Speaking of Coffee and Caffeine

Speaking of coffee and caffeine… Sometime ago I read a nice piece written by Michael Pollan on “Caffeine” How coffee and tea created the modern world. It’s about the invisible addiction triggered by his majesty the coffee, and its caffeine content.

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Published in Italian and English (and happily edited and translated by Orsola)… at some point, we’d like to have it in podcast as well 😀
(Cliccate qui per “Apriti Sedano!” in italiano)

Caffeine is in fact a drug that’s hidden “in plain sight”. Mr. Pollan calls it “the most-used drug in the world — one we give our children in the form of soda and consume ourselves in multiple daily doses of tea or coffee”

I will not adventure into the history of the birth and diffusion of the famous drink, which is very interesting indeed, but I would like to talk about how this kind of addiction is now taken for granted. We experience its fascination at all ages.

Children and teens consume caffeine through carbonated drinks, we adults consciously take (lots of) coffee also “stimulated” by its social allure. Apparently, caffeine makes you want to talk, an aspect not to be underestimated.

We know very well that the quality of our sleep is affected, that it gives us palpitations, in some cases it agitates us excessively. Yet we keep drinking it, cause addictions are like that, you want more 🫣

“Once you wake up and smell the coffee, it’s hard to go back to sleep.” – Fran Drescher

However, in small amounts it helps concentration, keeps us awake, gets rid of headaches.

“Well Simona, what are you getting at?”

“Well Simona,” you’ll say, “what are you getting at?” Nowhere, nothing, not much!

For me coffee is like a Sunday morning drink. To enjoy at a slow-breakfast, or at an old aunt who’s using the oldest-moka(*)-there-is to make a really good coffee; in which she’ll put sugar in spite of the fact that you may like it unsweetened 🙃
(*) Moka, as the Neapolitan cuccumella, are the ultimate Italian coffee machine to have at home.

For millions of Italians (moka) it is perhaps the first “cooking tool” (let’s put it in this way) we use it as soon as we get up, half-way through the morning, after lunch and sometimes, after dinner. – Lorenza Destro

It matters little that I switched to chicory root coffee, what matters is the ritual:

the unmistakable sound of the moka bubbling – from morning time, in all Italian homes, at once
the coffee macchiato with the favourite (plant-based) milk to adding some creaminess, and
the distinct roasted bitterness that feeds our (un)healthy addiction.

Therefore, let’s forgive ourself, and remember: “life is too short to drink bad coffee.”

Now got to go, the moka is playing my song ☕️… and I’ve got some leftover scones looking at me 😋

Interesting links

For more on moka, read Letter “M” :: Set the Moka on fire!, from our Appetibilis Glossay
L’articolo in italiano A proposito di caffè… Apriti sedano!

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ockstyle

I’m an Italian gluten-free Gourmet Traveler+ and a passionate storyteller, writing in English and Italian. Fluently speaking (eating and dreaming) in Italian, English, French, and Russian. When I’m not writing, I cook and test recipes for special diets, and photograph (also on film). Not necessarily in that order. — / — Sono una viaggiatrice buongustaia (la Gourmet Traveler+) senza glutine, appassionata narratrice di storie. Scrivo in italiano e inglese, parlo (mangio e sogno) fluentemente in italiano, inglese, francese e russo. Quando non scrivo, cucino, testo ricette dolci e salate per diete speciali, fotografo (anche in pellicola). Non necessariamente in quest’ordine.