How humanity got hooked on coffee - Jonathan Morris

Trace the history of coffee, from its first known origins to its rise in popularity due to trade routes and cultivation.
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One day around 850 CE, a goatherd observed that his goats started acting abnormally after nibbling on some berries. The herder tried them himself, and soon enough, he was just as hyper. As the story goes, this was humanity’s first run-in with coffee. So, how did coffee go from humble plant to one of the world's most consumed beverages? Jonathan Morris traces the history of this energizing elixir.
Lesson by Jonathan Morris, directed by Harry Tennant.
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Animator's website: harrytennant.co.uk
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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Mac Hyney, Keith Ellison, robin valero walters, Lynne Truesdale, Gatsby Dkdc, Matthew Neal, Denis Chon, Julian Oberhofer, Monte Carroll, Eddy, Jay M, Constantino Victor Delgado, Andrea Galvagni, Andrew Tweddle, Laurel-Ann Rice, Fernando A. Endo, Helen Lee, pam morgan, sarim haq, Gerardo Castro, Michel-Ange Hortegat, Enes Kirimi, Amaury BISIAUX, ND, Samyogita Hardikar, Vanessa Graulich, Vandana Gunwani, Abdulmohsin Almadi, AJ Lyon, Geoffrey Bultitude, Mi Mi, Thomas Rothert, Brian Elieson, Oge O, Weronika Falkowska, Nevin Spoljaric, Sid Chanpuriya, Anoop Varghese, David Yastremski, Noah Webb, Roberto Chena, Oliver Koo, Luke Pisano, Andrea Gordon, Aleksandar Donev, Nicole Klau Ibarra, Jesse Lira, Ezekiel Raui, Petr Vacek and Dennis.

[@ottowalkes2445]

Making tea from coffee leaves just feels wild to me, like two worlds colliding that are normally seperate.

[@yecto1332]

U can make tea out of any leaf u know that right, as long as it doesn't kill u

[@stevePDx]

​@@yecto1332and flowers. Don't forget flowers haha

[@Kimoto504]

@@stevePDx Be careful what kind of flowers you use though. Those fuzzy green ones are a doozy...

[@indigofenrir7236]

Tea from coffee? That's nothing more than hot bean juice!

[@supermario5849]

Making Tea from coffee, I wonder if you can buy that and I wonder what it tastes like. (Don’t just say coffee lol)

[@micahbush5397]

2:36 In case you were wondering, Charles II tried to ban coffee houses because he feared they provided an ideal setting for revolutionaries to plot sedition and treason (he didn’t want to end up like his father, after all).

[@tylerknight99]

paul revere planned the american revolutions from a pub around the corner from his house so maybe ol charles was focusing on the wrong substance

[@catdogmousecheese]

Fun fact: The USA was technically born in the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston because it was in that tavern the Sons of Liberty secretly planned the Boston Tea Party. If the Boston Tea Party had never happened then it's possible the USA may not exist today.

[@danielgorda4393]

The 1848 Hungarian revolution started from a coffehouse too!

[@ovencake523]

kinda funny that instead of becoming someone they wouldnt revolt against, be decided to ban the houses and make them angier

[@TheTrueOnyxRose]

I think tea houses “served” the same purpose.

[@KnightsofGaming2016]

I'm not a huge coffee lover but I absolutely love cafe settings and these food/drink brief history videos

[@turtleanton6539]

Yes🎉

[@kaunghlamyat]

First 40s of the video was just wild and into the point lmao.

[@harmonetheanimationaddict4419]

They all got the zoomies.

[@PhoebeFayRuthLouise]

I was literally laughing out loud at the goat zoomies and then the guy started!

[@a_weird_mess3]

The goat and herder part was actually in my geography textbook in school lol

[@thenovicenovelist]

It reminded me of the Cogito video about coffee. He had the goats dancing to techno music 😆.

