This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Carmelite monks in Wyoming recently launched Mystic Monk Coffee, a coffee roasting business to help support their spiritual vocations.
The history of coffee and its connection to monks is steeped in legend. One of the most popular stories about its founding dates back more than 1,000 years and revolves around Kaldi, a goat herder in the Ethiopian region of Kaffa. It is said that Kaldi's goats began eating red berries from a wild, mountainside shrub - after which the animals became unusually energized. Curious, Kaldi ate from the bush; he, too, felt a jolt.
Excited by this invigoration, he went to a nearby monastery to share the news about this secret fruit, now known to be a coffee cherry (the pit is what becomes a coffee bean). Soon, the monks began boiling the fruit to make a hot drink. With this added stimulation, the monks were able to pray through the night.
- Jessica Ravitz
To learn more about the Carmelite monks of Wyoming, and their coffee venture, visit www.carmelite monks.org.