Imagine you're a French missionary in the 1800s, trekking through the mountains of southwest China. You plant some coffee seeds — partly out of habit, partly out of hope.

You probably never imagined those seeds would one day supply Nestlé, attract Starbucks, and help birth a domestic coffee brand that would open more stores than McDonald's has in the entire United States. Yes — that's Luckin Coffee. And that's China.

In this episode of ASCENT, we trace 150 years of coffee history in a nation that was never supposed to drink it. From Cold War export deals to Nestlé's quiet supply chain takeover. From Starbucks introducing the latte to a tea-drinking public, to a ferocious retail war that's reshaping the entire global industry.

And underneath all of it: the mountains of Yunnan — one province that grows over 98% of China's coffee,  ...