Turkish Coffee Trivia
There is a Turkish proverb that says, “A single cup of coffee is remembered for fourty years”. In the Turkish culture, coffee is always offered at the start of any visit. No true conversations begin until kahve is served. The discussions and the brew are remembered together. No wonder that Turkish coffee is unforgettable.
There is no ritual more important in any culture than marriage. It is a way to improve ones standing and situation in society after all. Every prospective bride is tested by the way she makes coffee. Some brides are known to have substituted salt for the sugar in order to avoid an unwanted marriage.
It was also considered an insult to spill the coffee, even just a little on to the saucer so a reluctant bride would sometimes find a way to spill coffee, not just on the saucer but on the guests. That usually ended the marriage talks.
The foam on Turkish coffee is very important. It is made as the brew sits on the stove without being stirred. A few people will tell you that it is okay to stir after the first two boiling, in fact some will say it is a must but never is it stirred once it is placed on the heat for the last time. In fact, it is said that the host who serves coffee with no foam loses face.
For those of us who’ve always wanted our future read with coffee, Turkish coffee is the brew you must try. It is the remains from this brew or fal that is used to read ones possible fututre or destiny. In fact it is still a favorite pastime in Turkey today, especially among the women.
Make yourself a cup of Turkish coffee or go find a place that makes good Turkish coffee. Enjoy the experience for yourself. Don’t forget to check if there’s someone around who can read fal.
Coffee Breath
The girls got together for our day out. Our agreement is that this is a girls only day; no husbands, boyfriends, life partners, kids, parents or work allowed to intrude. It is time to take care of the women and enjoy one day without responsibilities. Thankfully, our families understand.
One of the girls mentioned that she recently had a meeting with a client. She walked in the door and as he spoke, she felt a bit dizzy. No, it wasn’t his gorgeous good looks that caused the
sensation. It was his coffee breath!
Most people are unaware that they have halitosis. Everybody gets them at some point. Coffee drinkers smell coffee on their breath and think absolutely nothing of it since they love coffee.
Unfortunately, the smell of coffee on someone’s breath isn’t always pleasant. Coffee is acidic. The acid combined with the bacteria in our mouth isn’t exactly the best scent around. The odor can ensure that people will give you a wide berth. Hmmm…not the reaction you want if you are running for Hunk or Babe of the Year.
Fortunately, there are some simple solutions that do not require you to give up your favorite coffee drink.
- Develop good oral hygiene
- Brush your teeth properly and carefully twice a day
- Floss at least once a day before brushing
- Rinse your mouth with water especially after drinking or eating
- Clean your tongue well
- Drink a lot of water. Two glasses for every cup of coffee is good for cleansing.
- Add food that can help improve the scent of your breath to your diet such as apples, carrots and celery.
In a pinch, there’s always Altoids of course. People around you will appreciate it.
2010 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
Who wants to go to Hawaii? If you’ve been yearning for an awesome time at the beach, scrumptious food, and excellent coffee, there is no better time to visit Hawaii than in November. From the 5th of November to the 14th, the annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is going to be held in the Big Island. This is no ordinary food and cultural festival as it has received numerous awards and has been in existence for no less than 40 years!
This year’s festival is already being built up – although there isn’t much need for that as those who know about it are already waiting in anticipation. Some of the most exciting events include:
• International Lantern Parade, November 5 at 6:30 pm. Alii Drive, Kailua Pier to Hale Halawai
• Holualoa Village Coffee & Art Stroll, November 6, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Have a taste of more than three dozen estate label Kona coffees!
• KTA Super Stores Kona Coffee Recipe Contest/Big Island Showcase, November 7, 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa Convention Center. This cooking contest should be fun to watch AND you get to sample the concoctions! Of course, 100% pure Kona coffee will be used in the recipes. How cool is that?
• Gevalia Kona Coffee Cupping Competition – Preliminary Round, November 10, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Keauhou Beach Resort. This competition will determine the best Kona coffee there is. You wouldn’t want to miss that!
For more information on the events and schedules, visit the official web site of the 2010 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival.
…And Free Internet For All
Coffee shops have sprouted up all over like mushrooms after the rain, and when we talk about coffee shops, the first thing that comes to mind is Starbucks. While some see them as a corporate “evil,” there is no denying that Starbucks is arguably the most popular coffee shop chain in the world.
