The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-03-14
COFFEE AND ITS PREPARATION.

1t is not our intention to go into detail
ed history of the cultivation of the coffee
plant, which is not likely to be of great
interest to our readers. Practically it is
sufficient for US to know that coffee is
largely cultivated in many of the tropical
regions of the globe, as the West Indies
and America, Arabia, Ceylon, India, Bour-
bon, Java, etc. The Arabian, or Mocha
| bean is very small, round, and dark yellow
in color; East Indian kinds are larger; and
the Ceylon, West Indian and Brazilian
kinds are of blush or greensh gray
tint, and the largest in size. When coffee
berries are roasted, they suffer some re-
markable changes, losing considerably i'll
weight, but increasing to nearly double
their original size; during the roasting the
aromatic flavor is developed, but the exact
nature of the changes undergone is not
clearly understood. 1t is remarkable that
coffee containing peculiar substance call
! ed caffein, on which most of the use of
coffee as a beverage depends.
Roasted coffee when ground is much
adulterated with chicory; this fraud is
easily detected by dropping some of the
suspected coffee in a wineglass with cold
water If the coffee is pure, it swims on
the surface, and scarcely colois the water;
, if it contains chicory, the latter sinks to
the bottom and stains the water of a deep
red tint.
! Coffee is a wholesome and nutritive bev-
erage; it diminishes the disposition to
sleep, and hence it is used by those who
require to keep awake for study or other
purposes. Incidentally it is found, like
! tea, useful in some forms of headache,
where there is not any determination of
blood to the head; and it is also especially
useful in some cases of spasmodic asthma,
/ when taken strong.
The making of good coffee is a very rare
| thing in this country. Most persons boil
! it. so making a detection instead of an
infusion: this effectually gets rid of the
I delicate and agreeable aromatic flavor, and
leaves comparatively tasteless beverage.
| The following particulars will be found
worth attention; never buy your coffee
ground, but grind it yourself Immediately
before using it; keep your coffee pot, what
ever kind you may use, wiped clean and
dry inside, a damp tea or coffeepot ac-
quires nasty flavor that spoils the best
tea or coffee. The cheapest, and perhaps
the best coffee pots, are those made on the
/ L Teucn pldll,. Cdlleu CuItt6TtN, III you nave
not one of these, adopt the following plan:
put your freshly ground coffee into the
| coffee pot, previously made warm, and
pour upon it water actually boiling, set the
| pot by the side of the fire for few seconds
but do not let it boil up, then pour cup
| full out and return it back again to the pot,
in order to clear it; having done this, let
it stand on the hob or fender to settle, and,
in less than five minutes Transparent
strong aromatic cup of coffee my be pour
ed out. The proportions of coffee (which
should not be too finely ground recon-
mended, are an ounce to a pint, or pint
and half of water.
The milk used with coffee should always
be boiled and used as hot as possible; the
boiling of milk imparts a peculiar and ex-
cellent flavor to the coffee. White sugar
is recommended as the treacle-like flavor
of moist sugar quite overpowers the deli.
cate aroma.