Are you a coffee expert?
Hello friends!
Today our digital journey is dedicated to the drink that prevents us from spending our mornings in zombie mode: coffee.
Musicians like Bach and artists like Renoir, Manet and Van Gogh have been inspired by the passion for the enveloping aroma of this drink.
But are you sure that coffee has no more secrets for you?
Get ready to discover some unusual curiosities about the drink loved all over the world…especially in Italy.
Put your moka on the fire and let’s go!
Why the name coffee?
Around the year 1000 some Arab traders brought some coffee beans from their travels in Africa from which they drew an exciting boiling beverage they called “qahwa“. This word encapsulates all the power of the drink: it means “that does not allow you to fall asleep”.
However, merchants loved to sell it under a more fascinating name: “wine of Arabia”. As they say, marketing comes first.
But if you enter a bar nowadays, another is the word that welcomes you: espresso. This name comes from a particular process that allows you to prepare a delicious coffee in a very short time. You only need 45 seconds to get a delicious espresso
Coffee time!
Is every moment the right one? Not really.
Science tells us the perfect time: from 9.30 am to 11.30 am. So many benefits without disturbing our natural biological clock.
However, it is difficult to limit yourself to just one cup a day. After a nice plate of pasta for lunch, there is no better option than a good cup of coffee.
A cup of coffee, not a cappuccino!!!
Cappuccino for us Italians is in fact the beverage par excellence for breakfast, with its delicate aroma obtained by adding milk. Your order is therefore “legal”, according to the “Italian law”, only until 11.30 am. After that time, don’t be surprised if the barman will look at you puzzled.
The secret of perfect coffee
If today the queen of our house is the moka, in the past in Italy coffee was prepared with Neapolitan type coffee makers. It is an appliance consisting of two containers, placed one on top of the other and separated by a filter filled with coffee.
When the water in the lower cylinder reaches boiling point, the coffee pot is removed from the heat and turned. Thus the water, by gravity, passes through the ground coffee and extracts arome and essences from it.
The process in the moka is similar, but faster. It is the superheated steam that quickly pushes the boiling water through the filter. Your coffee will then be ready in less than 1 minute!
What about the animals?
If we think we’re the only ones on earth who love coffee so much, we’re wrong.
Elephants seem to love it! For them, coffee berries are delicious and tasty snacks.
And if this has surprised you, hold on tight.
Have you ever heard of the famous “Black Ivory” coffee? It’s one of the most expensive blends in the world and one cup can cost $50!
Well, this blend is made from elephants. In fact, the coffee beans are kept in the digestive process and are then collected in the dung by the producers of the blend.
Now it’s time to take your moka out of the fire: pour the coffee into the cup and add sugar and milk if you like.
You can enjoy your coffee in all its aroma and history.
Do you know any other curiosities about coffee, maybe special uses in your country? Write them in the comments.
To the next digital journey!
