Gourmet Coffee and the Zen of Bliss
http://www.foodndrinks.net/articles/7057/1/Gourmet-Coffee-and-the-Zen-of-Bliss/Page1.html
Lili Rousso
Aroma Cafe Culture is a Los Angeles, California-based company. They are a distributor of Lavazza: Italy's Favorite Coffee, which is the largest family-owned coffee roaster in the world. They offer a popular "coffee-shop-in-a-box" that allows people to make gourmet coffee at home, for a small fraction of the price they would pay at a coffee shop. Visit their Web site at Aroma Cafe Culture. By Lili Rousso
Published on 11/19/2010
Among the fabulous benefits of being a gourmet coffee lover is the freedom to unabashedly wallow in my love affair with the small brown bean. Coffee has become truly an undeniable ritual for me.
Among the fabulous benefits of being a gourmet coffee lover is the freedom to unabashedly wallow in my love affair with the small brown bean. Coffee has become truly an undeniable ritual for me. When I wake up, I think of my first cup and all the earthly delights that go along with making it. The delicate clink of the beans hitting the grinder, the first aromatic blush as the grinding begins, the careful scoop scoop scoop of the grounds into the basket - this is my meditation, my Zen practice.
Am I too carried away by coffee? Can a beverage actually lead to bliss? Many of you might be skeptical. Perhaps you think I care just a bit too deeply about something so pedestrian and common-place as a cup of coffee, whether gourmet or not.
For my part, I respectfully disagree. Gourmet coffee is the essence of something we do for ourselves, with care and attention, perhaps even indulgence. It is one of those elemental acts that make life worth living.
Think about it. Many of the most spiritually evolved people I know make the case that any time you experience nature, immerse your senses in a part of creation, you are getting closer to your God, or whatever label you choose to put on the "source." Coffee is one of the most natural beverages available. Add in some fresh milk straight from the cow, and you are positively drinking in a cup of nature's divine bliss. So yes, I'd argue that you can find heaven in a coffee cup!
At the very least, I find serenity in that first cup of gourmet coffee each morning. I find strength and sustenance in my mid-afternoon latte. I find solace and comfort at the end of a long day, enjoying some delicious decaf brew. If coffee is a religion, I'm a convert. Baptize me in the rich dark bliss of this gourmet coffee brew!
Am I too carried away by coffee? Can a beverage actually lead to bliss? Many of you might be skeptical. Perhaps you think I care just a bit too deeply about something so pedestrian and common-place as a cup of coffee, whether gourmet or not.
For my part, I respectfully disagree. Gourmet coffee is the essence of something we do for ourselves, with care and attention, perhaps even indulgence. It is one of those elemental acts that make life worth living.
Think about it. Many of the most spiritually evolved people I know make the case that any time you experience nature, immerse your senses in a part of creation, you are getting closer to your God, or whatever label you choose to put on the "source." Coffee is one of the most natural beverages available. Add in some fresh milk straight from the cow, and you are positively drinking in a cup of nature's divine bliss. So yes, I'd argue that you can find heaven in a coffee cup!
At the very least, I find serenity in that first cup of gourmet coffee each morning. I find strength and sustenance in my mid-afternoon latte. I find solace and comfort at the end of a long day, enjoying some delicious decaf brew. If coffee is a religion, I'm a convert. Baptize me in the rich dark bliss of this gourmet coffee brew!