伽啡:( Faculty of History, Sichuan University, Chengdu ,610064) Abstract: The Ethiopian of Africa discovered the coffee in ancient time and the Arabian planted it in middle age. In the late medieval time, the Chinese promoted coffee to turn into a popular pastime beverage from a religious drink and a medical drink, the Turk invented the genuine and scientific drinking way of coffee and the Indian took part in spreading coffee. The Europeans spread coffee throughout the world in the time of the great geo- graphical discoveries ( from the ends of 15th to 17th century ), and developed the coffeehouse culture to the most thriving too ever since. Therefore the people of Africa, Asia and Europe have made contributions (in) together to that coffee becomes one of the three greatest beverages in today's world. Coffee spread into China in late Qing dynasty and got a finn foothold during the Republic of China(1912—1949). Since the reformation and opening, drinking coffee becomes fashionable in China and the coffee culture of the Chinese own is forming gradually.Keywords: coffee; planting; edible use; spread; coffeehouse culture。