Where Coffee Began: Ethiopia and the Legend of Kaldi
Quick answer
Coffee originated in Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica. The best-known story is the legend of Kaldi, a 9th-century goat herder who noticed his goats grew lively after eating bright red cherries from a wild tree. It is a legend rather than recorded history, but Arabica coffee still grows wild in Ethiopia's forests today.
Legend tells of Kaldi, a 9th-century Ethiopian goat herder who noticed his goats dancing after eating bright red cherries from a wild tree. From that chance observation, the world's relationship with coffee began — in the country that is still the birthplace of Arabica and home of the coffee ceremony.