Television -Beans to Buzz airing on National Geographic Channel

싱가폴 친구가 보내온 겁니다.^^   Television - Beans to Buzz airing on National Geographic Channel<PRE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 40.9pt"> </PRE> Milan - Coffee: Beans to Buzz traces the epic saga of a potent little bean with a revolutionary impact that has helped break down social, political and economic barriers throughout the ages. Trace the fascinating tale of international trade and intrigue, chronicling how coffee travelled from Africa to the Middle East and then to Europe and the United States. From the planning of the French Revolution in coffeehouses to how drinking coffee became a patriotic duty in the American Colonies after the British taxed tea, coffee has been part of history and cultural shifts over the last several hundred years. Coffee: Beans to Buzz follows the surprising twists in the story of how this bean — first chewed, then brewed — has wielded influence over kingdoms, plantations and corporations worldwide. Originally discovered in the forests of Ethiopia, this potent plant eventually migrated to the Middle East, home of the earliest coffee houses. By the 17th century, it reached Vienna, Austria, where coffee drinkers first added milk to mitigate the bitter taste. Soon after, in Italy, the cappuccino was born — a classic blend of espresso and steamed milk, named after the brown robes of Capuchin monks. The heady aroma of coffee seemed to completely seduce almost every culture it touched. During colonial times, after the British put a tax on tea in 1773, Americans famously dumped it into Boston Harbour and coffee drinking became an act of patriotism. And in France, though “cafes” were considered places where the pretty people went “to see and be seen,” they were also the sites where much of the French Revolution of 1789 was planned. In the United States, during the Gold Rush in the 19th century, one entrepreneurial young man, Jim Folger, whipped up the idea of serving the brew to the miners diligently digging for gold. He literally hit a gold mine of his own by launching the “instant coffee” fad. Later, in the 20th century, coffee houses became places to not only sip a cup of Joe, but to also hear music, do business and buy books. The now-famous, ubiquitous Starbucks has 5,668 company-operated coffeehouses in the United States. Coffee: Beans to Buzz also examines Brazil’s leading role in the coffee industry, producing a quarter of the world’s supply. It is said that one romantic Frenchman supposedly smuggled the first coffee beans to Latin America. That led to the eventual rise of coffee barons and contributed to the subjugation of Indians and Africans, the destruction of rainforests and, ironically, the evolution of both democracy and dictatorships. The National Geographic Channel originally aired the documentary Coffee: Beans to Buzz in January, 2007. Coffee Beans to Buzz next airs on Thursday March 8th at 6pm EST.