A History of Coffee

3) Coffee Catches Fire


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A hundred years ago one Brazilian man owned so many coffee trees he could fill every inch of a European country with them.

But why does Brazil grow so much? And who is drinking these lakes of caffeine?

In this third episode of A History of Coffee, Jonathan and James explore how industrialisation dramatically and permanently strips away Brazil’s forests, and why coffee becomes a part of the American dream.

A History of Coffee is a collaboration between James Harper of the Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.

Stay tuned for the upcoming Instagram live session where we unpack how the British produced coffee in Sri Lanka, and why so many Indians die.

Visit Jonathan’s Instagram (https://bit.ly/37eMS3F) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3jNr9ou)
& James’ Filter Stories Instagram (https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3baTsJk)

Help other people find the show by leaving a review on...
Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3jY42aJ
Castbox: http://bit.ly/38sXdcH

Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfU
Listen to other coffee documentaries on James’ Filter Stories podcast: https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e

Coffee and brewing equipment featured in this episode:

Marcelo Carvalho Ferraz, Boa Vista, Dom Viçoso. Roasted by Supremo (Germany): http://bit.ly/37UW79u
Comandante hand grinder: http://bit.ly/3qmTSCN
Sage electric grinder: http://bit.ly/2Zf3NyC

Subscribe to The Science of Coffee podcast
Live in Berlin? Join me for a free decaf cupping at Communal Coffee on the 12th December 2025. Reserve your ticket here: https://bit.ly/4nZXyrf.
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A History of CoffeeBy James Harper

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