While sipping your morning coffee, the man you should be thanking is Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder. Legend has it that around the year 850, Kaldi noticed some of his goats were more active after eating the red “berries” of a local shrub. This led him to experiment with the berries.

Soon after, a monk wandered by and noticed the effect they were having on Kaldi. Before long, the monks were using the berries to help them stay awake for prayers.

Coffee was discovered.

In more historically solid ground, Arab traders began cultivating the plants around the year 1000 after observing the Galla tribe of Ethiopia consuming the ground-up berries mixed with animal fat. Arabs were first to boil the beans, calling the resultant drink “qahwa,” which translates roughly to “that which prevents sleep.”

Coffee’s reach expanded when Ottoman Turks introduced it to Constantinople. The first coffee shop in the world, Kiva Han, was opened in the city in 1475.

The West’s adoption of coffee was helped when Pope Clement VIII chose to “baptize” the drink, making it acceptable for Christians instead of banning it as an infidel threat based on its Arab origins.

In 1607, the famed Captain John Smith of the Virginia colony introduced coffee to North America.

By 1668, coffee replaced beer as New York City’s favorite breakfast drink.

The Arab stranglehold on the coffee trade was broken in 1690 when the Dutch smuggled a plant out of the Arab port of Mocha. Before long, coffee plantations grew worldwide.

Around the globe

More than 50 countries around the world grow coffee, with most of the commercially available coffee hailing from Latin America, the Middle East, eastern Africa and Asia. Brazil is the largest producer. Coffee usually is categorized by country of origin, and each country’s climate leads to a distinct flavor.

The temperature and method used to roast the beans play a major role in their unique flavor. If a standard roast is used, coffees grown at the highest altitudes have the best tastes, said David Hackworth, manager of The Coffee Barrel, 2446 Jolly Road, in Okemos.

The Coffee Barrel roasts gourmet coffees from around the world and sells them wholesale and retail. Hackworth, who handles the beans and taste tests coffee from around the globe for The Coffee Barrel, offered insight into the world’s best coffee beans:

South American coffees tend to be a little earthier.

Brazil and Columbia have mild, light flavors. The Coffee Barrel uses Colombian coffee beans for all its flavored coffees and roasts unflavored Colombian beans at five different temperatures, from mild to dark.

Peru’s beans tend to have a distinct kick. Hackworth described the flavor as a bite, something that makes you pucker.

Sumatran beans also have a bite and a unique punch.

In general, Indonesian beans have a stronger flavor.

Mexico and Guatemala have milder beans.

Costa Rican coffee, which Hackworth describes as his personal favorite, tends to be medium instead of mild. The beans are sweet and have no aftertaste.

Hawaiian beans produce smooth and mellow coffee.

For an extravagant treat, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is mild and mellow, similar to the Hawaiian. Jamaica produces a small amount of coffee and Japan purchases 92 percent of it, leaving little for everyone else. The supply shortage drives the price up to $38 per pound. But while Hackworth said the Jamaican makes a good cup of coffee, the Hawaiian is just as good for less than half the price.

The Coffee Barrel’s best-selling coffee is flavored coffee, followed by the house cafe espresso, a combination of Colombian and Costa Rican coffees roasted at three different temperatures.

Health benefits

Countless studies have been conducted about the possible health benefits of java.

For every variety of coffee listed at your neighborhood java joint, there’s an ailment it can ease.

Harvard University researchers found data indicating three or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day can reduce the risk of diabetes.

In other research, scientists found regular consumption of coffee can reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, colon and liver cancers, cirrhosis and gallstones, said Kathryn Stein, registered dietitian for Ingham Regional Medical Center.

“The most prevalent source of antioxidants in the American diet is from all the coffee we drink,” she said. “There is more good to coffee than bad of what they found over the years; there have been hundreds of studies.”

There’s also evidence that coffee helps manage asthma and control attacks when medication is unavailable. Coffee also can assist in stopping headaches, boosting moods and preventing cavities.

Health risks

Although the positive effects of coffee are in good company, negative health associations exist as well. Stein said that while the coffee bean is healthy, the sugar in flavor additives brings the drink a step backward.

“You are taking a zero-calorie drink up to a 500-calorie drink,” she said.

Aside from caffeine jitters, coffee can cause a withdrawal symptom affecting sleep, cholesterol and blood pressure.

Coffee has modest cardiovascular affects such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and occasional irregular heartbeat.

The negative effects of coffee tend to emerge from excessive use as coffee’s main ingredient, caffeine, is a mild addictive stimulant.

Coffee replacements

So you aren’t up to a cup o’ joe? That tends to pose a problem when your artsy friends want to grab some coffee and catch up on old times. At Espresso Royale, 527 E. Grand River Ave., there are 26 different kinds of hot teas, as well as smoothies and lemonade. So, if you aren’t feeling the bean, no need to skip out on the coffee date.

And while teas don’t carry the same caffeinated boost as coffee does, they can still make a difference.

“A lot of teas don’t have caffeine, and the ones that do carry it have about a third of the amount of caffeine as coffee does,” said Dustin Sprigg, general manager of Espresso Royale.

The coffee shop also has 12 teas without caffeine.

But if you feel like trying something that isn’t quite “black coffee,” try a “Polar Cap.” The drink is a blended treat with coffee in it, but it doesn’t taste quite like the real thing.