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In Our Time · August 13, 2026 · 56m

Archive: Coffee

Jonathan Morris, Judith Hawley, Markman Ellis
Show Notes

Misha Glenny revisits an In Our Time programme first released in December 2019 on the history and social impact of coffee. With Judith Hawley, Markman Ellis, and Jonathan Morris, the discussion traces coffee from its origins in Ethiopia through the Ottoman Empire to Western Europe. It examines how 17th-century coffee houses kept patrons awake and animated, helped spread ideas and influenced culture, and how coffee became a colonial product grown by slaves or indentured labour. The programme also covers the shift from arabica to robusta, Dutch and French trade, and Brazil's rise as a major producer serving the United States in the 19th century.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

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Coffea arabica's path from Ethiopia to Europe
Coffee originated in Ethiopia as coffea arabica and reached Western Europe by way of the Ottoman Empire.
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Coffee houses as engines of sociability and ideas
In 17th-century coffee houses, caffeinated customers stayed awake longer and were more animated, which helped spread ideas and influence culture.
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Coffee as a colonial cash crop
Coffee became a colonial product grown by slaves or indentured labour and traded extensively by the Dutch and French empires.
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The switch from arabica to robusta
Coffea robusta replaced arabica where disease had struck.
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Brazil and the United States market
By the 19th century, Brazil had developed into a major coffee producer, meeting demand in the USA that had grown on the wagon trails.
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References

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The Social Life of Coffee: The Emergence of the British Coffeehouse — Brian Cowan (2005) — Recommended reading
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The Coffee Paradox: Global Markets, Commodity Trade and the Elusive Promise of Development — Benoit Daviron and Stefano Ponte (2005) — Recommended reading
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The Coffee House: A Cultural History — Markman Ellis (2004) — Recommended reading
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Coffee and Coffeehouses: The Origins of a Social Beverage in the Medieval Near East — Ralph Hattox (1985) — Recommended reading
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Coffee: A Global History — Jonathan Morris (2018) — Recommended reading
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Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed our World — Mark Prendergast (2010) — Recommended reading
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Coffee — Claudia Roden (1977) — Recommended reading
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The Global Coffee Economy in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, 1500-1989 — William Clarence Smith and Steven Topik (2003) — Recommended reading
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All About Coffee — William H. Ukers (1935) — Recommended reading

Misc

✧Misha Glenny selected this as his second choice in a ten-episode In Our Time archive revisit.
✧The original programme was first released in December 2019.
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