May 2, 2010 – Photo of the Week: “The Elixir of Life”

Coffee lovers are a special breed of connoisseur. Every person that loves coffee has an experience. If you have that person describe their coffee experience to you then you will have many different interpretations because each experience is a personal one. This week I am sharing my experience with you through a series of photographs on coffee. I hope you enjoy my creative journey.

But first, what is coffee?

Coffee is the product of coffee beans which are the seeds or fruits of the coffee tree. I know…how deep is that writing…but it’s true!

As referenced from Wikipedia, coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. In the United States it is consumed and considered as popular as soft drinks and water. That explains all of the Starbuck’s and Seattle’s Best locations!! And in Canada, Tim Horton’s! Ah…Tim’s!

An interesting statistic is that South America now produces more than 50% of the world’s coffee; good thing we’re going there in June! 🙂

Ever wondered how coffee beans get their characteristic brown colour? Wikipedia does an excellent job explaining this so here is an excerpt, “There are two methods of processing the coffee berries. The first method is wet processing, which is usually carried out in Central America and areas of Africa. The flesh of the berries is separated from the seeds and then the beans are fermented – soaked in water for about two days. This dissolves any pulp or sticky residue that may still be attached to the beans. The beans are then washed and dried in the sun, or, in the case of commercial manufacturers, in drying machines.

The dry processing method is cheaper and simpler, used for lower quality beans in Brazil and much of Africa. Twigs and other foreign objects are separated from the berries and the fruit is then spread out in the sun on cement or brick for 2–3 weeks, turned regularly for even drying. The dried pulp is removed from the beans afterward.

After processing has taken place, the husks are removed and the beans are roasted, which gives them their varying brown color, and they can then be sorted for bagging.”

However they are processed, the flavour and aroma is simply delightful! For a beverage there is nothing more satisfying that the full bodied flavour of a cup of coffee, and the aroma from the percolating coffee; together your senses are captivated!

And this is why to me, coffee is “The Elixir of Life.”

Until next week, I hope you enjoy the series of photographs that I have included that pay tribute to the most consumed beverage in the world. I think I’ll go to Tim Horton’s now……

PS: Quite of few of these prints will be available as greeting cards in about 4 weeks time. Please message me if you are interested in purchasing one. All of these prints are for sale as well; you can use the shopping cart function on our website or message me as well. Cheers!

To view: The Elixir of Life