Who else should be my first podcast guest on my Hungarian channel (Kielmayer Kris KörKép) -available on Spotify and other platforms as well- other than my wife. A devoted coffee lover, always on the search for fine, rare, unique coffees for home as well as on the quest to discover (and rediscover) coffee shops in Budapest, Hungary and beyond. Below a short highlight of our discussion on specialty coffee & more.
Her bi-lingual coffee guide can be accessed here: www.specialtystories.coffee and her social media platforms on instagram and facebook feature awesome pictures and stories.
Content
- Let´s have some coffee
- From Yemen over Germany to Budapest
- coffee
- Coffee and wine
- The story of coffee
- Mindfulness
Let´s have some coffee
Coffee is a hugely diverse product, with different flavour profiles and even strong vintage variation, as well as the process of production and preparation. And there is the so-called “changing factor” as well, down to outside influence too. One of the reasons; having coffee may always be an amazing discovery.
It´s reckoned that once you consume a coffee at a certain, given place, it´s unique and can virtually not be copied. Much depends on your mood, on the coffee making itself, weather conditions and much more.
The coffee, which you consume, will bring emotions whether you like it or not and this will recall a kind of memory and picture. It´s always a renewal and that´s part of the beauty. The process of discovery is part of the enjoyment. While a bag of 250 g of coffee for home consumption maybe a bit too much, since you would need to be drinking it for 1-1,5 week, to try a completely “new coffee” 2-3 days would be perfect. It´s a journey into the world of aromas, flavours; it’s like visiting a well-known place, there is always something new to be found.
From Yemen over Germany to Budapest
Supremo Roaster – Yemenia, Yemen a really special coffee which we just tasting, drinking at the beginning of the Podcast. Gabi shares her special connection, since this is one of the hot “discoveries”, since rediscovering geisha in Panama. Special flavour profile and a fascinating country which does have a difficult present. It´s a little miracle to harvest the green beans, transport them to Germany where they get to roasted. And it´s important that within the production chain the farmers receive their fair share as well! Exciting, funky, unique coffee from a fascinating place, Yemen.
Specialtystories.coffee
The website covers coffee experiences, interesting stories and exciting coffees. The experience goes beyond to have just a fine cup, but also visiting coffee shops.
The home coffee experience contains not just the sourcing of micro-lots, award winning and unique coffee beans, but also the appropriate serving from the cup to the whole surrounding. You may call it “mindfulness”. At a coffee shop the experience should be about connecting to people and coffee, the unique atmosphere of the coffee shop, interior, colours, individual things – what kind of emotions does this awake in you.
The barista, how you connect with them, whether this is actually possible at all depends of course on the environment, business of the place.
And of course the coffee itself and the combination of the above adds up to the equation of coffee experience.
Coffee and wine
Now there are parallels between coffee and wine as well as between wine tasting and cupping (coffee tasting), from aromas, flavours, descriptors as well as assessment on the higher levels as well.
The story of coffee
It may be just a legend, but an interesting one. It goes back to Ethiopia, the ancient home of coffee. A goat shepherd became aware that his goats are more active when they eat from this particular plant’s fruits. The legends somewhat continue to a monastery of a kind, where the monks throw it on to a fire, as they consider consuming it as a sinful thing and through the “roasting” new aromas are being released, later they also realize the advantages of coffee by helping them to stay awake longer to serve God.
Mindfulness
One should dedicate time for coffee, time and space as well. Let´s call it “me time” or a kind of meditation. While you have a filter coffee (2-3 dl) one should spend at least 10-15 minutes to live through the moment of enjoyment. Through temperature change the coffee will change as well and this may be part of the observation of the enjoyment as well. If you´re in a coffee shop you´re not in your familiar surroundings, you´re there to have a coffee, the vibe is completely different. Filter coffee consumption is closely linked to the Scandinavians, so why not have a “Hygge” kind of coziness when you´re at home with your favourite coffees.
