Coffee is the common man’s gold, and like gold, it brings to every man the feeling of luxury and nobility. Where coffee is served, there is grace and splendor and friendship and happiness. All cares vanish as the coffee cup is raised to the lips.
-Sheik Abd-al-Kadir
Switching geographies just a bit, an old Dutch proverb states that the two virtues of coffee are that it is wet and warm. Well it is that for sure. But drinking coffee can be a whole lot more than just knocking back a cup of hot black liquid, or a much needed supplement. For some, coffee culture is subtle art that affords a pleasant departure from the routine. It can of course be enjoyed everywhere; from the sanctuary of your home kitchen, to the hip neighbourhood coffeehouse, to the tailgate of your truck at some remote desert climbing spot. It is more about engagement in the process and the feeling one has when interacting with coffee than anything else.
Physically coffee engages all of the senses. Obviously when it comes to java, taste is near the top of the sensory totem pole. Coffee has a virtually infinite array of rich, varied, and complex flavours. Anticipating and then savouring that first sip is what the whole experience is focused around. But prior to taste, and maybe even more powerful is the tantalizing aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Sadly, often times as is the case a fantastic aroma is somehow betrayed by a poor tasting cup.
Sight contributes another powerful input into the experience. This extends from the panorama of your surroundings to the contours of your cup right on down to the finest detail of the crema in your espresso. The graphical nature of coffee culture continues on into art itself. Espresso Vivace in Seattle is the place to visit if you want to see true latte art as well as art related to coffee. Yes, coffee is very visual.
The other senses are not left out either. Sound like vision can range widely, from the ambient noises of your environs; the hustle of the crowded coffeehouse to the solitary croak of a raven in camp; all the way to the hiss of the espresso machine or to the nostalgic bubbling of the percolator on the kitchen stove. And finally we come to touch, or feeling. I don’t know about you but sometimes we find ourselves hurried in this work a day world of ours. We dash into a coffee shop and grab a coffee to go, or even more rushed or lazy we find ourselves in a drive through. And what do we do in either case? That’s right we get our tasty beverage in a paper or a foam cup. But take a moment to compare that to the actual feel of a ceramic cup in your hands as you absorb the almost sensuous warmth. The touch of the cup to your lips and the slight tingle of heat as it begins to course through your body.
So yes, all of the senses are involved, but there is far more to it than just being a sensory experience. The whole mind body experience of drinking coffee can at once be both relaxing and energizing. Take some time to tune in to your coffee and the surroundings; and enjoy your life with a purpose.