This post is intentionally short. Sometimes less is more---and in this season
of everyone weighing in on everything, I’m going to stay on-topic.
Coffee.
Although the economics of coffee have a political dimension,
coffee itself is not political. You either drink it or you don’t.
There
are lots of ways to drink coffee. Perhaps you like skim milk, whole
milk or cream. Perhaps you take your coffee black. Perhaps you prefer lattes
and cappuccinos. Or maybe you just like a nice shot of espresso---or two or
three.
Caffeinated or decaf. The choice is yours...
2016 has been challenging on practically every existential
level---from numerous deaths of well-known and beloved people, to an extremely
contentious election in the U.S., to natural and man-made disasters and a surge
of refugees due to what the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi,
called, “the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time," which is happening in Syria.
Syrians are born coffee drinkers. It's part of their culture. In fact, it was Syrians who introduced coffee to Turkey in the 1500's. Turkish coffee is actually Syrian coffee.
Interestingly, one of
the things that makes Arabic coffee so good is the inclusion of cardamom in the
brew---often crushed and mixed right in with the ground beans. We’re used to cardamom in baked goods that
have a slightly savory taste, as well as cardamom in chai---but cardamom in
coffee. Well, if you haven’t tried it, it’s worth trying.
Right now, 30 million Syrians are either displaced, in need
of humanitarian assistance or on the move as refugees. Regardless, people wake up every morning and
have to somehow start their day. That’s why coffee is more important than ever. And isn't nice to have a safe place to drink it.
It takes energy and drive to stand up to the myriad challenges
of life---from the most severe problems, like being a refugee, or being under direct
attack, to the stress of uncertainty that defines almost every aspect of
life. Especially now.
Coffee: It’s one thing that people can hold on to in times
of uncertainty. Hard to argue about that.
