Cup of Love

Cup of Love

WAKING UP EARLY BEFORE THE SUN, I WAKE WELL RESTED AND READY FOR THE DAY TO BEGIN. IN ORDER FOR THIS DAY TO BEGIN I MUST COMPLETE A SET OF MORNING TASKS. THE FIRST THING IS TO MAKE COFFEE BECAUSE LET'S BE HONEST, NO ONE WANTS TO SEE ME WITHOUT SOME NATURALLY DERIVED FRUIT IN MY SYSTEM, IT MIGHT BE DETRIMENTAL TO ANYONE'S WELL BEING. AFTER MY FIRST TASK OF MAKING MY COFFEE; IN WHICH WAS MADE BY USING A FRENCH PRESS, I THEN WENT TO WAKE MY CHILDREN TO GET READY FOR SCHOOL. THEY SLOWLY OPEN THEIR EYES AND GET OUT OF BED; DRAGGING THEIR BLANKETS BEHIND THEM TO THE TABLE, THEY SIT AND WAIT FOR BREAKFAST TO BE MADE. I COOK SOMETHING HEALTHY TO START THE DAY. WE HAVE FRESH FARM EGGS WITH FRUIT AND A BAGUETTE. AFTER BREAKFAST ALL OF US LADIES GET READY FOR THE DAY SO WE CAN PUT FORWARD OUR BEST FOOT AND MAKE IT A SUCCESSFUL DAY. I DROP THE KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL THEN HEAD TO WORK MYSELF. BUT NOT BEFORE ANOTHER CUP OF COFFEE.

SINCE COFFEE IS A THING IN MOST PEOPLE'S DAY TO DAY LIFE, I’VE DECIDED TO EXPAND UPON THIS SUBJECT BY CREATING MORE KNOWLEDGE WITHIN THE COFFEE INDUSTRY. YEARS AGO IT WAS MY PASSION TO CREATE A BUSINESS REVOLVING AROUND COFFEE, THIS MADE MY KNOWLEDGE GROW AND MY CREATIVE JUICES FLOW. THE PROCESS IN WHICH COFFEE IS MADE IS A BEAUTIFUL ONE. IT ALL STARTS WITH THE FARMERS. FINDING THE RIGHT PLACE TO GROW IS VERY IMPORTANT AND IMPLEMENTS THE TASTE AND FLAVOR OF THE BEAN, SO NATURALLY THE FRUIT IS GROWN IN TROPICAL CLIMATES. YES YOUR RIGHT, I SAID FRUIT! THE BEAN IS GROWN IN A LARGER VEGETATION, TAKING YEARS OF PROCESSING TO GROW. WHEN IT COMES TIME TO PICK THE FRUIT; DONE ONCE A YEAR, ALL THE VILLAGERS AND FARMERS GATHER. THIS IS THE ONE AND ONLY TIME THEY WILL GET PAID FOR THE YEAR IN THE COFFEE WORLD. USUALLY IT IS THE LOCAL WOMEN THAT GATHER THE FRUIT TO BE PICKED, THEY SPEND WEEKS PICKING THE RIPE ONES AND LEAVING THE ONES THAT ARE STILL UNDERDEVELOPED. AT THE END OF EACH DAY OF PICKING THEY TAKE THE FRUIT BAGS AND GO WAIT FOR IT TO BE MEASURED AND INSPECTED. ONCE MEASURED, INSPECTED AND WEIGHED THEY GET TO CLAIM THEIR DUE ALLOWANCE. THE TRAGIC PART DURING THIS PROCESS IS A LOT OF TIMES THEY ONLY MAKE SO MUCH PER POUND; MOST OF THE TIME COFFEE PICKERS GET A VERY LOW INCOME CUT AND FARMERS GET THE LARGER CUT. AFTER THE PICKING PROCESS IS DONE THEN IT’S TIME TO CHUCK THE BEAN OUT OF THE FRUIT AND WASH. ALL THE BEAN CHUCKERS SEPARATE THE BEAN FROM THE FRUIT SHELL THEN THEY WASH THE BEANS IN LARGE POTS. NOW IT IS TIME TO SHIP THEM AND SEND THEM OFF TO BE PROPERLY DRIED. MILLIONS OF BEANS MAKE THEIR WAY ACROSS COUNTRIES TO BE FURTHER STEPPED INTO THE BEAUTIFUL PROCESS OF COFFEE MAKING.

