Coffee Time - Java Talk
The Pacific Northwest is noted for its great coffee. In fact, Oregonians love and crave their coffee. An entire coffee culture has sprung up to answer this craving. Espresso stands and carts have sprung up in every major northwest city. You can find espresso or coffee places on street corners, in grocery stores, gas stations, hardware stores, department stores, stadiums, and even in the fast food outlets. There are even drive-through espresso stands for coffee drinkers who don’t have time to get out of their cars. It is more than just a trend; it is a new institution of the busy lifestyle.
As to why coffee is so popular in the Northwest, some people laughingly argue it is because people can’t function in the cold, gray, and drizzly climate without it. Whatever the reason, this craving has spread through out the United States and the world. Coffee is the second largest commodity in the world.
The boom of coffee houses is not new, as the roots of coffee houses go back to the 15th century Arabia, 16th century Europe, and 17th century North America. Coffee drinking began in the American colonies as early as 1689 in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. In fact, the Green Dragon Coffee House of Boston was where the idea for the famous Boston Tea Party was conceived in 1773. Americans revolted against England’s tea tax, and the Continental Congress declared coffee the “Official National Beverage.” What better way to protest the unfair tea taxes imposed than to enjoy an alternate coffee beverage?
Facts and Trivia about Coffee
The coffee bean is a fruit? It is actually the seeds of a cherry-like fruit. Coffee trees produce berries, called coffee cherries. These fruits are first green before turning red, and each fruit usually contains two beans. The coffee cherries turn bright red when they are ripe and ready to pick.
These seeds or beans of the fruit are then fermented, much as grapes are fermented when making wine, but the end result is different. After the coffee bean has been separated from the fruit, it remains covered in a mucilaginous layer. Fermentation breaks down the mucilage that surrounds the coffee bean. This mucilage, if not removed, will retard the taste of your coffee and create an undesirable taste.
Like the grapes of fine wines, coffee acquires unique taste characteristics from its local geography and climate. This depends on such factors as altitude, rainfall, type of soil, and how it is processed.
