Coffee & a good read

Coffee-My Daily Habit

 

As I sit at the mother ship Barnes & Noble Booksellers, I contemplate whether or not I should have a second cup of vanilla latte coffee. A second cup would assure I finish reading the 8th Chapter of Dave Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. With this thought,  I remember a brief intro I wrote during my brief stint as a "Coffee Examiner" and decide to share with you readers, as I order my second cup :).  Enjoy!

One of the earliest legends of the beloved coffee bean is that of a young goat-herding Ethiopian named Kaldi, which also means hot in ancient Arabic, who noticed his herd acting bizarre after eating berrylike beans from a nearby bush. With a deep desire to understand this odd occurrence of his goat’s behavior, he too, partook from the bush, consuming, eating, and possibly chewing what would centuries later become America’s favorite daily habit-coffee.

It didn’t take long for Kaldi to discover the benefits of coffee and legend has it that after the jolt of energy he experienced Kaldi shared this new discovery with nearby monks. The monks began boiling the beans and drinking it. Eventually they shared it with others, whom shared it with more and eventually coffee made its way into the households and hands of millions of Americans.

Of those millions, a slew of coffee loving Americans abide here in Fresno.  Coffee is a core factor in the daily lives of local Fresno residents, myself being one of them. Just like larger metropolitan cities in California, coffeehouses with outside patio seating line the streets and shopping plaza’s in many areas throughout Fresno and with it carry the scent of freshly brewed coffee beans into the hearts of many.

Regardless, of the location or the way one prefers to consume the drink, the fragrant bean is a staple guaranteed to stay. It may have had humble beginnings but now has worldwide recognition; it may have begun as a hot drink but now it is also favored cold as well. Although, the coffee bean has had its share of change one thing is certain- the legend of Kaldi and his perky find has too, become for most people of Fresno a daily habit.  

Written By Francine Ramos-McMillon