Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Gonzaga University grad pens book on the origins of coffee

Gonzaga University grad and travel and food writer Jeff Koehler has a new book out next month.

“Where the Wild Coffee Grows: The Untold Story of Coffee from the Cloud Forests of Ethiopia to Your Cup” is slated for release Nov. 14. In it, Koehler explores the origins and growth of one of the biggest and most valued commodities in the world – as well as threats to its future.

Koehler visits the Kafa region of southwestern Ethiopia, where people still forage for wild coffee berries. He also examines production in Latin America, where 85 percent of Arabica grows – and where climate change and disease are impacting production.

Koehler grew up north of Seattle but went to college in Spokane, where he majored in English and minored in philosophy. Today, he makes Barcelona his home.

His other four books are: “La Paella,” “Rice Pasta Couscous: The Heart of the Mediterranean Kitchen,” “Morocco: A Culinary Journey with Recipes” and “Darjeeling: The Colorful History and Precarious Fate of the World’s Greatest Tea.” His work has also appeared in Saveur, Food & Wine and other publications.

Visit his website at http://www.jeff-koehler.com/.