Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-12-26
Important Facts Concerning Coffee.

In spite Of the unquestionable facts
that the choicest coffees in the world
are abundantly imported into England,
mat The berry in its integrity is pro-
durable without difficulty, and that its
use Is so general as to stand second
only to tea. we have learned TO tolerate
the abiding existence of warm brown
ish liquid-tlat. feeble and dull q cup
OF which may have inspired the ST gges-
ton of Burton in his ANATOMY that
1t was like the black broth of the
Laced mon ans, and has been un ,,ust-
~ traduced as contributing to the
'boiy' of this strange decoc;ion; but
IN fact, if weight may be given to the
assert on of an eminent vegetarian,
there is Just now q call upon the nour-
lshing bean as a base in tie manu-
facture of beef tea and other forms OF
OF CONDENSED meat. Supposing,
however, the make weight of ''mixed"
coffee to be of no baser sort than
chicOry its"lf, this substance is totally
destitute of the exhilerating and restor-
alive properties of the former. How
valuable these are is matter insuffi-
Gently understood. The Abyssinians
who PROBABLY used coffee long before
the Perslans or Turks still make a
composition of butter and the pounded
berry, which in travelling they find
more sustaining than either bread or
meat. In Central Africa the lean is
persistently chewed by the natives; and
it is no uncommon custom in the East
or grounds of prepared coffee to be
swallowed after the liquid.
That the savage should thus r,alize
fact to which the Englishman is as .
rule persistently indifferent, may be
set down as one of the vagarles of mod
ern civilization. Determined, however,
to agitate in this useful branch of re-
form, and starting with the planters
fundamental maxim, "Jld coffees,
young teas" there is no reason why
ordinary househOlders should not ma
ture the berry in their own store clos
cts. 1t must be kept raw, and prefer
ably in small bulk. the piquant aroma
being due to volatile oil which Is de-
veloped in the process of roasting. The
common failure of a cup of coffee to
attain reasonable standard of excel
lence is due 10 more than one cause.
If kept too long after roasting. the fine
flavor of the berry is dissipat d; but
even this may be to some extent revived
by carefully heating the ground coffee
before use. On the other hand, the
aroma may be entirely driven of BY
treating as q decoction that which
should be pre- eminently q simple infu.
sion. But not only should coffee not
be boiled. it should not even be allowed
to ''stand" for any length Of time.
Fresh and fresh is a sine qua non: and,
again. 1t can hardly be made too strong.
[ de may perhaps be considered extrav-
agant in his artistic allowance Of lone
cup of ground coffee for two cups of
liquid, but the great man admitted the
principle of subsequent dilution-with
boiled cream for choice-though even
hot water may be then added without
in, ,ury to the flavor. As a digestive,
strong "black' coffee has scarcely
an equal; and it is in this 70, n that the
connoisseur deliberately approves the
daintily brewed cup of pure Mocha 1t
must be said that this is kind of '.home
comfort" most commonly accessible at
n club or we'll appointed hotel; while as
a club comfort some trepidation
be it said-transplanted to the narrower
arena of the domestic circle. it is oftener
than it might be bitter failure. Some
how or other lovely woman will not
stoop to the folly of putting in whole
pot of coffee for two people-''not for
any one" Coffee must be blewed by
man for man.
But even the beverage intended for
standing use-which, of course, the
"black" coffee par excellence is not
may by made bright, fragrant and ex-
hilarating. Abundant, but not ex-
cessive, strength may still be pleaded
for as cheaper" in the end. We have
only to inhale the steam of freshly
made coffee Of good class, and no mis-
take can be made as to its bene6cent
character. 1t repeatedly acts like
charm upon headache or mental ex-
haustion, and accompanied with to-
bacco in any form will enable student
or sentry to keep vigil till the dawn.
For ordinary domestic use, however, a
judicious blend" is to be preferred to
an individual kind. A mixture-un-
contemplated by the act-cf ne con-
ditioned Mocha. with equal paris OF
"Tellichery" AMI " est Indian "Planta-
tion,' may satisfy Oriental and English
man alike.-St. James Gazette.