warmth Archivi - Keep Calm and Drink Coffee

COFFEE IN THE SAND

Dec 3, 2022 | JOURNEY FROM MUG TO MUG, WORLD

Sand coffee or, more precisely Turkish sand coffee is the typical Turkish coffee brewed in hot sand.

First of all, thank you Lu: inexhaustible source of tips, and in case you have not yet visited her blog The Caustic Misanthrope be aware that you are missing out on very interesting reading.

Bir fincan kahve i.e. the cup of coffee is brewed in the cezve.

The cezve is a kind of kettle pot with a classic pot-bellied shape on the bottom, long-handled with a spout designed specifically for making Turkish coffee.

Turkish coffee is prepared differently than ours: ground coffee and water are mixed directly in the cezve and the coffee powder is not filtered.

This is why it is sometimes sweetened or spiced first: when the coffee is ready, the coffee powder settles quickly to the bottom but you don’t have to stir it.

But speaking of grains, let’s come to the sand!

What does sand have to do with this?

Apparently, coffee was introduced to Istanubul by Syrian traders in the 16th century, however it was initially considered a drug, so it was forbidden.

However, coffee gained popularity and the ban was lifted.

Sultans and nobles began to have it brewed by their workers using the hot sand method.

Because in the hot sand the heat is enveloping and complete compared to the flames of a fire, it makes for a coffee with a creamy consistency.

In the following video you can see the process.

What do you think about?

Not to rub it in, but unlike our coffee, Turkish coffee has been added to UNESCO‘s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Perhaps we could try reading coffee grounds to seek more luck for the future.

VACUUM POT AND BALANCING SYPHON

Aug 27, 2022 | WHO CARES

We started from 1884 and the first espresso machine created by Angelo Moriondo but Lu author of the blog The Caustic Misanthrope, in addition to tips on rice, pointed me to the 19th century coffee maker!

It was originally the Vacuum: illustrated in this video by Trieste Coffee Experts: an event that brings us back to a place we have already talked about for its coffee supply chain

The Vacuum also called Vac Pot or Syphon Pot, was born in 1830.

In 1850 the next evolution: the Balancing Syphon Brewer.

The Balancing Syphon consists of two containers with a siphon tube connecting them.

Coffee is placed in one of the two containers, usually made of glass, and water in the other made of ceramic or copper.

An alcohol lamp heats the water, forcing it through the tube to the other container, where it mixes with the coffee.

As the weight changes, a balancing system based on a counterweight or spring mechanism is activated, which in turn causes the lamp to turn off.

A partial vacuum is formed, which sucks up the mixture originated through a filter, and returns it to the first vessel, from which coffee is dispensed through a tap.

Is your cup ready?

What do you say, wanting to make it a family affair, can we therefore say that Vacuum Pot and Balancing Syphon are the grandmother and great-grandmother of the mocha?

Certainly the names Vacuum Pot and Balancing Syphon sound more scientific than familiar, but their cruets also represent warmth, anticipation, and the ritual that foreshadows something good.

At this point the connecting links remain, and in this regard I think back to the enameled coffee pot with floral decoration with which my parents first, and my brother later, decorated the kitchen.

I then have this little one

what shall we call it?

And what about your coffee pot?

SUSPENDED PANETTONE

Dec 21, 2021 | ITALY

Suspended Panettone is a Milanese initiative that takes its inspiration from the famous suspended coffee in Naples.

With Laura from At Amalia’s table we have already made a comparison between Naples and Milan to understand the most common habits and ways to drink coffee.

And, as a curious coincidence, in recent days we found ourselves studying Christmas sweets starting from the tale of the legends about Panettone.

I therefore find this new intersection between Naples and Milan even more beautiful because when it comes to generosity there is always something to learn.

Suspended panettone arises from the assumption that unfortunately many people find themselves facing conditions of extreme discomfort, with the aggravating consideration that the situation is constantly and constantly worsening.

Of course, Panettone cannot make any difference, but it can represent a very small gesture, an outstretched hand, a breath of warmth on a day that should be peaceful for EVERYONE.

Therefore, using the Naples system, according to which it is possible to pay for a coffee at the bar leaving the manager the right to offer it to those who are unable to, even in Milan you can buy a Panettone that will remain waiting to be donated.

Furthermore, to each suspended Panettone, the pastry shop will add another in order to double the total number of panettone to give.

To orchestrate this initiative, an ETS was born: “Associazione Panettone Sopeso” which will deliver the panettone to two Milanese structures: the Enzo Jannacci reception home and the Custodi Sociali of the Municipality of Milan.

The patisseries giving this opportunity are recognizable through an exposed logo

and the list, complete with addresses and coordinates, is available on the website where it is also possible to donate online.

It is Christmas and on the Navigli, as in the center of Milan, it is no longer possible to enter the shops: the meager or the hefty salaries allow everyone an ungenerous crowd in search of a happiness that is not there, or that at least cannot be bought. This year I put out the candles: everyone invited me, but that night I won’t do anything different, nothing that I don’t always do, just like when I was a child; at the limit we changed rooms, we went from the room to the dining room to see if Jesus had arrived, and to eat the panettone, which was then called “el pan de Toni” …

Alda Merini, 21 December 2006