All About Coffee
As I enjoyed my morning coffee today, I thought to myself: “Hey! I wrote an ebook about coffee. I wonder if anyone would enjoy reading it in these days of self-isolation when distractions are needed more than ever?” So, here it is. I’ve included the introduction here and a link to the full PDF below. Enjoy!
I came to coffee very late in life. Up until my mid-40s, diet Coke had been my caffeinated drink of choice. Seeking to quit my unhealthy pop habit, I tried Earl Grey tea, which I enjoy, but it didn’t seem to have quite the same caffeine kick. Then one day I eyed up my husband’s coffee supply and thought, why not give it a try? I had always loved the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, if not the taste. But I am also someone who listens very carefully to what my body is telling me. I had been on a real kick with bitter foods and drinks and thought the time might be right for me to try coffee again. I hate sweet drinks (aspartame-laced diet Coke notwithstanding) so I tried a cup of coffee straight up–no cream, no sugar–and I loved it.
Since then I’ve been experimenting with different types of coffee, finding I prefer darker roasts. I asked for, and received, a coffee grinder this past Christmas and set out to buy beans to grind myself to just the right level of coarseness for our coffee maker. (I will note here that before writing this book, I was no coffee purist. I used the house method established by my husband–a Keurig with refillable filters that work better with a specific coarseness of grind.)
It was during the bean-buying process that I encountered many questions about coffee. What is arabica? How does roasting change the flavour of coffee? What is single estate? And, with the emphasis on fair trade, is there still reason to be concerned about the human and environmental impacts of coffee farming, harvesting, and processing?
Assuming I am not the only one with these questions, I set out to find the answers. Here they are, in a quick-read format that you can enjoy along with your morning cup of joe.
Image of coffee cup from Catkin on Pixabay.