COFFEE BEANS & BEINGS / GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE

GUEST BLOG/ By Aleta at the New Mexico Pinon Coffee Co.

The other morning I stumbled into the kitchen only to be greeted by my husband grumbling and staring at the coffee maker. He gave me an incredulous look then asks, “Considering where you work, how can we possibly be out of coffee?” I told him it was a classic case of the barber’s kid always needing a haircut and followed up with a cheeky grin.

Aleta from NMPC

He was not amused. Don’t mess with that guy and his need for a morning caffeine jolt.

I forgot about this incident until yesterday when a coworker told me about an obscure coffee fact he had just learned. In 1500’s Turkish society, such importance was placed on coffee that men judged the efficiency of women through their skills in coffee making. Many a girl had been selected or rejected based on the coffee she had served the prospective groom. To the woman’s defense, there was a law that stated a wife could divorce her husband if he could not provide her with her daily coffee; it was considered as vital as food and shelter.

Well, my hubby didn’t serve me with divorce papers for this lack of java in our household. Just to be on the safe side, I think I’ll bring him home a five pound bag of his favorite Dark Piñon Coffee!

MYTH CONCEPTION

I hear people say all the time that they prefer dark roast coffee over medium because they get a bigger caffeine jolt from it.

Score another one for the urban legend files. Right up there with Big Foot and giant alligators living in storm drains is the myth that the darker the roast, the more caffeinated the coffee.

In actuality, caffeine is burned off during the roasting process. So, the longer a bean is roasted, the less caffeine it has. A darker roast coffee may indeed have a more robust, concentrated flavor than its blonder roasted counterpart, but the caffeine boost will be slightly less.

The grind of the coffee also affects the caffeine content to your cuppa Joe. Finely ground coffee exposes more of the bean to water, thus allowing more caffeine to leach out. Also, the longer the water stays in contact with the grinds, the more caffeine is extracted from the ground. So, use those French Presses if you want a more powerful jolt from your java!

In truth, most people are just in the dark when it comes to America’s favorite brew. That’s why we at NM Piñon Coffee are offering Coffee 101 at our Albuquerque, NM facility. In this free seminar, participants learn coffee terminology and join in on a coffee roasting and cupping. Call us at 505-298-1964 to reserve your space in an upcoming class.

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