Coffee deserves even a song

“Coffee was first consumed in the 9th century, when it was discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia. From the Muslim world, coffee spread to Italy, then to the rest of Europe, Indonesia and the Americas. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide.” (Wikipedia) That’s great! Here I am, having one of the best coffees in the world: the Italian one.

When I was younger, I used to love the smell of coffee but I didn’t like to drink it. Every day, during one year, the best part of my way back home from school was one specific block that had the delicious smell of coffee. I used to walk slowly in that block just to feel the smell for a little bit more. All adults around me had coffee every day and then I thought that coffee was a drink of adults, since I was a child and I didn’t like it!

I grew up and I don’t remember exactly when or how, but I started to drink coffee too, I think it was before I became an adult! The thing is that we really have a wonderful coffee in Brazil and I think we are the biggest producer of it in the world. Maybe we don’t have the best way to do it, I have to say! Especially, the espresso coffee! The first time I drank one in Italy I felt the difference. We have the same Italian espresso machines in Brazil, but we use double the water to make one coffee. So, the taste here is better, and stronger. Maybe some Brazilian people can think it’s too strong. To me it is perfect!

My mother in law uses to make a caffè macchiato, which is a shot of espresso marked with a small amount of foamed milk (in my case, soy milk) dabbed on top with a spoon and served in a demitasse! This is awesome and I really drink it everyday! She has a handmade espresso machine that makes the best coffee in the world, I swear! And I owe you one picture of it!

When I went to London, some years ago, I fell in love with Starbucks (it didn’t exist in Brazil until one or two years ago)! And I fell in love with the Mocha coffee (which is basically a Brazilian cappuccino, because it has chocolate added usually). I had never drunk a vegan cappuccino before, so when I did I was in heaven (you may have noticed I go to heaven with many kinds of food and drink…). But after that, we went to Caffè Nero, the largest independent coffee retailer in the UK (and an Italian store)(picture). That was real love. I wish I could have one store close to me!!

Resuming, coffee is awesome. It could be the drink of the gods. And it is so good that deserved a song, recorded by Frank Sinatra, in 1960:

The lyrics are funny and talk about the Brazilian coffee during that time. It proves that we love coffee. For decades! Yes, I know lot of people that don’t like coffee, but we should not argue about religion, politics and taste. Nobody is perfect…