Kaldi. Does this name mean anything to you? Although I�m a big consumer and supporter, I was unaware of the legend of the man who made an important discovery. Until very recently I hadn't heard about Kaldi and his great find. This week, I read a listening exercise to my class about him and then one of my students gave an oral presentation on a topic that made mention of him. I want to retell the tale for you. It goes something like this: "Years and years ago, Kaldi was a Ethiopian goat herder. He minded his charges well taking them to higher ground weather permitting. When walking them through the steep hills, he noted that, on occasion, they got quite playful and frisky. As walking in mountains is difficult work for both man and beast, he wondered how they maintained such vigour. Eventually after investigation, Kaldi supposed the berries the goats were munching were the cause of their sustained bursts of energy. These reddish 'fruit' were growing on small bushes along the pathways.
Kalid picked a few and tried them and he, too, noticed the stimulating effect. So as to ensure that his fellow villagers trusted his find, he picked a few more and returned the lowlands.
His find was a near instant hit. Ordinary people soon discovered that the beans could be dried. Yet, after the water evaporated, the beans were quite hard. Religous teachers of the area, in order to best make use of them, crushed and added them to hot water. This brew kept the pious from getting sleepy during lengthy prayers."
And, that�s how coffee was discovered, or so the story goes.