As described in sweet detail, last time, Vienna is famous for its desserts. And what goes perfectly with, say, a Mini-Schokogugelhupf? Especially if enjoyed in the afternoon, Viennese style? A cup of Viennese coffee, that’s what. Vienna is said to serve some of the best coffee in the world.
It’s hard to imagine any city in Europe without coffee, but I guess there was such a time. And if the following tale is true, it wasn’t really that long ago.
The story goes that it was the Viennese who introduced coffee to Europe. I doubt that you could find a Parisian or Italian who would agree. But we’re in Vienna, so we’re going to go along with it for the time being. Here’s how the story goes…
Once Upon a Time…
If you’ve been following along, you may recall the Siege of Vienna in 1683. Ottoman Turks had expanded their vast empire all the way north to the borders of Poland and Austria. The walled city of Vienna was their next target.
Thousands of Turkish soldiers surrounded the city and settled in for what might be a lengthy siege. They camped just outside Vienna’s massive, fortified wall. The Turks couldn’t get inside, but people inside couldn’t get out, either.
It took them months, but they managed to destroy a 40-foot section of Vienna’s massive wall. Everyone on both sides knew that if Turk soldiers managed to get inside the wall, it would be curtains for Vienna.
The Attack is Imminent
Just one day before the Turks planned to attack and fight their way into the city, 70,000 Polish/European reinforcements arrived. The battle-hardened Turks weren’t phased. The next morning, they attacked both the reenforcing army and the gap they had opened up in the city wall.
The battle was over in one day. Polish/European forces prevailed and the city was saved.
As one might imagine, Turkish soldiers who survived had to leave in a hurry. They’d been camped outside the city walls for months. Now they had to leave everything behind.
In the aftermath of the battle, Viennese troops explored the remains of the Turkish encampment. They found quite a few curious items of interest.
Now Things Really Get Interesting
Among them, were musical instruments that Europeans had never seen. And there were lots of bags full of some kind of beans. No one had ever seen anything like them. Were they magic beans? They might as well have been.
They were a mystery to everyone except for a Viennese soldier who had spent time in a Turkish prison. He knew what those little brown things were.
The soldier had been served Turkish coffee while in prison, and had grown to be quite fond of it. He recognized those dark little things as coffee beans. He knew exactly what to do with ‘em. The rest, if we are to believe this story, is history.
Would you like to know the name of the soldier who found those beans? It might have been Maxwell House. Perhaps it was Wilhelm Folger. Sigfreid Starbuck? Nope. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t any of those guys.
I don’t know the soldier’s name, but I’m glad he knew what to do with those little brown beans.
To be continued…
