The mirror., 1919-10-30
COFFEE THE NATIONAL BEVERAGE?
It's Ancient Use and Modern Applications. Romance
Spun Around Well Known Beverage
Eleanor Lee Wright

! comparison OF mOQefn 6ClonC1-
fic methods and those of centuries
ago proves that some of our mod
ern uses are really centuries old
traditions.
The coffee-maker first roasted
the berries in a shallow pan; when
half-ruasted pounded them in
mortar of stone or wood with q
huge pestle. Even the religious
Arab knew something of time-sav-
ling, for while pounding the coffee
he placed a huge pot full of water
on the fire. As soon as the water
boiled the pot was taken from the
fire and the coffee-meal added to
the hot water. Then he replaced
it on the fire and when it boiled up
he removed it from the fire, re-
peating three times.
Serving the coffee was cere-
mony. The coffee. maker held in
his left hand the number of cups
for the guests-each cup being
placed inside the other. First
small quantity was poured into the
top cup and the same coffee poured
in turn into each of the other cups.
When the last cup was rinsed the
contents were poured into the fire
as libation to the patron of cof-
fee-drinkers.
Only a half a cupful was served,
first to the eldest most honored
guest. Similar to our modern
etiquette, it was improper to offer
a full cup to a guest. The offer of
a third cup, too. was not looked
upon kindly, for these people con-
sidered. literally, the saying. The
first cup for the guest, the second
for enjoyment; and the third for
the sword"
Coffee houses sprang up every
where. Feasting and merry-mak-
ing were carried on in these estab-
lishments. In time they were sup
pressed because political intrigues
were planned there.
A bride was honored by the
keeper of a coffee-h house 80 the
story is told. \ AS she left her
home for that of her husband the
coffee-keeper poured a cup of cof-
fee on the ground in her pathway
so that his patron saint would
favor the bride.
The coffee plant has many rela-
tives. Plants that yield quinine,
dyes and madder belong to the
same group.
The Arabian variety is beauti-
full plant growing as high as fifteen
or eighteen feet. having pointed
leaves arranged in pairs on the
slender branches. From four to
sixteen fragrant, white flowers
grow in clusters in the axis of the
leaves. The feshy fruit is called
a cherry" and changes in color
in its various stages of maturity,
beginning with a dark green, then
yellow. red and finally becoming a
beautiful rich crimson. There are
two seeds in each fruit--the we'll
known greenish gray unroasted
coffee-bean of commerce.
The producers of the best coffees
on the market are conscientious
about every step from it's cultiva-
ton to the packing of the final
product ready for consumption.
Hot. moist climate and rich we'll
drained soil are necessary to the
proper production of coffee and
for these reasons it is cultivated in
the tropics.
Brazil now produces the finest
quality coffee in the world, partly
because of its wonderful soil and
area and partly because of the in-
telligence of the planters. Central
America, the West Indies, Hayti,
Mexico all produce coffee. as we'll
as Arabia, Ably ssinia, Liberia,
Jamaica and the Dutch East
Indies. When the coffee cherries"
Continued on mage .. column g.