Talleyrand (1754-1838)
That’s just one man’s perception of what makes
the perfect cup of coffee - so strong it keeps the
neighbours awake! Back then of course, he wouldn’t
have had a great deal of choice. Now when you ask
for coffee you get a menu: ground or whole bean?
Caff or de-caff? Americano, cappuccino, espresso,
frappé macchiato, mocha or latte? Coffee these
days is big business. Petroleum aside, it is the
biggest natural commodity in international trade.
Some 25 million people in 50 countries worldwide
depend on it for their livelihood. And among the
connoisseurs, good coffee is treated with the same
reverence as fine wine. All this from an
innocuous-looking bean discovered, according to
legend, by an African goatherd.
He thought his goats seemed unusually jumpy
when they ate this particular bean. Trying it for
himself, he felt alert and invigorated. But it was
a passing monk that made the first cup of coffee
from the beans by crushing them into a powder and
pouring on boiling water. His fellow monks were
greatly impressed by his ability to pray all night
and word soon got around.
That’s the legend. The rest, as they say, is
history!
