Kaffe ja Tupakki

This listening adventure opens with a vivid portrait of the coffee plant, tracing its curious roots from the highlands of Arabia to the shaded forests of East Africa. The narrator describes the tree’s striking blossoms, the ruby‑red berries that conceal the beans, and the delicate balance of heat and moisture it needs to thrive. From these modest beginnings, the story moves to the earliest recorded encounters with the fruit—monastic scholars noting its energising effect and a shy mufti who recognized its potential to keep night‑time prayers alert.

Beyond botanical detail, the work unfolds the cultural ripple that turned a regional curiosity into a worldwide phenomenon. Listeners travel with early traders and pilgrims as coffee spreads from Yemen’s bustling ports to distant Ottoman courts, sparking both admiration and controversy. The first act captures the blend of myth, science, and daily life that made coffee, and its companion tobacco, enduring symbols of social exchange.