[@kaunghlamyat]

@@thenovicenovelist lmao

[@odetothe8]

the animation of the goat herder 0:23 is an accurate depiction of me after i’ve had my cold brew

[@mfmr200]

😂

[@sunbitternsareinurwallz]

NAW ETHIOPIANS BE GOING CRAZAY. AND IM ETHIOPIAN.😮😮😮

[@enzaissodead]

​@@sunbitternsareinurwallz IM DEAD. IM DEAD.

[@sunbitternsareinurwallz]

@@enzaissodead WE ALL ARE REALLY GOOD AT EFFING UP HORRIBLY. AM I RIGHT MY HOMIES

[@PhoebeFayRuthLouise]

Those goat zoomies graphics are the funniest thing ever! Then the guy started! So funny!

[@TheTrueOnyxRose]

It’s been a minute since I laughed out loud like that.

[@trikebeatstrexnodiff]

The reason why Coffee houses were banned in Ottoman Empire for a short time is because Sultan Murat IV (he is my fave Sultan btw) was suspicious that Janissary Corps could come up with plans to overthrow him, as he was deeply affected as a child by the dethronement and execution of his half-brother Sultan Osman the Young by the Janissaries. Coffee houses were places the Army (not just the Janissaries but also Sipahis, Solaks etc.) spent their spare time at the most, Janissaries revolted many times to protest the ban of their favourite pastime places, because of course they did.

[@Jumpman67]

also my favorite sultan. he had such a good rookie year.

[@user-ww2fn3kq4d]

one of the most fascinating fact about Ethiopia you can get the best coffee ever from its origin land much love from ethiopia💚💛❤

[@jamiegreenberg8476]

i hate coffee but id def wanna try Ethiopian coffee if i ever have a chance to visit!

[@sykn5422]

I love Ethiopian coffee! It’s one of my favorites. Also hello! I’m from Malaysia

[@kurobeard9467]

Coffee originated in Somali territories, not Ethiopian. It was banned in Ethiopia because they considered it a Muslim drink.

[@onety4438]

Coffee was created in Somalia this story is completely false and from a fake folk tale with no source to back it up. the oldest historical mention of coffee is in Zeila somalia, and the oldest occurrence of beans was found in Amud, which is also somali territory

[@Mtl-zf9om]

Best coffee is in Columbia where the land is fertilized by the coca leaves.

[@user-bx6gv8zm3s]

I've watched this while drinking a hot coffee on this rainy, gloomy day. Thank you, Ethiopia, for disovering this magical beverage.

[@aysenurbas5738]

I truly loved the way you highlighted the exploitation of forests and workers. It hurts that whenever high profit comes into the picture it brings inequality and injustice.

[@CHAPI929292]

Cry me a river

[@kadirbozkus-ss3sm]

Fun fact: Coffee is so much important in Turkish culture, that very word for ''breakfast'' is ''kahvaltı'' meaning: Before coffee.

[@ceziredernegi]

Turkish coffee ☕️ has since Ottoman times been the most popular beverage in Cyprus.

[@VictoriaRodgersK]

I appreciate that this didn't just cover the popularity of coffee and good parts, but also covered the awful humanitarian practices that have endured.

[@silviaberrios2068]

Agree, most workers worldwide continue to endure inhumane conditions, and insufficient compensation.

[@Showmetheevidence-]

🤦🏻‍♂️oh come on. If you’re looking for woke content about slaves go read some history books or watch those videos.

[@defendwaterhole4014]

@@Showmetheevidence-If you want to learn the history of coffee you shouldn’t be offended when someone gives you the whole history. Not like the slavery part was the whole video. History is often uncomfortable. It’s not as if this video is propaganda, it’s just giving an accurate timeline.

[@VictoriaRodgersK]

@@Showmetheevidence- I'm not "looking for woke content," I was appreciating that they didn't gloss over the bad parts of coffee's history. History isn't all rainbows and unicorns and I'm glad they didn't portray as such. It's not a really "History of..." coverage if it didn't cover the good AND bad. If you're triggered by a comment that was genuinely praising the video, maybe you should not read the comments section 🤷🏻‍♀

[@hellish.blizzard.26]

​@@Showmetheevidence- If you use the word "woke" to disqualify a comment about a reality that you don't want to see, then ur argument is automatically invalidated, srry

[@RoseETempest]

I appreciate that people are dedicated to figuring out what we can do to keep growing coffee. It's disappointing that they have to, but I'm grateful that they are.

