I’ve previously written
about my passion for reading, such as this
post
from 2014. I’m always amazed at how many hidden gems I manage to find in the
library, or via one of the eBook lists I subscribe to. Oftentimes I have no
idea about a particular author, but based on the book’s description, I’ll give
them a shot. With few exceptions, I’m glad that I gave this unfamiliar author’s
book a chance. Not only do I find the actual story entertaining, but on
occasion I’ll discover a “real world” treat.
I was looking for an audio
book at the library and found The
Callahan Chronicles by Spider
Robinson. This is a compendium of his series about a barkeep that
caters to aliens. The story was fantastic, and I highly recommend it to anyone
who enjoys science fiction sprinkled with liberal amounts of humor. What made
this an extra special find for me, though, was one of the characters mentioning
a particular type of coffee bean. Until that point, I had never heard of Tanzanian Peaberry.
I love a good cup of coffee,
with the operative word being good.
My wife and I enjoy our weekend morning “ritual” of brewing a pot of gourmet
coffee and enjoying it at leisure. With my claim of being a fan of coffee, I
must admit that I’m not a fan of a
certain coffee chain. Even though I’m not mentioning this chain by name, I’ll
emphasize here that this is strictly my opinion on the matter. I find even
their “basic” coffee to be bitter and overpriced, and honestly can’t see why
it’s so popular. I’d rather just brew my own.
Welcome, my friend!
image from Google search
So, once I read about Tanzanian Peaberry, I ordered a bag of this bean from one of my favorite online suppliers. The first weekend after it arrived, I ground enough to make a full pot and the first sip was, well, divine! It had a smooth, rich flavor with a hint of chocolate. Yep, that one pot earned a place on our permanent rotation. In fact, it is our “go to” gourmet coffee, and I make sure to always have some in the pantry. Thank you, Spider, you definitely enriched my life in more ways than just good writing.
On my very first cruise, one
of our stops was in Montego Bay, Jamaica. I had heard of, but never consumed, Jamaican
Blue Mountain Coffee. From what I read, and what others have
said, this was another rich coffee that was highly sought after. This variety,
much like the famous Hawaiian Kona coffee, is
much more expensive than many other varieties. Without even tasting my first
cup, I bought a couple of one pound bags of beans. I brewed a pot on the first
weekend after getting home. Like the Peaberry, the Blue Mountain was fantastic!
There’s little wonder why these varieties are so popular.
You may have noticed that I
write about buying beans. Generally, whole beans tend to retain their flavor
much longer than ground coffee, especially the flavored varieties. Once ground,
the coffee beans will lose their flavor more quickly than the whole beans. The
small downside to buying beans is that it adds one more step to the brewing
process. You have to use a grinder and grind the beans before brewing. It isn’t
hard to do, but it does take just a little extra time and effort.
Our daily coffee is
typically Yuban
dark roast. I had never heard of Yuban until a pathology resident I worked with told me about it several years ago. I prefer the flavor and aroma of Yuban over any other regular
coffee blends, such as Folgers or Hill’s Brothers. Even better, Yuban is
generally less expensive than Folgers, at least where we buy it. Better taste
and less expensive? Great combination, if you ask me. And before you ask, no, I
don’t “contaminate” my coffee with anything….milk, cream, sugar or other
additives. I drink my coffee black. My wife, on the other hand…. To each their
own, though, and I won’t begrudge anyone adding a splash of this or that to their
brew if that’s what they want.
Actually, let me clarify one
minor detail. While I don’t add anything to my coffee, I will drink flavored coffees
from time to time. A freshly brewed cup of Chocolate Almond or Heavenly Cream on a Sunday
morning, with cinnamon rolls right out of the oven, and my day is made, even if
the Cowboys are playing, and lose.
A final word here on my
favorite morning beverage. There’s a reason why places like IHOP and the like
put their coffee in an insulated
carafe. It’s more than just the convenience of having a pot of coffee at
your table, and not having to wait for Flo or Vera
to bring you another cup. As coffee sits on that hot plate, it will get more
and more bitter as time passes. Once that pot is brewed, put it in an insulated
carafe, and it’ll stay hot and won’t be bitter. You can buy one at pretty much
any store. It’s well worth it, and once you start using it, you’ll wonder how
you got along without one.
Until next time……
No comments:
Post a Comment