The Coffee Story 💜
#coffeemeditations ☕
Well folks, please
allow me the honour of getting us all back in the saddle, onto our daily coffee
grind!
our regular bistro ;-) |
In the past post we
had Calvino and the coffee-pot!
We had Calvino giving us ‘incisive instructions’
on how to read his book, where he also recommends to his reader, ideal sitting
positions that would suit you, for ‘your’ reading of the book!
Says Calvino -
‘In the
old days they used to read standing up, at a lectern’, but for once, this time
alone, ‘why not try a sofa and cushions with a pack of cigarettes and
coffee-pot nearby?’ because, you’ll real need them. It dawns on you in a transformative,
epiphanic moment, that you are now an actor, not a spectator, in this ‘theatre
of reading’.
Can there be a better
way of celebrating the primacy of the reader in the meaning-making process,
dear reader? Nayver!
‘You are now an actor,
not a Spectator’, he says!
Reminds us of Addison’s
Spectator, which according to the noble and able duo, catered to the ‘new middle class’, taught them refinement, grace, elegance
and style.
Through this popular periodical of his day, with a circulation of over
ten thousand copies for each issue, Addison instructs and exhorts his
readers full well, on the need for ‘a constant and assiduous Culture’.
Parallels abound between Calvino’s If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler and Addison’s Spectator.
Parallels abound between Calvino’s If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler and Addison’s Spectator.
One interesting connect in especial between the two, would be the fact that, both have their authors exhorting their readers to pore over their reads after pouring for themselves a cuppa, from off a coffee-pot!
Noted critic Scupin
Richard, being an ardent devotee of the cuppa himself, used to say, quite very
often, in his own inimitable style, on the ‘power in the blend!’
Says he, ‘The
true mission of a confirmed coffeephile in his/her life is to find the perfect
cup!’ ;-)
And that’s hence he
adds to say that the coffeephile’s prayer is so unique and so noble! so pure and so profound!
Yes! when you take some time off your daily grind, to listen
intently to a coffeephile’s prayers, - with a clear mind, a pure heart and a
conscience void of offence, - you are sure bound to hear for yourself, the gentle whisper streaming in
your ears, that says,
‘Give us this day our daily brew!’
An amazing prayer,
ain’t it folks? ;-)
A prayer where there’s
no harm intended to anyone in thought, word or deed! No unwanted vain chatter!
No
frivolous talk! No gossip! And as Tagore
says -
‘My song has put off her adornments. She has no pride of dress and
decoration. Ornaments would mar our union; they would come between thee and me;
their jingling would drown thy whispers’.
That’s one reason why
they say that, coffee has been for long the nectar of the gods! ;-)
So next time around,
when you see a cloud formation that comes out cute in the form of a kettle, up
above the world so high, remember, St. Peter up there is busy brewing the brew!!!
;-)
Presenting the nectar
of the gods to y’all, ladies and gentlemen!
Yes! this William H.
Ukers read titled, All About Coffee
has some tidbits on ardent coffeephiles who also doubled up as passionate
literary beings. [litbeees we’ll call them!]
The purpose of this post
then, is threefold!
First and foremost,
this post, in this little space, would strive to highlight a few eminent ‘literary
beings’ from the pages of the past, [litbeees for short] who having rollicked and
revelled in the pure, serene delights of the cuppa all through their lives, also
desired to transfer their cuppa joys, straight from their hearts into their
lines and their lyrics!
Secondly, this post
would endeavour to bring us all, the true story of the brew! Let’s call it the
‘true brew story!’ ;-) On how the brew got his present fame and popularity!
Thirdly, this post
would love to share Lamb’s take on Clieu and the brew!
Ukers opines that,
Alexander Pope very often broke the slumbers of his servant at night by calling
him to prepare a cup of coffee; It was his custom to grind and prepare it upon
the table, says he!
William Cowper’s fine
tribute to the cuppa could be gauged from his power-line where he says, ‘the
cups that cheer, but not inebriate’!
Leigh Hunt and John
Keats were litbeees [literary beings] who were ‘worshippers at the shrine of
coffee’, says Ukers.
Charles Lamb has
celebrated in verse the exploit of Captain de Clieu in pursuit of the cuppa, in
his verses titled, ‘THE COFFEE SLIPS!’
But who pray is
Captain de Clieu? Why do we need to build a huge ‘Statue of Robusta’ for some Captain
de Clieu?
Read on for the cues
and the clues to Clieu’s claim over the cuppa, right here -
Well, the Arabs in the
1600’s were quite secretive and very much protective of their coffee beans,
says Ukers. [Remember the amazing Arabica
variety, that’s the most popular type all over the world?]
This blogger, during his cuppa time! ;-) |
At the same time, the
spread of coffee was also curtailed very much by the unavailability of the
plant in most parts of the world.
