Food - Drink
The Reason Coffee Is Sometimes Called 'Java'
By KATHERINE BECK
Coffee became popular in the United States during the Revolutionary War of the 18th century, since drinking tea was seen as an act of loyalty to the English. However, one of coffee's common nicknames, "Java," originated a bit earlier, in the 17th century; this term was popularized by Dutch traders working in Southeast Asia.
The global trading giant known as Dutch East India Company originally sold and traded coffee from Arab countries, but the company planted its own coffee on small Indonesian islands in 1696, in order to have more control over their product. The Dutch traders soon found that the island of Java produced the best coffee.
To add interest to their Dutch-grown coffee — which didn't sound quite as exotic as Arabic coffee — the company called their product "Java coffee," and it became a hit. Today, liberica and robusta coffee plants are still grown on the island of Java, and the island's name is sometimes used to refer to the beverage in general.