Coffee
For me there's something heavenly about slowly drifting into wakefulness on a languid Sunday morning and hearing in the distance the whirr of the coffee grinder. Moments later, as the voluptuous aroma of a Costa Rican blend wafts up the stairs, the worries of the week dissipate completely and my only thoughts centre on the sensory indulgence lovingly being brewed.
One thing I figured out during one of my Sunday musings: the best brews are those that achieve a perfect balance between the Mmmm and Yee-haa! elements.
For centuries coffee has also been revered for its ability to rev up social interaction. Almost as old as coffee itself are the intimate coffee houses that sprang up in the Middle East and Europe. Precursors of today's cool coffee shops, these coffee houses became "schools for the wise" (as the Turks called them), places where people could meet to catch up with the news and share ideas.
Indeed, many of European history's great thinkers and philosophers honed their groundbreaking theories in deep discussions at their tables.
Many artists and writers have relied on coffee to propel their creative juices. "As soon as coffee is in your stomach," Balzac once observed, "there is a general commotion and ideas begin to move."
Coffee has retained its edgy, intellectual associations. If you're in the mood for an easy, lazy conversation, you'll do it over tea or a beer. But if you've just read The Life of Pi or seen the new Pedro Almodóvar movie and you want a slightly more elevated exchange, you order coffee. Because coffee will not only make you feel much sharper, it'll make your friends seem a whole lot wittier.
What's more, everyone in the process of enjoying a freshly brewed cup is in a way bathed in the flattering glow of caffeine's civilised heritage. Which is why whatever you happen to communicate over coffee instantly has greater credibility and gravitas than the things you may say over a chocolate milkshake, for instance, or a Bacardi Breezer.
How can I express this so categorically, so authoritatively? I've just consumed an elegant cup of excellent espresso. . .
AN A-Z OF COFFEE INFO
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Abyssinia (today's Ethiopia): legend has it that coffee was first discovered here in the middle of the ninth century - by a goatherd called Khaldi. (He noticed his goats lost their moroseness when they ate the red berries of a certain evergreen tree. So he tried some too, enjoyed the sensation it gave him - and spread the word.)
Acidity is as important to coffee as it is to wine. It lends coffee its liveliness. Without it, coffee tastes dull and flat.
Amarula: a tot of Distell's liqueur goes well with coffee.
Americano: espresso diluted with hot water.
Arabica and robusto are the two main coffee plant varieties. Arabica is the superior one.
Brazil is the world's leading coffee grower, producing about a third of its total supply. Other important coffee producers include Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic (Santa Domingo), Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Jamaica, Indonesia, Yemen, India, Kenya and Zambia.
Cappuccino, one third espresso with two thirds velvety, frothed-up milk. It gets its name from the "cap" of foam, which resembles the hooded robe of Capuchin friars.
Colours: nearly black roasts are called French roasts, dark are termed Italian roasts, and medium brown, Espresso.
Decaffeinated coffee, or decaf, as it's affectionately known, is coffee that's had most of its caffeine extracted. Neutered coffee, in other words.
Don't reheat coffee - it ruins the flavour.
Doppio: a double espresso.
Espresso: very strong coffee made by forcing steam through finely ground beans. It should always be prepared and savoured on the spot. The first commercial espresso machines were made in Milan about 100 years ago, which is why the language of coffee is still Italian. Suitable for espresso are tangy Guatemalan, caramelly Colombian, exotic Ethiopian, earthy Indonesian or fragrant Kenyan beans.
Florian's in St Mark's Square, Venice, is Italy's most famous coffee house, a place exuding faded grandeur. Guests past include Casanova, Goethe, Dickens and Proust.
Grinding your coffee at home dramatically improves results.
Grog: strong coffee with a knob of butter, a teaspoon of brown sugar, a pinch of cloves and a pinch of nutmeg, garnished with strips of orange or lemon peel.
How strong should your coffee be? Most coffee aficionados agree the ideal ratio is 21/2 to 3 level tablespoons of ground coffee per cup of water.
Iced Coffee: strong chilled coffee served with whipped cream or milk. For a more adventurous version, add a strip of lemon peel and a dash of cognac.
Just perfect with coffee: Italian almond biscotti.
Kahlua: Mexican coffee liqueur adds a bit of voom.
Latte: hot milk with a hint of espresso. Less foamy than cappuccino.
Macchiato: a shot of espresso topped with a little steamed milk and a teaspoon of sugar.
Mocha: one third espresso with one third hot chocolate and one third steamed milk, often topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa.
Never use finely ground beans in a cafetière (also known as a French Press) or Italian "Mocha Pot". Use coarsely ground ones instead. Coffee that's too finely ground can be over extracted, resulting in a bitter taste.
One small coffee seedling - nurtured by a French infantry captain across the Atlantic and transplanted on Martinique in the Caribbean - was the forefather of the entire coffee industry of South and Central America.
Purchase small quantities of freshly roasted beans at a time. Unlike good wine, good coffee does not improve with age! Store in a clean, dry, airtight container in a cool, dark place (not the fridge). Use within a few days, as the flavour diminishes significantly after a week or so.
Quotation worth remembering: "If I can't take my coffee break, something within me dies." From How to Succeed in Business by Frank Loesser.
Revolutions, both the French and the American, were fomented in coffee houses. The speeches that triggered the storming of the Bastille were written in the Café Foy, while Boston's Green Dragon hosted many subversive gatherings on the other side of the Atlantic.
Roasting: an important stage in the preparation of the coffee bean. The beans are heated to around 2200C, which dries them and puffs them up. The longer they're roasted, the darker the bean. Light roasts have a mild, nutty flavour, while darker roasts have a stronger taste. But surprisingly, the darker the roast, the lower the caffeine content!
Starbucks, the world's biggest chain of coffee shops.
Tia Maria: a Jamaican coffee liqueur that's quite heavenly stirred into a cup of strong coffee. To further heighten the experience, add a dash of molasses.
Universally hailed as among the world's finest: Jamaica's Blue Mountain blend. Voltaire, the French writer, had a serious passion for coffee and drank about 50 cups a day.
Warm up winter nights with Irish Coffee: coffee mixed with Irish whiskey and topped with cream.
X-static, silky and very perked-up is how you feel after a coffee massage at The Orchid Mauna Lani in Hawaii. The treatment consists of a luxurious scrub with a blend of peaberry coffee beans and orange peel.
Yearly global coffee consumption? Over 400 billion cups!
Zabar's on Broadway: arguably New York's finest coffee shop.
