Ask any coffee lover and they’ll tell you straight – something magical happens when that first sip reaches your lips.
And this particular kind of magic is what has made coffee one of the most popular beverages in the world. It’s a ritual. A necessity. A life-long love affair that’s hundreds of years old.
The coffee plant was first discovered in Ethiopia in the 11th Century. The plant has a white blossom that smells like jasmine and a red, cherry-like fruit.
Back then, the leaves of the so-called ‘magical fruit’ were boiled in water and the resulting concoction was thought to have medicinal properties.
There are many myths and legends surrounding coffee’s discovery and one would be forgiven for believing whichever tickled your fancy. Some claim that Ethiopian shepherds noticed the peculiar behaviour of their goats upon eating the red coffee berries.
The goats became so ‘charged up’ that they would start jumping up and down. Other legends declare that a traveller from Yemen took note of a bird with an unusual amount of energy. He tried some of the berries for himself, and felt revitalised.
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Despite being an obvious stimulant, coffee’s earned a bad reputation as a result of claims that it dehydrated the body because it contains caffeine. However, modern studies have shown that this is not true, unless you drink it in excess and don’t replenish your fluids. New studies every day confirm that there are, aside from the emotional comfort coffee brings, various health pros to a good dark brew bursting with the earthy smell of roasted beans.
Coffee is said to help protect against cirrhosis of the liver, lower the risk of Type 2 Diabetes and colorectal cancer and even help ease depression. Coffee’s mood-lifting effect might be traced to its antioxidants. So drink up: There’s also research that indicates regular coffee consumption delays the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
While coffee may not be a silver bullet to creating the ‘happily ever after’ that so many are searching for, there is no denying it has the power to bring us closer to that ‘happily ever after’.
Perhaps it’s because coffee never judges. It loves you even at your worst – first thing in the morning when most of us don’t look at our particular best. Perhaps it’s how coffee can pace you through deadlines, sharpen the mind, and carry you through all-nighters. How it can recharge tired and worn-out batteries. Bring instant gratification.
Maybe it’s the way a good cup of coffee brings people together, encourages and smoothens out conversation. Or maybe it’s something even more simple. Maybe it’s simply because it tastes so damn good!
Coffee is perfect to enjoy any time of the year, people are particularly inclined to order a cuppa when days are shorter as winter bites, and not just any cuppa for that matter.
While the popularity of instant coffee might be on the rise for various reasons it has limited mouth feel.
There’s just no comparison to how fresh coffee tastes – the taste of a coffee made from a skilled Barista.
Doppio Zero, South Africa’s number one coffee / breakfast destination takes their fresh premium roasted cuppas very seriously.
Now coffee connoisseurs have even more reason to tackle the daily grind with Doppio Zero’s launch of two new coffee blends that promise to warm the chilliest and busiest of winter days.
Doppio’s two new blends – Uganda Bugisu Mount Elgon and Marshalltown Filter – include distinctiveness of style, uniqueness of origin and genuine rarity and will be available to enjoy at all Doppio Zero cafés by the end of the week.
You may have already sampled the new blends as trained waiters and baristas have been handing out tasters in-stores and around Johannesburg.
Mount Elgon denotes fully washed Arabica coffees from Eastern Uganda. The coffee grows in rich, red sandy loamy soils that produce high acid, soft bodied, black current/fruity flavoured washed African Arabica’s, which work well as an espresso bean, filter and plunger.
The Uganda Bugisu Mt Elgon has been perfectly medium roasted to preserve all the natural beautiful flavours that comes from the rich soils of Uganda. The coffee has amazing fruity notes, toasted macadamia nuts, hints of chocolate and a sweet citrus acidity finish. Best enjoyed as an espresso, cappuccino or filter.
The launch of these two blends comes following a partnership between Doppio Zero and Craft Coffee, a proudly South African local micro roastery based in Newtown, Johannesburg. Together they have a combined 50 years of experience in the coffee industry from farming to processing.
So if you’re a drinker of the heavenly stuff and treasure your cup of coffee, why not try these unique blends? They’re guaranteed to serve as reminder that whether Summer or Winter, good times or bad, or whatever else may be right or wrong in life – you can be grateful that you can hold a cup of coffee, take a sip, and know that life will go on!
And isn’t that something truly wonderful? After all, you CAN have too much of a good thing!
