Was coffee originally chewed?
                                
                                
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                                    4 min read                                
                            
                                Long before the morning brew was a global ritual, early African tribes, particularly the Oromo people of Ethiopia, consumed coffee in a surprisingly different way. Historical evidence suggests that the original method of consuming coffee was not as a drink, but by chewing it, often mixed with animal fat to create an edible, nutrient-dense energy ball.