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The Muslims had another story on the
beginning of the coffee bean which is still more wonderful, but equally
groundless. The Muslims claimed that because of their special
relationship with the "Providence", archangel Gabriel was sent to reveal
to the prophet Mohammed "the Virtues and manner of preparing it"
(coffee). Yet another legend
tells of the dervish Omar, known for his ability to heal the sick by
prayer. Exiled from his home town of Mocha to a cave in the desert and
nearing starvation, Omar chewed berries from shrubs growing nearby.
Finding the berries too bitter, he roasted them. hoping to improve the
flavor. Obviously a man of refined palate (and surprisingly well
equipped with the necessary utensils), he decided the berries now needed
boiling to soften them. He drank the resulting fragrant brew and was
instantly revitalized, remaining in this state for several days.
A picturesque variation of the same
tale states how Omar saw a bird of marvelous plumage in a tree, where it
sang an exquisitely harmonious song. When he reached out for the bird,
Omar found only flowers and fruit in its place. He filled his basket
with these and returned to the cave, intending to boil a few meager
herbs for dinner. However, he boiled the fruit instead and created a
savory and perfumed brown drink.
Eventually - and both variations concur
with this - patients from Mocha came to the cave for medical advise.
They, too, were given the drink and, since this is a legend, there were
of course cured. When news of the "miracle cure" reached Mocha, Omar was
invited to return in triumph and was subsequently made the patron saint
of the city.
Despite the vast literature assembled
by many historians, no one has ever been able to say positively how and
when the plant was discovered. Its origins therefore remain shrouded in
legend in which truth and imagination are inexorably entwined.
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