Okay, coffee isn't what it used to be. Drinking coffee today is almost like sampling wine. Fine taste, smooth texture, good body... gourmet coffee has become the buzz word in coffee circles. For a confessed caffeine addict like myself, the change in the way I look at coffee these days has been amazing. I put it down to the many varieties of gourmet coffee now available. Just walk into your favorite coffee shop and what used to be a simple procedure of asking for a coffee, two sugars and cream is now a few minutes of deep deliberation as you scan up and down the price board to decide whether you want a flat white, latte, cappucino... and the list goes on. Isn't all coffee created equal? Not if you talk to gourmet coffee experts. Terms like nitrogen flushed to retain freshness; hand picked beans; roasted to perfection and so and so on. Columbian blend, french roasted, Kenya blend... brewing at the right temperature; whether to freeze or not to freeze coffee beans: I swear, you nearly need to have a degree in coffee drinking just to decipher the maze of gourmet coffee and coffee language out there. Make no mistake, gourmet coffee has become big business. Not just for drinkers but now giving gourmet coffee as a gift has become ritzy. I visited a friend recently who has bought himself a coffee maker. "Would you like a coffee," he asked. "Sure would," I replied. "Great," he said. "One of the best cappucinos you'll ever have coming right up." Then I watched him go to work. It was sheer artistry. First he ground the beans; then he warmed the water; and then with pinpoint accuracy he heated the milk to the right temperature. "Here you are. Enjoy that," he said proudly as he offered me the coffee. Sarcastically I replied..."That's great. Just as well I wasn't in a hurry!" Where did the term gourmet coffee originate? Well, as far as I can ascertain, a gourmet coffee blend probably includes coffee beans from a variety of origins. A gourmet coffee blend may include beans from Columbia and Kenya along with a touch of Costa Rica and Brazil. As opposed to single origin coffee which originates from one source. So a gourmet coffee blend is a little like a mixed marriage...or an even better analogy would be like a Deep Space Nine gathering of a variety of different universal characters. Now I'm getting deep. Whatever your preference, one thing that is certain is that gourmet coffee is here to stay. An single origin coffee lovers will just have to get used to the idea.
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