Filter Stories

4) A Dark Bitter Powder

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Episode notes

How do you drink your instant coffee? If you’re like most of the world, you fill your mug with milk and sugar to sweeten the taste.

By adding milk and sugar to your instant, you helped bring new growers - and consumers - into coffee, but arguably contributed to a crisis that left hundreds of thousands of people malnourished.

In this fourth episode of A History of Coffee, Jonathan and James explore how the popularity of instant coffee dramatically alters the balance of power amongst coffee growing countries. Coffee as a global commodity takes on a life of its own, sweeping millions of farmers into a race to the bottom.

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’.

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)

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Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3jY42aJ
Castbox: http://bit.ly/38sXdcH

Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfU

Future episodes are already out on the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel: http://bit.ly/2NArChO

Coffee and brewing equipment featured in this episode

1930 and 2020 “World Blend” roasted by Smiths Coffee (UK): http://bit.ly/3rtR2g1
Comandante hand grinder: http://bit.ly/3qmTSCN
Sage electric grinder: http://bit.ly/2Zf3NyC