|
Uncommon Grounds.....quite a read, I would say!
Well, I always am up to a good book and learning new stuff from folks that appear to know a bunch more than me on this topic of coffee. One such read is a book called, Uncommon Grounds by Mark Pendergrast. He lays out the history, or at least one version, of coffee and its evolution. Perhaps the most enjoyable parts deal with the discovery of the plant and its refinement, or its use and abuse.
I have to burden you with one section of the book here...it is found in the first chapter titled, Coffee Colonizes the World. Here goes...now sit back with a good mug of The Alpaca Bean Coffee and enjoy this, ok?
Quoting from the book: Possibly the cradle of mankind, the ancient land of Abyssinia, now called Ethiopia, is the birthplace of coffee. We do not know exactly when or by whom coffee was discovered. Of the various legends, the most appealing involves dancing goats. An Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi, a poet by nature, loved following the wandering paths made by his goats as they combed the mountainsides for food. The job required little of him, so he was free to make up songs and to play his pipe. In the late afternoon, when he blew a special, piercing note, his goats scampered from their browsing in the forest to follow him back home.
One afternoon, however, the goats did not come. Kaldi blew his pipe again, fiercely. Still no goats. Puzzled, the boy climbed higher, listening for them. He finally heard bleating in the distance.
Running around the corner of a narrow trail, Kaldi suddenly came upon the goats. Under the thick rain forest canopy, which allowed the sun to sift through in sudden bright splotches, the goats were running about, butting one another, dancing on their hind legs, and bleating excitedly. The boy stood gaping at them They must be bewitched, he thought.
As he watched, one goat after another chewed off the glossy green leaves and red berries of a tree he had never seen before. It must be the trees that had maddened his goats. Was it a poison? Would they all die? His father would kill him!
The goats refused to come home with him until hours later, but they did not die. The next day they ran directly back to the same grove and repeated the performance. This time Kaldi decided it was safe for him to join them. First he chewed on a few leaves. They tasted bitter. As he masticated them, however, he experienced a slow tingle, moving from the tongue down into his gut, and expanding to his entire body. Next he tried the berries. The fruit was mildly sweet, and the seeds that popped out were covered with a thick, tasty mucilage. Finally he chewed the seeds themselves. And popped another berry in his mouth.
Soon, according to legend, Kaldi was frisking with his goats. Poetry and song spilled out of him. He felt that he would never be tired or grouchy again.....
Ol' Kaldi could possibly be called the father of the coffee revolution...but you know he was more truly a VERY GOOD follower...and that proved to be a very good decision on his part. He was able to watch the actions of his herd and decide if, in fact, he would perish by indulging himself in what would become known as a caffeine high. He learned quickly, and like all good coffee men/women, he quickly wanted to share his discovery with those he cared about, which again showed his smarts.
NOW we flash forward to the present day, and we are still discovering the wonders of this plant...we find that the fruit of the tree/bush just might offer some relief from certain ailments of man and womankind... One thing for sure, it offers a very good beverage to sip upon while studying up on the genetics of your ALPACA herd...or deliberating the ways you will be able to IMPROVE your herd's genetics....or simply as you gaze out onto the horizon and watch one of the most beautiful sunsets you have ever seen. Just remember to give a nod to Kaldi during these moments...I know I sure will! :o)
Well, I probably will not quote another passage from a good book again anytime soon...but if you have found a good read that you want to share...hey, give me a shout! Until them, always remember, "Life is too short to drink a bad MUG of coffee!" And you can take THAT to the bank!
|