[@alicecreamcake]

love it !! as an italian, coffee is a big part of my routine and culture. the video was so interesting because we rarely get to know the history of coffee itself, other than coffee houses, or coffee as an exportation from certain countries... also, i think coffee beans plantations should be discussed by more people, workers conditions are still terrible... keep going !! 🌱 let's build a better future

[@spotivi8747]

and not only beans plantations, Africa suffers highly from underdeveloped lives and wages. my doctor teacher used to treat people there.

[@alicecreamcake]

@@spotivi8747 yes i know :( it's still sad that some people do not know or care enough to act about exploitation

[@medusagorgon8432]

I don't enjoy coffee as a drink, but I love the flavor in ice creams, candies, cakes and other desserts. Also caffeine causes me to experience nausea, so it's definitely another reason to stay away from it. In the morning (on occasion) I might have tea with milk and honey, or hot chocolate but never coffee. My extended family on the other hand drinks coffee day and night. My mom especially would have a cup before bed.☕

[@sd-ch2cq]

Same: I don't like coffee, but I do like mocca

[@donpula6349]

Me too, also I would say the same thing about all flavours.

[@BesufekadKebede-yt7db]

Watching this from Ethiopia 🇪🇹

[@kyoonxm]

Coffee is love , love is ☕

[@Jiminlostjams20]

Ikr

[@micahbush5397]

I think you might have a problem.

[@amyhagen94]

@@micahbush5397 we don’t need your negativity 😂

[@pahomstreams]

​@@micahbush5397 it would be a problem if coffee as a substance was harmful to a human body. Which it isn't.

[@micahbush5397]

@@pahomstreams It is if you drink too much of it (though that's true of caffeine in general).

[@unaeki]

I’ve been waiting for a history of coffee from you guys for so long! Thank you!!

[@kleinpestitz]

I love the illustrations! So so beautiful 🤩 The style, the colours - really great.

[@IRosamelia]

Kaldi screaming and doing somersaults with his goats on the field LOL 🐐🕺🏼🐐

[@aditisharma5063]

Omg, coffee on trial? Coffee has really gone through so much. My condolences..❤

[@kailahm.adefolalu9366]

This video is extremely well-done! Way to present all the angles of coffee and paint a cohesive, context-grounded picture!!

[@isabelamartinspereira7994]

As a Brazilian I like how, even briefly, that it was mentioned how we produced the coffe for exportation- and its downsides

[@MsMagnolia97]

The Coffee Cantata!!! I performed one of the songs for my senior recital. Beautiful music and hilarious lyrics. Thank you for sharing that!

[@mhdfrb9971]

Ah Ethiopia.. The land of eternal spring.

[@bestuan]

🇸🇴 🇸🇴 🇸🇴 🇸🇴

[@kurobeard9467]

Coffee came from Zeila, Somalia. That's where the Sufi Yemeni learned about it.

[@mhdfrb9971]

@@kurobeard9467 nope. Somalia are mostly arid and hot desert. Coffee didn't grow in that climate/biome.

[@kurobeard9467]

@@mhdfrb9971 Somalis also live along the two rivers Juba and Shabelle. The Yemeni sufi learned Coffee from the Somali sultan of Zeila who brought coffee from the Somali region of Ethiopia. Ethiopia actually banned coffee because they considered it a Muslim thing and if an Ethiopian drank coffee they would no longer be considerd Christian.

[@kurobeard9467]

@@mhdfrb9971 Coffee was banned by Ethiopia until the 19th century. The Orthodox Church even said drinking coffee is basically converting to Islam. So, there is no way coffee came from "Ethiopia".

