Convivial Coffee by Susan Campbell Though it’s hard to imagine a friendlier beverage than a good old cup of joe, coffee is expanding its social circle to enrich creations in the culinary world. It’s showing up in surprising places like salads, desserts, and even savory main courses. So let’s wake up and smell the coffee evolution! From bean to buzz
Legend has it that we have frisky goats in ancient Ethiopia to thank for our iconic pickme-up beverage. Apparently a goat herder named Kaldi noted the exuberant behavior of his flock after they ate the green leaves and red fruit of a certain plant. So he ate some himself, and liked the buzz it gave him. He then introduced it to the monks at the local monastery who made a drink out of the berries and also enjoyed the extra energy it provided. That was in the 14th century. By the 15th century, appreciation of the beverage and its inherent ability to increase focus spread far and wide throughout the Arabian Peninsula. Coffee became so popular that it became known as the “Wine of Araby,” and coffee houses became the social nexus for daily life. In fact, in Turkey, coffee became so integral to existence that “a lack of sufficient coffee provided grounds for a woman to seek a divorce.” Coffee traveled back to Europe via pilgrims who visited Mecca, and it spread throughout the colonies, Central and South America, and Indonesia where plantations sprang up due to the optimum growing conditions. Coffee plants
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do better in a high mountain altitude with rich soil, and it’s interesting to note that Ethiopia still cultivates some of the finest coffee beans in the world today. In North America, it was after the Boston Tea Party when tea prices soared that coffee settled into the newly formed America as a preferred hot beverage. In fact, Thomas Jefferson said coffee was “the favorite drink of the civilized world.” As the quality of the beans and evolution of the roasting process began producing seriously high-end coffee, people started drinking it for the taste as much as for its stimulant effect. Expert “cuppers” cropped up around the world – true connoisseurs – much like those who appreciate fine wines. Today, international cupping competitions set the market prices and determine the best of the best each year. Currently the most expensive coffee in the world is coming from Northern Thailand. But it was espresso that changed everything about the way we consume coffee.
Coffee culture evolution
Italians were ultimately responsible for the eclectic range of coffee versions available today. Sipping fine espresso in Milan inspired the founder of Starbucks, and he brought barista culture to North America. But it’s interesting to note that the Italian way of drinking coffee is nothing like what you see in North America. Italians drink their coffee straight and fast like espresso shooters; you won’t find any triple, venti, half-sweet, nonfat, caramel macchiato in authentic Italian coffee houses! (Though Starbucks is planning to open their first outlet in Milan, soon!)
Coffee concoctions with a kick are also becoming all the rage. Not cocktails made with coffee liqueur like Black Russians, today’s bar chefs are using cold press coffee to make unique handcrafted cocktails. Sometimes they are taking old classics and adding a caffeine twist to them like the Coffee Caipirinha where the spirit called cachaça is infused in coffee beans to give it another element. New tiki drinks – ideal for the tropics – are also popping up like Catchin’ Some Rays made with tequila, dark rum, overproof rum, cold brew coffee, passion fruit, lime, and pineapple. And now coffee is expanding its social circles by creeping into cuisine. !
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On Aruba
Coffee meets cuisine
Coffee and baked goods have always been good buddies, and coffee itself has shown up in many desserts like coffee cake, ice cream, and even in fudge. But now coffee – the beans and the brew – are finding their way into savory dishes. And it’s not really about making something savory taste like coffee, or to provide a caffeine kick to a dish, as much as it is about using coffee’s inherent qualities to enhance other flavors. Savvy chefs are using it as an essential ingredient in meat rubs to wake up other nuances, and coffee also adds an interesting zing to homemade barbecue sauce for grilling. Infusing vegetables before cooking in green coffee bean broth adds notes of vanilla, hazelnut, and cinnamon to the mix, and the oils released in roasted coffee can add unique flavor to dishes made with mushrooms, meat, and fish. Even simple salads can receive a bright new life with dressings like Balsamic Coffee Vinaigrette that’s created with a mix of vinegar, honey, garlic, espresso, maple syrup, olive oil, and Dijon mustard.
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Coffee also makes a great companion in haute cuisine. Coffee maker giant Nespresso now holds international Café Gourmand competitions inviting the world’s best chefs to invent avant-garde menus using their elite line of gourmet coffees. But casual classics are also getting a coffee twist remix like the standard BLT where the bacon is marinated in ground coffee, brown sugar, molasses, and chili powder. You can also add a few tablespoons of strong brewed coffee to perk up a beef stew, and apparently coffee added to chili makes the flavors really pop. Or how about caramelized coffee-spiced chicken? The options are intriguing. But the rule of thumb in cooking with coffee seems to be that robust blends are better for savory dishes, while milder flavors do better in desserts.
Coffee enjoyment on Aruba runs the gamut from the best of today’s fancy modern concoctions in branded spots like Starbucks and Smit & Dorlas, to local cafés where people go to socialize over a well-brewed cup. Note that you’ll know you’re in a Dutch style café when your coffee is served with one biscuit as is their tradition, and they like their coffee black and strong while Arubans tend to ask for condensed milk and brown sugar.
Top left photo courtesy of Ten 11 Lounge. Bottom left photo courtesy of Santos
Downtown Oranjestad has the most local coffee haunts, which are easy to spot by their names like The Coffee Table and Coffee 4 U. And the Coffee Break also owns the Aruba Coffee Roasting Company that produces the only coffee actually roasted on the island. They use beans from all over the globe and roast small batches by hand. They use their own coffee in their homemade tiramisu, and you can buy their Aruban coffee by the bag for a unique souvenir. You’ll find them on the last stop of the trolley before it turns around. If you’re in need of a caffeine fix when strolling downtown, you can experience authentic Cubano coffee at Cuba’s Cookin’, or visit Ten 11 Lounge and let their talented baristas impress you with their artistic concoctions as you enjoy delicious sweet or salty treats from their menu. For “coffee with soul” savor a perfect latte, espresso, or cappuccino while dining at the recently opened Santos, located in the lowrise hotel area. You can also beat the heat with killer specialty “ice capps” at many Palm Beach venues. Some secret places to enjoy java on Aruba include the Plaza Bookshop, which has a charming coffee nook, Fantastic Gardens in Bubali with a small café cresting a meditation pond, and Huchada bakery in Santa Cruz that offers many types of coffee along with homemade Aruban candies, baked goods, and bread. During your Aruba explorations you’re bound to spot some wild goats, so why not stop and thank them? After all, if it wasn’t for the antics of their ancestors, we might never have discovered coffee at all! " 65