They’ve had their own share of struggles, and in an effort to widen their customer base yet again, Starbucks is now offering more than the usual fare: free Internet.
Over the years, coffee shops have become synonymous with laptops and all sorts of mobile devices – and that means Internet access as well. However, the Internet access in Starbucks stores as it currently is is quite limited. You need to have a Starbucks loyalty card, and having one does not automatically mean you can surf all you want – it just gives you 2 free hours of Internet.
The new scheme, which is going to be implemented on the first of July, is going to open up wireless Internet access in almost 7,000 Starbucks stores all over the United States. The service is going to be offered to in collaboration with AT&T Inc. Do take note, however, that the stores that will be offering this are only the company-operated ones. Franchised stores will not be part of the scheme. (Boo!)
Here’s the question: will this change entice you to camp out at Starbucks if you don’t normally do it? Will free Internet affect your choice of coffee?
Help Starbucks Find The Perfect Eco-Cup
The environment craze is far from over. At the rate things are going, more and more people are going to join this movement. If I had it my way, everyone should be more environment-conscious FOR REAL. You know what I mean, not mere lip service kind.
Anyhow, Starbucks is making a move that leans towards saving the environment. As for whether it is the real deal or the lip service type – you be the judge. Last month, they announced a contest which aims to help them find a solution to the disposable cup problem. Here’s the official announcement:
On April 1 we are officially launching an online contest to engage creative thinkers in solving the disposable cup waste problem through open collaboration.
We are especially excited to announce that Starbucks Coffee Company is sponsoring the contest as part of its aim to serve 100 percent of its hand-crafted beverages in reusable or recyclable cups by 2015.
Starbucks has provided $20,000 in cash prizes to be awarded for the most innovative ideas. The participant who submits the best idea, determined by an expert panel, will receive a $10,000 cash prize. In addition, participants whose ideas are among the top five selected by the community of collaborators will each be awarded a $2,000 cash prize.
I have to say that the intention is good, no doubt about that. I am a bit surprised, though, that the effort has to be this massive. Can’t they come up with a solution like, say, stop using disposable cups? Or am I being too simplistic here? Tell me!
How Late Do Coffee Shops Stay Open In Your Area?
I came across an article over at LAist targeting coffee shops in their area. After reading it, I didn’t realize just how much I took the coffee shops in my city for granted. Here in my city, you can find at least one coffee shop that stays open round the clock, especially during the weekend. The others are open till at least midnight or 2 a.m.
One would think that in a city such as Los Angeles, the coffee shops would ALL be open even at 3 in the morning, wouldn’t you? This is the plight of the coffeholics in LA:
Los Angeles, for all that it has to offer the late night set in the way of tacos, deli meats, dancing, and beautifully vacant streets, can’t seem to find it in its heart to make a goddamn chai latte past 11pm. Why? There are more than enough night-owl neurotics with script deadlines (or even term papers due) that you’d think every third Starbucks would be open around the clock. Yet there are vast swaths of our fine city that go dark to couture coffee culture once the clock chimes over to a new day.
This may be splitting hairs, but it sure feels like there is a sustainable subgroup of folks who don’t want to sit at a diner, slugging down pitch-black Folgers just because it’s the only 2am option. A recent scouring of Mid-City / Mid-Wilshire / Miracle Mile turned up nothing past 11pm, with the nearby Insomnia Cafe on Beverly kindly keeping the lights on until 1am.
I feel for these guys! Two or three a.m. is not that late for a lot of people. I cannot imagine not having an option at this time of the night.
How about in your city? Till what time do the coffee shops normally stay open? I am seriously curious.
Farewell, Emilio Lavazza!
Last week marked the end of an era for the world of coffee for Emilio Lavazza, the boss of the Italian coffee giant of the same name, has passed away. Lavazza has long been known in Italy as perhaps the most reliable name in the coffee business. The family business was founded way back in 1895 by Luigi Lavazza. The males of the family have run the helm since then.
Emilio Lavazza may not have been the founder of the company, but he is undoubtedly the person behind its expansion. He engaged in various activities that propelled the Lavazza name to great heights, both locally and internationally. I suppose that many of us should thank him for introducing their brand to the rest of the world.
