S2 E1 - Coffee: Behind the bean

Sip slowly... The Sapling returns for a second season starting this week with Coffee! Coffee’s past is as rich as its aroma, deeply Ethiopian, culturally sacred, and undeniably scandalous. In Ethiopia, coffee isn’t just a drink; it’s a ritual of connection. The bunna ceremony, with its slow roasting, careful brewing, and communal sharing, is a cornerstone of hospitality and identity. But once those magical beans left Ethiopia’s highlands, the world turned them into a commodity wrapped in intrigue. Yemen tried to lock down the trade by forbidding fertile beans from leaving the country, only to have smugglers sneak them out sewn into clothing. European elites whispered that coffeehouses were breeding grounds for rebellion, prompting rulers to ban the drink for being “too stimulating” for the masses. From sacred Ethiopian tradition to global obsession fueled by espionage and attempted bans, coffee has always been a brew with a bold cultural heartbeat and a deliciously scandalous past.