Hence it was, that the price of coffee
skyrocketed! And since prices were high, demand was obviously high, and hence
the drink had a high-value tag attached to it!
And that’s how it became a drink
of the elite in those days!
As we are wont to know,
the recent skyrocketing of onion prices in India, saw middlemen indulging in large-scale
illegal stocking and hoarding of onions, resulting in a subsequent import of onions into our nation
from Egypt!
In the self-same way, when profits are high, and demand is more,
the product becomes a high-value commodity, resulting in unholy nexus and
unlawful behaviour on all sides!
Suchmuch was the case
with coffee too!
Shockingly, people
were kidnapped and killed just because they were found to be in possession of those
high-value coffee plants!
Much evidence points
to the fact that, the Europeans ‘hijacked’ coffee plants in huge hordes as
early as the late 1500’s, says Ukers.
In such a scenario,
when coffee plants were a treasured species of plants, the royal gardeners in
Paris, at the renowned botanical gardens, were busy planning to propagate the
coffee plant as a rare and one of its kind ‘horticultural marvel’ of sorts! Paavam! Little did they know of its huge
economic potential!
However, a sailor by name
Clieu, Gabriel-Mathieu De Clieu, who having travelled widely all through his
life, and knowing the immense demand and the great sway that coffee had over the
market, devised a strategy by which means, he along with a band of masked men,
scaled the walls of the Paris botanical gardens, and after whisking away a
young coffee tree from off its royal gardens, quickly vanished into the night!
The ship on which
sailor Clieu sailed with the ‘coveted trophy’ – the coffee plant - witnessed
dangerous storms and bad weather, and was once almost captured by pirates!
In
such a situation, even fresh water was in such short supply, resulting in the
rationing of fresh water.
Amidst this tight-corner of a situation, De Clieu fed
this valuable fresh water from off his quota to his highly valued and greatly treasured
coffee seedlings.
As a result of his ‘sacrificial love’ and ‘sincere care and
nurture’, the coffee seedling were nursed back to health and survived this
arduous voyage!
As soon as he arrived
in Martinique, Clieu proceeded to plant this precious shrub all over his lands!
One reason why Clieu
confesses later that, he had obtained his coffee plant not by theft but through
sheer romance!’ ;-) by wooing and charming a ‘Lady of High Standing’ from off
the French royal courts!
Tells us all, ladies
and gentlemen, about the ‘charm and the power in the blend’, alley?
Tells us to what great
extent people can stretch themselves, to go for a cupful of delightful coffee!
Finally, when Clieu’s
coffee shrubs began yielding fruit, Clieu was gracious enough to share the seed
and cuttings with his neighbouring planters!
And within no time, Martinique was
filled with coffee plants, boasting of nearly 20 million highly productive
trees.
Evidence suggests
that, nearly 90 percent of the world’s coffee has spread from this plant.
One reason why De
Clieu has for long enjoyed a cult status and a celebrity following, amongst the
coffee drinkers’ collective from all over the world!
That’s hence Lamb,
Charles Lamb, pays De Clieu a royal lyrical tribute in the year 1810, in which
he sings peans to Clieu and to the power of the blend!
Whene’er I fragrant
coffee drink,
I on the generous Frenchman
think,
Whose noble
perseverance bore
The tree to Martinico’s
shore.
While yet her colony
was new,
Her island products
but a few,
Two shoots from off a
coffee-tree
He carried with him o’er
the sea.
Each little tender
coffee slip
He waters daily in the
ship,
And as he tends his
embryo trees,
Feels he is raising
midst the seas
Coffee groves, whose
ample shade
Shall screen the dark
Creolian maid.
But soon, alas! his
darling pleasure
In watching this his
precious treasure
Is like to fade,-for
water fails
On board the ship in
which he sails.
Now all the reservoirs
are shut,
The crew on short
allowance put;
So small a drop is
each man’s share,
Few leavings you may
think there are
To water these poor
coffee plants;-
But he supplies their
gasping wants,
Even from his own dry
parchëd lips
He spares it for his
coffee slips.
Water he gives his
nurslings first,
Ere he allays his own
deep thirst
Lest, if he first the
water sip,
He bear too far his
eager lip.
He sees them droop for
want of more;-
Yet when they reach
the destined shore,
With pride the heroic
gardener sees
A living sap still in
his trees.
The islanders his
praise resound;
Coffee plantations
rise around;
And Martinico loads
her ships
With produce from
those dear-saved slips.
Hail Lamb! Hail Clieu
and his Cuppa!
To be continued…
images: this blogger's
enjoyed your narration sir. looking forward to more. your narration is enjoyable and very informative. thank you sir. btw, i'm also a coffeephile.
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