the world's most popular beverages, but where did it come from? The story begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, where, according to legend, a goat herder named Kaldi discovered the stimulating effects of the coffee bean after noticing his goats became energetic after eating berries from a particular tree. From Ethiopia, coffee cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula. By the 15th century, coffee was being grown in Yemen, and by the 16th century, it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey. Public coffee houses, called "qahveh khaneh," appeared in cities across the Near East. European travelers brought back stories of this unusual dark black beverage. By the 17th century, coffee had made its way to Europe, and coffee houses quickly became centers of social activity and communication. The demand for the beverage was so high that a coffee plant was smuggled out of the Arab world and cultivated on the Dutch island of Java, which is now part of Indonesia. This was the beginning of coffee's global expansion, leading to the vast industry we know today.