Muslim consumers must ensure the products they purchase are halal to stay within Islamic teachings. “Halal” refers to anything permitted or legal under Islam while “haram” refers to anything forbidden. Muslim consumers must be sure their purchases comply with Islam.

Coffee beans can be considered halal when they do not contain any prohibited ingredients and are produced in facilities that do not handle prohibited materials. There may however be certain issues which could make coffee illegal for consumption.

Origin

Coffee has long been a global beverage consumed around the globe and boasts an interesting past. Though certain facts about it remain debatable, there’s no denying its indispensable role in many lives worldwide. Coffee’s rise can be found within an enthralling tale of innovation, controversy and intrigue that spans several millennia.

Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder around 800 AD, first discovered coffee after noting how his herd seemed more energetic after consuming certain berries. Intrigued by this new substance’s effects, he decided to test them himself and was instantly convinced it could keep him awake during nightly prayers and devotions.

Soon, word of this miraculous beverage spread throughout the Middle East and beyond, quickly being adopted by both religious and secular leaders alike. While Islamic scholars deemed coffee intoxicating, its stimulating properties proved an appealing replacement to alcohol which was forbidden under Islam. Even with initial bans imposed by government bodies on Muslim countries, coffee became immensely popular over time, eventually giving rise to a social institution known as coffee houses.

Coffee houses (qahveh khaneh in Arabic) served as vibrant social centers where locals would congregate to enjoy coffee, engage in intellectual conversation and listen to music and exchange news – they would become integral components of Middle Eastern society over centuries to come.

Coffee’s exact origin remains unknown; however, there are various theories as to its development and introduction into Europe by Marco Polo during his travels along the Red Sea coast of Yemen in Mocha city. No matter the true source, coffee has had an enormous impact on world culture and our daily lives since its discovery over five millennia ago.

Coffee quickly gained widespread acceptance despite early controversies and suspicion. An attempt was made to stem its growth by taxing those who consumed coffee; this failed to do so and eventually Pope Clement VIII gave coffee his approval as an acceptable beverage, paving the way for its widespread acceptance and growth into an essential staple today.

Caffeine

Caffeine is an alkaloid with stimulating properties found in the seeds of Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora plants, and found in tea leaves, yerba mate teabags and cocoa beans as well as smaller amounts found in some soft drinks and medicines. Caffeine is the most widely consumed methylxanthine substance; increasing brain activity, alertness and attention while increasing blood pressure, heart rate, loss of urine water content – though caffeine itself does not become addictive or cause withdrawal symptoms like withdrawal syndrome with other psychoactive drugs including cocaine.

A six-ounce cup of brewed coffee typically contains 50 to 75 milligrams of caffeine. This amount varies based on preparation method and type of coffee; Robusta coffee typically has nearly twice as much caffeine than Arabica varieties. Caffeine content in coffee may be reduced through roasting or by switching brewing methods; decaffeinated options are also available for sale.

The coffee plant’s fruit is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a berry; this term does not correspond with botany’s definition of what defines a berry as it typically features fleshy fruits with three layers of skin (endocarp, mesocarp and exocarp) that are soft; thus making this definition unavailable for this hard fruit from coffee trees.

Historical use of coffee began with religious usage: Sufi monks in Arabia drank it as part of their prayers and meditation sessions; similarly, Buddhist monks found that coffee helped focus their meditation practice. Later it spread through China where its use became widespread among its Buddhist population.

Coffee’s rise to popularity coincided with Western society’s transition, serving as a social beverage and creating cafes as spaces where all classes could gather – an alternative to pubs that segregated people by class and gender.

Recently, some have begun questioning whether caffeine can actually be good for them. Some studies have demonstrated that it can contribute to high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease and stroke, depression and more; yet other research indicates that its health benefits outweigh these risks.

Process

Coffee beans are actually seeds found inside the fruit of a coffee tree known as cherries, which are harvested via strip picking or selective picking; only ripe cherries are removed from their trees for harvesting, with those removed being processed to produce different flavors; roasting plays an integral part in shaping final coffee flavor profiles with dark roasts often tasting considerably different than light ones.