[@user-ps9te6bw6f]

Thank you for making the video.

[@gailaltschwager7377]

Thank you!

[@MrsJudithWright]

Fascinating lesson. How incredible is nature making these berries? Love the 'morning coffee" quote at the beginning of the lesson. Thanks TED Ed.

[@Spsparker]

This video taught me good! Amazing work.

[@cdoxyMC]

watching this as smelling coffee, the best smell out there

[@RizkyGusna]

Let's protect the earth so we can still enjoy specialty coffee!

[@danielf986]

Love this style of video. Especially the film texture. More of this please.

[@selin..4763]

Thank you

[@KonradBeerski]

Fun fact: the country with the largest consumption of coffee per capita is not Brazil, Ethiopia or Italy but... ... *Finland* - closely followed by the other Nordic countries. Gotta make up for that lack of sun! ☕💪☀

[@jaye5h]

You never left me. Thank you ❤

[@LoveEspressos]

Such an eye-opening exploration of humanity's complex relationship with coffee! ☕It's refreshing to see a deep dive into both the allure of this beloved beverage and the darker truths behind its production.

[@nirbhay_1137]

So much knowledge in just 5. 🤯

[@yasminemnur]

so insightful! Thank you for making this

[@arjitjere1559]

A fantastic history of an amazing beverage

[@alex_opopop]

Love the video, love the narration, love the illustration style. ❤

[@bottasheimfe5750]

I for one think the future of Coffee is gonna be a mix of a Synthetic "Peoples' Coffee" which is cheaper to mass produce and is meant for the masses to consume, and an artisanal "real" coffee made from actual coffee beans grown from plants in specialized greenhouses intended for wealthier clientele. the same is true of many food products in the coming centuries I imagine, but especially so for Coffee.

[@sd-ch2cq]

You could already kinda say that about Robusta versus Arabica coffee

[@naveenraj2008eee]

Hi Ted-ed team Awesome animation coupled with explanation. Love cofee.

[@mauricewheeler3911]

Dude laughing in doing cartwheels with the goats took me out 🤣

[@revolvency]

simple but very nice animation for this! love it!

[@marcingoscicki9433]

You missed a really cool part of the introduction of coffee to Europe. According to legend, after the Battle of Vienna in 1683, a Polish nobleman/spy named Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki was to be awarded for his efforts in helping the besieged city. When the spoils from the abandoned Turkish camps were being divided, he chose bags of coffee beans as his reward, and others mocked his choice, saying its just "camel food". But because of his knowledge of Turkish culture, he recognized the value of the beans and knew how to brew them. The legend further states that Kulczycki opened the first coffee shop in Vienna, called "the House Under the Blue Bottle". The story may just be a legend, but Kulczycki was a real historical figure, and coffee shop owners in Vienna preserved his memory and legacy.

[@yellowbox9912]

So coffee spread because of some polish recruited Serbs defending a Austrian city and found some beans an Ethiopian farmer sold to Arabs and Turks?

[@HughJass-jv2lt]

_FAKE NEWS!_ 😜

[@oleksandrdrevytskyi2768]

Yeah, I also know this interesting story.

[@oleksandrdrevytskyi2768]

He was also partially Ukrainian though

[@sunset8423]

proud to be in a country with one of the best coffee producer and known by the term "A cup of Java" 👏🏻

[@luisernesto245]

The oldest coffee houses in Europe, Turkish style, were in Venice and Vienna, not Paris and London! And the modern coffee shops, with espresso and cappuccino, were of course in Italy.

[@olgayaresko4925]

Very interesting. Thank you

[@Afromaniac01]

The caffeine functions as an insecticide (defense from insects)

[@adnankarimsampd3504]

Nice compact understandable storyline and storytelling

[@KheraShanu]

watching this while having my evening tea

[@saurovfayzulla]

Coffee has become a part of many of our lives. Most of us start our day by drinking coffee, which I believe fosters conversation and enjoyment.

