J is for JAVA

J is for Java, the joyous juice of the coffee bean! Oh how I love java. I love the way it tastes, it smells, and even the sound it makes when it fills my cup. I love the way if feels when I wrap my hands around a warm mug. Coffee is more than a drink--- it’s a social encounter for those willing to take to the plunge!

I love strong coffee, but I am not a purest, I do take it with milk (no sugar). It has to be whole milk though; I won’t drink it if the only thing available is skim milk, turns the coffee a yucky shade of grey. I will, however, drink coffee black if it has a bit Sambuca in it!  

I don’t believe people should add flavors to coffee (other than some liqueurs) …if you don’t like the way coffee tastes, drink something else.

Yes, I am probably addicted to it which I guess is not a good thing but there are far worse addictions that’s for sure. I know that too much java can certainly make you jittery and I have been known to jump a bit when I over indulge. I can understand why the Mormon church bans it (somewhat understand it) but am grateful that when encouraged to ban it in the 1600s, the Pope refused saying it was a gift from God…and indeed it is! The Muslims tried to ban it at one time but the people revolted.

I always start my day with a cup of that black gold. My fellow “memer” Jean Wise writes about Journaling for her “J” essay. I sometimes do write in the morning and couldn’t imagine doing it without my cup of coffee. I use the same cup, its solid blue, large and chipped; it’s a relic from my wedding shower.

There is something wonderful about sitting on the deck, either alone or with friends, and drinking coffee. Joining friends for java is always a good time. The talk seems to flow all that much easier when it’s over a shared pot-of-joe. My parents would spend hours drinking coffee after dinner and talking. They made their coffee in a pot they put on the stove and boiled. My mom still makes a great cup of coffee though she uses an electric percolator these days.  I can no longer drink coffee in the afternoon but do enjoy a decaf after dinner and will make an exception to my no-caffeine-in-the-evening rule if it’s for an Irish coffee (hmmm St Patrick’s day is coming..). 

Before Starbucks, 7-11 used to be a hot spot for good java. Dunkin Donuts is still popular though no longer a personal favorite. McDonald’s had the worst coffee though I hear they have improved it greatly (haven’t eaten in one in more years than I can count). I must admit that I have become a fan of Starbucks but prefer locally owned shops whenever I have the options. My local bagel shop makes a good cup. While I usually love coffee out, I can't drink it if its in a styrofome cup.

Coffee is something I always seek out when in other countries. I Loved stopping in the café’s for cappuccino in Italy. The strong coffee in Turkey was a real treat.  But of course some of the best coffee I have ever had was in Africa. Good coffee was plentiful in Kenya and Zambia but my favorite coffee comes from Uganda (probably because I love Uganda!).  The Nile River starts in Jinja, Uganda and there are two java shops there that are fantastic: Flavours Café and the Source Café…Flavours caters to the tourist and the Source is more of a dive but both are fun and, of course, have some great coffee.  Even the tea in Africa is good! Former British colonies still serve afternoon tea. I have had coffee from Ethiopia but have never been to that country, at least not yet.  Good coffee was also had in Honduras and in the Dominican Republic.

My husband is not a coffee drinker, he pretty much sticks to water. He sometimes gets up early and goes to daily mass (I usually sleep in). Despite the fact that he doesn’t even like the smell of coffee, he has been known to bring me home a cup after mass. When we were in Germany we had to leave the hotel at 4:30 am to catch the flight home.  When I dragged my sleepy self into the nearly empty lobby, there, waiting for me was a large cup of java to go…my husband arranged for it the night before!

I am sure I will raise the hackles of coffee purists when I admit that I now use the coffee pods but I have found some great pods: Emeril has a strong pod (Big Easy Bold) and another company has pods called black silk and oh, it really is!

This is a short post and certainly not the most creative of my efforts but Java is what came to mind when I started to write my J entry…so Java it is, or joe or jamoke or simply joy…