Its consumption, which probably originated in northeast Africa, spread out to the Middle East in the 15th century and thence to Europe. After oil, coffee has become the second most valuable commodity around the world. Today, coffee is among the most widely consumed pharmacologically active beverages, and its consumption has become a regular part of daily life worldwide. It is estimated that more than half of Americans drink coffee every day. The average consumption for a person in the European Community is 5.1 kg/year, which is similar to that in the United States.