[@martaalmeida513]

Worth investigating the role of coffee and sugar on the working classes and the industrial revolutions. Still today it it is the go-to beverage for productivity.

[@garyhammer9594]

Drinking coffee while watching a video about coffee. 🤯

[@dkaloger5720]

Caffeine is also part of some cellular processes like plant cell wall formation.

[@kamehamehey22615]

Nothing like sipping coffee while learning about coffee ☕

[@user-vt3yy9it5e]

You never left me. Thank you

[@krabbyd9254]

The ExtraHistory channels series on this is incredible, I highly recommend it

[@pawkyweasel]

This is why I hug any Ethiopian I encounter. 🇪🇹 🤗

[@nahomdan]

Its in Ethiopia. ❤❤land of mystery and Christian Orthodox. Am proud of you. If you proud by you country highlight some history and like this.🎉

[@kurobeard9467]

Christian Ethiopia actually banned Coffee because it was considered a Muslim drink at least until the early 1900s. It was traded and discovered by Somalis and Yemenis.

[@Sunflowersarepretty]

Coffee kept me alert while i was preparing for exams 😂😂. I still drink coffee but not a lot

[@ThrillSeeker3524]

Because it gets us through the day

[@12roses8]

Amazing

[@user-pr4sj8ob2e]

I really love coffee so much, also addicted to drink after working or just study, when i living up in fresh air,so make coffee for your self drinking it, it might sharpen your knowledge, make sure, it's just fan of it 😊

[@youngmasterzhi]

It is no wonder coffee houses in 17th century Europe were dubbed “penny universities”, since you could interact with many intellectuals at a cheap price of a cup of coffee

[@user-pr4sj8ob2e]

Yeah sure of that, where are you from?

[@plague568]

Currently drinking coffee whilst watching this video, very informative, thank you TED-Ed Also, I think it would really great if they brought the history vs series back, it would be cool to see Emilio Aguinaldo on trial, was he a revolutionist who fought hard against the Spanish and the Americans under their reign in the Philippines, or, a traitor who killed his fellow revolutionary.

[@matiasbarth5121]

Watching this from Brazil while sipping my coffee. Thank you for another very informative video, TED!

[@rollintweeds234]

Okay, this one is just wild! The porpoise dissection, Voltaire's intake speeding up in animation... A riot, and a survey with numerous high points. A true luxury commodity with global reach and an exemplar of capitalism's depravity. Remarkable that coffee and rice are so indispensable in our daily lives, and producing them is so labor-intensive

[@fiolioco1523]

BRO THIS IS SO COOL

[@shafqatjahan2970]

Nice Animation ❤

[@Mssmilelovejoy]

Even today the majority of the people that grow coffee live in slavery, whether literal slavery, wage/ labour slavery, including child labour, or wage abuse. Most of the coffee you drink today is grown like this. Most don't meet minimum wage, most are literally locked into coffee farms and not allowed to leave. Fair Trade is easily bought off and no longer represents an ethical standard in coffee. However, the popularity of "specialty coffee" is revolutionizing the industry. Look for specialty micro roasters that have high grade or specialty grade coffee. The standards that most of these farms have to meet to grow specialty coffee leads them to naturally be smaller, have a better environmental impact and most of them are family/ community run farms. the specialty grade gives the farmer a significantly higher profit and the different of a cup of coffee is literally just $1 at most cafes using specialty. The coffee industry is the 2nd largest commodity that is exported outside of oil from developing countries. Use your dollars to actually make a difference and ditch big corp coffee. Starbucks, Folgers, Tim Hortons, Dunkin, all of these big brands are some of the biggest offenders.

[@joseguilherme287]

Coffee in Brazil is a huge part of our history. During the government of Dom Pedro II, coffee was the main commoditte of the country and biggest portion of it's GDP was the exportation of the berries. Also, the coffee barons of São Paulo held so much power that they were able, alongside the military, to depose Pedro in a coup and proclaim a republic. In the following years, their power grew and, with the elite of Minas Gerais, they controlled the country in a period called the Coffee Milk Republic. Eventually, their power diminished with the Great Depression and the ascension of Getúlio Vargas to power. That being said, the successors of these elites are still very wealthy and powerfull in Brazil, even if they don't work with coffee anymore

[@beedancecompany]

beautiful video :)

[@fuzzywhyyy9639]

Petition to change the title to: “A breve history of coffee”

[@DmitryEnglish12]

This video energized me no less than coffee.

