Watch series: The Story of Coffee

This brand-new series explores the history of coffee — the world's most consumed beverage after water.

Host Muhammad Tahiri will explain how the coffee bean turned into the much-loved drink we consume. It will also look at how the Arab and Muslim world popularised the beverage and introduced it to other parts of the globe.  

Episode 1: The Origin of the Bean

Join Muhammed as he examines the origin of coffee and where it was discovered.  

Episode 2: The Spread of the Bean

This episode looks at the spread of the bean through the Arab and Islamic world — one significant influence was Hajj.

Episode 3: From Arabia to Constantinople

Muhammed explores the spread to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) and how the drink got inextricably linked to politics.  

Episode 4: Coffee shops and the rule of Law

Coffee was outlawed multiple times and at one point deemed haram. But why was this drink so controversial?