Coffee

I love the smell of coffee but can’t stand the taste, so am never faced with the dilemma of which version to choose. I can just about understand ‘espresso,’ and ‘black,’ but things become a little trying when I see ‘ristretto,’ ‘red eye,’ or ‘lungo.’ They must mean something to someone, and indicate that there isn’t such a great difference between a barista and a barrister – both have to study and understand confusing terms.

I was astonished to come across mushroom coffee blends. I don’t know how they came to my attention, but delving further, I discovered that there is a subculture in the coffee business. Mushroom coffee blends laud physical, mental, and possibly emotional benefits. For example, Lion’s Mane is credited with supporting mental . . . oh, I’ll just copy and paste from the London Nootropics site: Lion’s mane, also known as the ‘brain mushroom’, has been valued for its potential role in supporting cognitive balance and overall mental wellness.

It's been said to be traditionally used by Buddhist monks during meditation and has been appreciated for centuries in spiritual practices and wellness traditions.

 

The additions are called ‘adaptogen extracts.’ There is a world of information ‘out there’ to be read, studied, and inwardly digested. Is mushroom coffee more expensive than the non-adapted stuff? The short answer is ‘Yes.’ It can be between two and five times as expensive as ordinary coffee.

 

I considered buying a few samples as unusual gifts for some of the coffee drinkers in my family, but decided against it. Some people find there’s little difference between mushroom and standard coffee, and are surprised to discover that it doesn’t taste like mushroom soup.

I often  wonder how much more ‘refinement’ can be added to the simple process of refreshment.

 

Whittard of Chelsea

 

Whittard of Chelsea

The Whittard company was started by Walter Whittard in 1886 and has gone through several stages in a long history of supplying tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. It is an interesting introduction to variety in beverages.

Though I never drink coffee and rarely have tea, I enjoy buying distinct types occasionally, for other people.

The coffee names alone are a delight – Guatemala Elephant, Monsoon Malabar, Jamaica Blue Mountain, Kenya Peaberry, and Sumatra Mandheling are just some of the options for coffee.

There are notes to accompany each selection. For example, Guatemala Elephant is described thus:

“Our most popular medium-dark roast with good reason – these big Guatemala Maragogype beans trumpet a bold dark chocolate and orange flavour.”

Following that are reviews from satisfied, even ecstatic, customers. They say things like, ‘It starts off each and every day with style and sophistication,’ or ‘Finely balanced flavour,’ and ‘The best coffee in the world.’

Monsoon Malabar is “Exceptionally smooth with a sweet, spicy kick, this dark roast coffee is unique to the lush Malabar Coast of Karnataka and Kerala, where it has protected status.”

At Christmas, there are brightly coloured tins to tempt the customer, and it’s an extra temptation to consider the biscuits, which are also presented in pretty tins. Stem ginger and lemon biscuits are delicious, and Earl Grey 'all butter' biscuits are very moreish, though perhaps better suited to tea.

There is a wide choice of loose teas – black, green, white, and matcha among them, as well as flavoured teas, and fruit and herbal infusions.

Peach bellini is described as 92% green tea with flavourings, including passion fruit, apricot, and marigold – apparently no peach! 

               The leaves are substantial and make a pleasant fruity brew.

If you’ve read any of Alexander Scott McCall’s novels about the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, featuring the irrepressible Mma Precious Ramotswe in Botswana, you will have heard rooibos tea mentioned frequently. Rooibos or Red Bush Tea is an herbal Southern African tea, and a great favourite of Mma Ramotswe’s.

If tea and coffee are not appealing, there are hot chocolate options, and miniature marshmallows, of course!

Whittard’s offers a number of gift options, like milk frothers, infusers and even stencils to decorate your drink, or perhaps a hamper or gift box.

Also available is equipment and tableware including cafetières, tea pots, and double-walled mugs.

 The goods are carefully packed in sturdy, recyclable cardboard boxes. The interiors are covered in illustrations depicting the early days of the company.

Goats and coffee

 

Goats and coffee

                                        Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Coffee is grown across the world but has its origins in Ethiopia. Barry was telling me this morning about the dancing goats that devoured the berries of the coffee bush and were so energised that they could not, would not sleep.

 At least, that is the legend of the 9^th century goatherd, Kaldi, who observed the antics of his goats after they had consumed the berries of a tree unknown to him. He was so impressed that he tried them for himself and experienced the energy they gave him, though he disliked the taste.

‘Kaldi Coffee’ and ‘Dancing Goat’ are popular names worldwide for coffee shops and companies.

Kaldi watched as the goats in his herd ate the small red ‘olives’ and then kicked up their heels with apparent joy and enthusiasm. He wanted to find out what caused such behaviour and took some of the berries to the local monastery. The Abbot, declaring them to be the Devil’s work, threw them on the fire, which caused the berries to release their delectable aroma. The monks rescued them and put them in water and shared the liquid, receiving the benison of the concoction.

                                         Coffee beans ripening

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The growing and consumption of coffee became popular throughout the Islamic world and the Arabs tried unsuccessfully to control the spread of the shrubs. In the 17^th century, a coffee plantation was established in India and soon beans were transported by sailors, merchants and travellers to far-flung lands, like Central and Southern America, Hawaii and East Africa.

Coffee is now grown in such diverse places as Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.

In Italy, in the 16^th century, Pope Clement VIII, was begged by the clergy to ban the drink of the ‘infidels’, but he tasted it and liked it. Some say that he banned it in public, but drank it in private, ‘baptising’ it to make it holy.

King Charles II despised it because all classes of people gathered in the coffee houses to drink it and talk between them might lead to insurrection. His sanctions were soon dropped when there was a great outcry against the ban.

The London Stock Exchange, Sotheby’s and Christie’s auction houses and Lloyds of London all had their humble beginnings from meetings in coffee houses.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world and is produced in more than 50 countries. The two largest coffee growers are Brazil and Vietnam, and the two heaviest consumers are Finland and Sweden, each drinking more than 10 kg per person.