The diary of a guy who wishes he could speak better espanol
Percolated, pressed, dripped, or vacuumed? African, Asian, North, Central, or South American? Medium, Full City, Viennese, New England, or Dark? Organic, fair trade, shade grown, or commodity? Bitter, sweet, nutty, chocolaty, fruity, or earthy? Regular or decaff? Robusta or Arabica? Cappuccino, latte, mocha, or espresso? Cream, sugar, or soy? Mmm, coffee...
Coffee is said to be the second most traded commodity in the world, behind crude oil. Starting with the 9th century discovery story of Kaldi and his goats in Ethiopia it has taken the globe by storm. As the world evolved into today's complex globalized society, we quickly absorbed regional treasures of biodiversity that foreign lands offered. And once we got a little taste of that delicious biodiversity, boy did we get addicted. So addicted, that it is hard for many of us to fathom starting a day without our cherished cup, or cups, of coffee. Despite the fact that coffee in mainland North America and Europe is the farthest thing from a local product, it has often become the heartbeat of our communities. Cafés have traditionally been center pieces of local communities where creativity is sparked by a magical bean and anything from revolutions to business plans are discussed. But where does...