For those of you who may not be that familiar with the name, here is a short teaser from their web site:
Spreading the aroma and quality of Italian espresso around the world has always been our main aim.
That is the reason why we strive for excellence and innovation, drawing strength from our experience established over more than a century of activity, since the early 1900’s, when Luigi Lavazza first invented the concept of the blend, the art of mixing coffee of different origins to obtain a harmonious and tasty product.
Today Lavazza is the leader when it comes to quality and is the symbol of Italian espresso and Italian identity worldwide.
Ask any Italian friend about them and you’ll probably get an earful (positive or negative, depending on who you ask). In any case, whether you know the brand or not, it is but right to pay homage to someone who played a huge role in the world of coffee. Farewell, Signore Lavazza.
Specialty Coffee Association of America’s 22nd Annual Exposition & Symposium
From April 15 to April 18 of this year, Anaheim is set to host the 22nd Annual Exposition & Symposium of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Fondly called “The Event,” the symposium will welcome coffee professionals from over 40 countries. The Event will focus on everything specialty coffee including trends, products, technology, and coffee farmers’ livelihoods. There will also be a special focus on sustainable farming.
There are two other special reasons to look forward to The Event. These are the United States Barista Championship (USBC) and the Roasters Guild Coffees of the Year Competition. These two contests are traditionally held during the annual symposium and draw a lot of attention. The first contest, USBC, will feature the best baristas from all over the United States. They will be preparing and serving 12 orders. More than having the distinction of being the best of the best, the winner of the contest will be representing the country in the 2010 World Barista Championship which will be held in London this June. The second contest focuses on various coffee products hailing from all over the world. Judges will be sampling and tasting the coffee based on their fragrance, aroma, taste, flavor, aftertaste, and body. Naturally, the winner will hold a prestigious position in the world of coffee.
There will also be seminars, workshops, trainings, and exhibits at The Event. For those who want to learn to become baristas, this is the place to be in April. For more information, visit the web site of The Event.
Haitian Bleu Coffee
Haiti has been at the forefront of the news for about a week now, ever since that massive quake hit the country. The international community has been mobilizing itself in an effort to provide aid to our fellowmen, and if you haven’t lent a helping hand yet, you might want to check out some ways by which you can do this. The easiest and surest way for many is to text “Haiti”to 90999 (any carrier in the United States). This will donate $10 directly to the Red Cross, who will in turn use the money for relief efforts in Haiti.
On another note, have you ever heard of Haitian Bleu coffee? This is actually a relatively new blend of coffee, which was introduced in 1995. Proponents describe this blend as smooth and medium bodied, with a hint of sweetness to it – perfect for an easy weekend morning (or afternoon!), don’t you think?
Even before the earthquake hit Haiti, the country has been suffering from all sorts of problems, poverty being one of them. As such, those who patronized Haitian Bleu coffee were not only satisfying their own cravings but also helping out one of the most disadvantaged nations in the Western world. Today, with what has happened to Haiti, one might be hard pressed to find the coffee beans in the market. It doesn’t mean that in the future, no Haitian Bleu will be found though. And if we all do our little part in helping the country rebuild, this coffee blend will surely find its way back.
America’s First Cannabis Coffee Shop
Is this America or The Netherlands? I really am talking about the United States, and yes, the first ever cannabis coffee shop has opened in this country. Believe it or not, it has happened. Located in Portland, Oregon, Cannabis Café is the first and only legal marijuana coffee shop in the country. It opened earlier this week.
You might be wondering how this could have happened. Well, the Obama administration has left it up to each state to determine how they will deal with the use of marijuana. Apparently, the state government of Oregon is okay with this.
Those who are iffy about the issue should know that going to the Cannabis Café is not as easy as going to your run-of-the-mill coffee shop. In fact, only people who are enrolled in the state’s Medical Marijuana Program may go to the shop. Furthermore, only Oregon residents are allowed to join this program. Individuals who are suffering from illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and glaucoma are qualified to join the program, and they have to pay a $100 fee PLUS a certificate from a doctor.
The requirements do not stop there. In addition to the above requirement, patients must also join National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) – the Oregon chapter, naturally. The fee is $240 yearly. In order to enter the Cannabis Café, you would have to have two ID cards from the two organizations mentioned above.
So where does the coffee come in? It’s always available at the shop, for those who want it!
