Italian Roast, LLC
Formed in July 2009.
Our Coffee Operation Includes
- Wholesale Beans
- Roasting
- Vacuum Storage
- Retail Packaging
We put people befor the product, that's why it's all organic and fair
trade at ItalianRoast.com. Our
mission is quality. We are committed to our partners. We are
devoted to our customers.
A Brief Coffee History
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The word "coffee" entered English in 1598 via Italian caffe. This word was created via Turkish kahve, which in turn came into being via Arabic qahwa, a truncation of qahhwat al-bun or wine of the bean. Islam prohibits the use of alcohol as a beverage, and coffee provided a suitable alternative to wine. One possible origin the name is the Kingdom of Kaffa in Ethiopia, where the coffee plant originated (its name there is bunn or bunna).
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The first coffeehouse opened in Istanbul in 1554. Coffee was at first not well received. In 1511, it was forbidden for its stimulating effect by conservative, orthodox imams at a theological court in Mecca. However, the popularity of the drink led these bans to be overturned in 1524 by an order of the Ottoman Turkish Sultan Selim I, with Grand Mufti Mehmet Ebussuud el-madi issuing a celebrated fatwa allowing the consumption of coffee. In Cairo, Egypt, a similar ban was instituted in 1532, and the coffeehouses and warehouses containing coffee beans were sacked.
Coffee was first imported to Italy from Ottoman Empire. The vibrant trade between the Italian city of Venice and the Muslims in North Africa, Egypt, and the East brought a large variety of African goods, including coffee, to this leading European port. Venetian merchants decided to introduce coffee to the wealthy in Venice, charging them heavily for the beverage. In this way, coffee was introduced to Europe. Coffee became more widely accepted after it was "baptized" by Pope Clement VIII in 1600 despite appeals to ban the Muslim drink. The first European coffee house (apart from those in the Ottoman Empire, mentioned above) was opened in Italy in 1645.