Talk:Coffee

Summary of ongoing discussions

Several recurring issues have been raised regarding the Coffee article:

• **Scope and structure:** Editors have discussed how much content should remain in the main article versus being moved to sub‑articles, particularly in the history, culture, and economics sections.

• **Health effects:** There are concerns about outdated sources, balance of viewpoints, and how to summarize medical research without giving undue weight to individual studies.

• **Cultural and historical coverage:** Some editors have noted that the history and cultural sections may be uneven, with potential gaps in coverage of African, Middle Eastern, and Asian traditions.

• **Production statistics:** Coffee production data may be outdated or inconsistent across sources, and editors have suggested updating figures to reflect current information.

• **Images and layout:** Discussions include whether certain images are necessary, appropriately licensed, or optimally placed within the article.

This summary is provided to help editors quickly identify active or recurring areas needing attention. — Preceding unsigned comment added by AndrewC992 (talk • contribs) 01:49, 20 July 2026 (UTC)

How is the legendary accounts given greater prominence in the article when the text emphasizes that it is unreliable and section dedicated to it is relatively small? And coffee was prohibited in various religions, why is the mention of coffee being avoided by Ethiopian Christians mentioned in the historical section but not all the other religions listed in the #Prohibition and condemnation? How would you even merge the two together? I do not believe the current structure is misleading in any way, I believe perhaps a third opinion should be requested. Socialwave597 (talk) 03:30, 10 January 2026 (UTC)

Kaldi

Hi everyone, found out something interesting, thought I'd share.

In the earliest written account of the coffee herder story appears in Antoine Faustus Nairon, De saluberrima potione Cahue, seu Cafe nuncupata discursus (Rome, 1671). Nairon places the episode in Arabia Felix (Yemen), not Ethiopia. In the commonly used digitized edition, the relevant passage appears on PDF p. 18/69, where he states “in Ayaman Regione, quae est Arabia Felix.”

Also some scholarly source describe him Arabian or Arab goatherder. Brill publications discussing coffee lore, following William H. Ukers, describe the figure as an “Arabian goatherd,” and Encyclopaedia Britannica has referred to Kaldi as “an Arab goatherd.” Academic works published by Springer also note variants in which the herder is described as Arabian. No idea how the Ethiopian one developed, but the first source and other academic sources mention Arabian goatherd. Thought I'd share it here too. --CoffeeKings (talk) 23:21, 9 January 2026 (UTC)

This is useful context. The Nairon source placing the story in Arabia Felix rather than Ethiopia is worth noting in the article, especially since the article currently hedges with "Ethiopian or Arab goatherd" -- if the original 1671 account consistently points to Yemen, that should probably be reflected more clearly. On the broader ordering dispute in the "Ongoing dispute" thread: the current structure with a clearly labeled "Legendary accounts and myths" subsection seems like a workable middle ground. The label does the job of telling readers what they are reading. That said, having a brief orienting sentence at the top of the History section before the legends subsection -- something that establishes the 15th-century Yemen evidence first -- might address both sides' concerns without a major restructure. Just a thought. Bohosquare1 (talk) 11:09, 24 May 2026 (UTC)

"Think Drink" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect Think Drink has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2026 June 15 § Think Drink until a consensus is reached. Steel1943 (talk) 15:49, 15 June 2026 (UTC)