Coffee originates from Ethiopia and was already in use in the 1st century BC. Coffee trees grew wild, and the inhabitants likely first discovered their effects by chewing the fruit. From Ethiopia, it reached Yemen, probably via slaves. This is also where the first coffee trees began to be cultivated intentionally. The Dutch expanded coffee cultivation in their colonies. Coffee began to be grown on Java, Sumatra and Ceylon. The Dutch also gifted a coffee tree to Louis XIV. A mature coffee tree was then sent to South America, where it became the first to be cultivated in that region.

In our country, coffee was introduced towards the end of the 16th century by Heřman Černín of Chudenice and Kryštof Harant of Polžice and Bezdružice during their journey to Constantinople. However, coffee only became established here much later. It was not until the beginning of the 18th century that Hatalah of Damascus, known as Deodatus, began selling coffee in Prague. At that time, it was a privilege of the wealthy merchant class. Initially, he sold coffee on the street and delivered it to the homes of the townspeople. Very soon, he opened a café in Karlova Street called U Zlatého hada (At the Golden Snake). Initially, coffee was sold in pharmacies, much like sugar. Due to its bitter taste, it was considered a stomach remedy. And so it took a while longer before it gradually spread among the population through domestic servants and became accessible to ordinary people as well.

Coffee has a bitter taste, is warming and stimulating. It warms and is very drying. It stimulates heart energy and directs it downwards. Long-term consumption of large amounts of coffee weakens Kidney Yang. It creates stomach heat and is not beneficial for the breasts and uterus in women.

Coffee as a treat is suitable once a day. If we add cardamom, it is less aggressive on the stomach. When we add sugar and milk, it is not as drying, but it places a heavy burden on the gallbladder.

We should fundamentally avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach, if suffering from stomach ulcers, sweating, sleep problems, dry skin, constipation, sensitivity to cold, during the menopause, during pregnancy, or in cases of blood deficiency.

Cereal coffee warms the centre and drains dampness, drying out fluids. It warms the heart and spleen. Without milk and sugar, it is suitable for a cold spleen and a large amount of dampness in the body. We can enrich it with cardamom or cinnamon. It is not suitable in cases of deficiency and exhaustion of fluids, rising liver fire, or its stagnation.