Where did Coffee Originate?

Are you familiar with the origin of coffee? No? Well don’t feel bad, neither are most people. But we here at Royal Buna like to educate, so let us tell you a little story. Of course, nothing compliments a good story like a hot cup of buna, so grab a cup, sit back, and drink it in…

It all started when a shepherd in the Kaffa region of Ethiopia noticed his goats became unusually energetic after eating the dark red cherries called “buna” off a nearby tree. Naturally, he was intrigued, so he tried them for himself (Note: Don’t go eating wild berries, kids. It almost never works out this well). That unmistakable buzz of energy and alertness set in shortly thereafter… and the buna drink (coffee) was born. Newly caffeinated, the shepherd (presumably) ran as fast as he could to share his newfound energy-cherries with the local priest, who quickly learned that he could stay up later into the night by eating them. He used that extra time to pray, lauding the cherries as a blessing from God. And like all blessings, it was only a matter of time before word spread.

Buna (coffee) finally found popularity in America in the early 1900’s, and it quickly became the great new socializer. People flocked to the earliest coffee shops to talk about business, politics, or just to socialize over a cup of their favorite new drink. Basically, it was like today, only fancier and with more horses parked outside.

The trend continued to grow until what’s known as “the first wave” of coffee hit. It was the first of three surges in popularity for the drink, and it’s the one your parents and grandparents probably enjoyed in the 50’s, 60’s and beyond. Brands like Maxwell House and Sanka were officially a staple of the average American home.

During the 90’s, large coffee houses kicked off the second wave by creating a sort of coffee renaissance, which renewed people’s interest in gathering in shops to drink their favorite brewed beverages outside the home. Coffee was an event again. It had become part of our culture on a whole new level, but then a funny thing happened. People started to view these huge coffee conglomerates as, well, glorified fast-food joints offering poor quality coffee. They were soon considered commonplace – a sort of cliché, and from the ashes of that backlash against blind consumerism, the third wave of coffee that we’re currently riding was born.

Now, smaller, specialty coffee companies are searching for rarer, more refined and unique ways to craft, brew, and enjoy their specialty buna. Aficionados know that mass production just doesn’t cut it anymore. Buna is elite again, and some specialty companies, like Royal Buna, make it their mission to bring the highest quality gourmet coffee to the discerning consumer, all while giving back to the community. Currently, despite being the birthplace of buna (coffee), Ethiopia has less than 3% of the total buna (coffee) market-share. With Royal Buna, we hope to change that, all while helping local communities and providing consumers with a superior coffee experience.