THE BEANS ARE TAKEN OVER TO ANOTHER PROCESSING PLANT TO BE REFINED AND DRIED; THE FARMERS CONTINUE TO CREATE THE BEST FLAVORS POSSIBLE. THE BEANS ARE THEN TAKEN TO ROOFTOPS TO BE DRIED OUT, THEY LAY OUT ALL THE BEANS USING RAKES TO SKATER THE BEANS, AS THEY LET THE SUN BEGIN THE DRYING PROCEDURE. DRYING TAKES TWO TO FOUR WEEKS WITH CONTINUOUS RAKING TO BE SURE ALL THE BEANS GET THE EQUAL AMOUNT OF DEHYDRATION. ONCE THE DEHYDRATION OR DRYING PROCEDURE IS FINISHED THE BEANS ARE BAGGED UP AND READY FOR SHIPMENT. THE COFFEE BEANS ARE SHIPPED ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR YET ANOTHER PROCESS IN THE LIFE GIVING CIRCLE OF COFFEE. DUE TO SHIPMENT AND REVENUE THE COUNTRIES MAKE IN COFFEE, THERE IS LITTLE LEFT FOR THE LOCALS TO PARTAKE IN THE SPLENDA. INSTEAD LOCALS GET THE RUNTS OF THE LITTER AND KEEP THE COFFEE THAT WOULDN’T NORMALLY BE USED. IT ONCE WAS THE CASE THAT PEOPLE WOULD GO TO BRAZIL JUST TO “HAVE JAVA IN THE COFFEE IN BRAZIL”, FRANK SINATRA SONG. NOW THAT MODERN SOCIETY IS SO DEPENDENT ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE THE LOSS OF LOCAL EXCLUSIVITY HAS LOST ITS LUSTER IN COFFEE. CONSIDERING THAT FACT WAS QUITE THE DETRIMENT FOR ME BECAUSE I WANTED TO GET INVOLVED IN THE PROFOUND INDUSTRY BUT, HOW DO I DO THAT AND GIVE BACK TO MY FARMERS, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT DO THE MOST. NOW THAT THE SHIPMENT OF FRESH BEANS HAS ARRIVED AT THE ROASTING CENTER, WE ARE NOW READY FOR THE YUMMIEST PART OF MAKING COFFEE BEANS. THE ROASTERS IN THE COFFEE WORLD ARE THE ONES THAT CREATE THE MAGICAL FLAVOR IN EVERY CUP AND NOT ONE ROAST IS LIKE THE OTHER, EACH HAS ITS OWN MAGICAL FLAVOR, TEXTURE, AND SHAPE. ALL COFFEE ROASTERS ROAST DIFFERENTLY WHICH ADDS THE UNIQUE ART OF COFFEE MAKING; DARK ROAST, LIGHT ROAST, MEDIUM-LIGHT ROAST, MEDIUM-DARK ROAST, ACIDIC, BITTER, FRUITFUL, CHOCOLATE, VANILLA, THE LIST GOES ON AS TO THE VASTNESS OF ROASTING COFFEE. TO BECOME AN EXPERT COFFEE ROASTER IS A LONG ARTFUL PRACTICE OF PATIENCE AND LOVE. NOW THAT OUR COFFEE HAS BEEN ROASTED IT IS TIME TO TAKE IT TO THE CONSUMER.

NO ONE WANTS TO BE AROUND ME UNLESS I’VE HAD AT LEAST ONE CUP OF COFFEE IN THE MORNING. I USE MY FRENCH PRESS; MAKING THIS CUP BRINGS ME JOY, I PUT A POT OF WATER ON THE STOVE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE MY CUP OF LOVE. A DARK MEDIUM ACIDIC ROAST IS WHAT I PREFER SO IT’S TIME TO CRUSH MY BEANS INTO A MEDIUM CRUSH, THEN PUT THIS INTO THE FRENCH PRESS, ONCE MY WATER IS AT ITS BOILING POINT THE POT BEGINS TO WHISTLE “MOM, YOUR COFFEE IS READY” MY CHILD SAYS AS I RUN INTO THE KITCHEN. POURING THE HOT BOILED WATER INTO THE PRESS I THEN LET IT STEEP FOR AT LEAST TEN MINUTES; TIME TO CONSUME ADDING A LITTLE MILK AND HONEY. I HAVE FOUND MY PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE. COFFEE IS SOMETHING THAT IS A DAILY CONSUMPTION FOR MOST OF OUR POPULATION, NOW THAT WE KNOW THE PROCESS AND ART OF MAKING COFFEE, WE CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION FOR THE LOVE THAT COMES IN A CUP.