[@azwarrakitic3310]

Best human invention ❤

[@user-ei7xo2sq7w]

It was so good 👌👌👌

[@user-AYUSH100AA]

I love coffee❤

[@gs4ndy175]

When Coffee & Chocolate join together....

[@zoomer619]

Sipping on an espresso at this moment while I indulge in its rich history. It feels truly remarkable, the taste... steeped in heritage.

[@zoomer619]

and as always, labour exploitation and slavery.

[@Amantducafe]

Watching this video while drinking my double shot home-made espresso made from beans that come from Central America (Honduras) and pondering on how dependant our modern society is on said invigorating elixir.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Those goats rock on!

[@superdol18]

My dad knew i like beans..he was playing around with beans, then he dropped it..he dropped it on a rock and then it slid, then hot water came out of nowhere.......and then ✨️COFFEE✨️ - Johnny Suh

[@mikkelnpetersen]

I don't know about the 3rd, but the 2 most traded things in the world is oil in first place and coffee in second.

[@amy5142]

As a Muslim, it makes me extraordinarily happy that religiously I can drink it and that it has Islamic history❤❤

[@TheAlchemist1089]

I think coffee merchants worked with the Islamic scholars at that time 😉

[@seansingh4421]

You also love a drink called “Water” and islam had nothing to do with it. Do you still love it ?

[@giacomodaflorenzia3610]

Do I have to love your religion because I love coffee? 🤨

[@user-dp8xr6mi3p]

@@giacomodaflorenzia3610 No! I mean neither should you hate that religion. What they mean is that they are proud that Islam influenced the history of coffee (sultans, Islamic scholars PROVING AND DISPROVING coffee as a safe drink, etc.) You know history isn’t just during the times the religion was to be 'formed' but also the aftermath.

[@user-dp8xr6mi3p]

​@@seansingh4421 Key sentence. History of coffee. Water was drank by the earliest humans and is needed for survival, unlike coffee

[@aysegocer96]

Turkish coffee is my fav coffee i drink everyday that's my routine. And making coffe is a therapy for me.

[@yusufrosyid3561]

Altough, I don't really like coffe. I interest the story of it, nice info👌👌

[@phamrain4755]

Having a sip of coffee and watching this

[@Hollow_174]

Yay, new video :3

[@SteveJian]

I'm not a coffee addict, but sometimes I feel an immense desire to eat ripe bananas with coffee. Personally, whenever I need a cup of coffee, I'd like one without sugar.

[@user-eq2dx2jp6v]

❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉 thank uuuuuu 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@youngmasterzhi]

You forgot to add that the “berries” were too hard to chew, so he had them grounded and dissolved in hot water before drinking it

[@estycki]

Haha my New Year’s resolution was to quit my coffee addiction. Thanks for supporting me 😂

[@Grivian]

Religious leaders: "It's just too damn good"

[@batosato]

Italians will have a heartache watching this video and finding out that coffee was first introduced to Italy from the prisoners of wars during crusade

[@shawnmark3492]

Hot brown morning potion.

[@TheRavenir]

Is that a Dragon Prince reference? 😂

[@shawnmark3492]

@TheRavenir Yes, yes it is.

[@chaitanyachugh4913]

One of the best inventions for mankind.

[@MD.naimurrahmanNiaz]

With coffee,there goes a long story of oppression also.😢😢😢😢

[@vinceofficial94]

Now I want coffee... Americano to be exact, but thank you Ted ED for the lesson

[@ELITEDIGITALPRESSUSA]

"Who needs coffee when you have this channel to wake you up with fresh marketing insights?"