Black as the devil, hot as hell,
pure as an angel, sweet as love.
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand
Really, why not? Please, ladies and gentlemen, help yourself. The Espresso machines, cezves, kettles, and other related items for a pleasant coffee party are here for you to enjoy. Cigars, liquors, something else? Please do not restrict yourself…
Now, after everything is nice and comfortable, we offer you to enjoy not only gastronomically, but also intellectually. We picked up some curious stories (both legends and romantic, or even detective, stories) that will add new flavors to the taste of your drinks.
King Solomon
Well, our first story is a legend about coffee trees and immortality.
In the book “The Book of a Tasty and Healthy Life” by Igor Guberman and Aleksander Okun, we found the following legend (a shortened version is presented here):
King Solomon received the news of the exact hour of his imminent demise (he got it from the archangel Gabriel). King Solomon told this sad news to his associates and advisers. The participants bowed their heads in bewildered silence, but an old sage suddenly stood up and said that he heard about the source of magical water. “This is far far away, but I know the road!- said the man- You just need to drink this magic water and you will live forever”. King Solomon was delighted and asked his friend, a quick eagle, to bring a jug of such water. The eagle flew very quickly and succeed to return a few hours before the king’s transition to another world. But Solomon, one of the wisest people in the history of mankind, did not hurry to drink the water. He gathered a board of advisers, for that he invited both people and animals. “To drink or not to drink?” Solomon asked. “Drink it!” – all answered him in unison. And only the old, wise fox, who, by the way, was late for this meeting, said to the king: “Of course, it is very tempting to drink the water. But please remember that eternal life has minuses too. And if your fortune is turned away and you have to endure hardships and bullying forever? Isn’t it better to leave this world now when you are at the peak of fame?”
King Solomon thought, took a deep breath, called the eagle, and asked him to take the water back. Then he sat and died. And the eagle went on a return trip back to the source. The jug was not tightly closed, and the magical water dripped from time to time. And soon, where a drop of water had fallen to the ground, a coffee tree grew.
Coffee or Tea?
We called our second story “To drink or not to drink?”
An 18th-century legend tells us about a king who decided to finally find out what drink is healthier: coffee or tea. Luckily, two twin brothers were sentenced to death at this time. The king decided to replace the execution with life imprisonment, but with some special conditions. The brothers had to be in strict isolation under the supervision of doctors. One of them was given three cups of tea every day, and the other was given the same amount of coffee. Unfortunately, the king himself did not see the result: he died shortly after the experiment’s start. The physicians also did not satisfy their curiosity – they died before the twins. Finally, in the 83rd year of life, one of the brothers, who had the tea diet, died. And very soon after that, his coffee-consuming brother followed his twin.
Just to note that modern scientists also deals with this question. At the moment, there is no definite answer, so let’s drink tea and coffee and enjoy it!
Viennese Coffee
Our next story is about courage, an enterprise, and Viennese coffee.
In August 1683, Turkish troops, led by Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha, besieged Vienna. Count Rudiger Staremberg, who led the defense, decided to ask for help from Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, and Leopold I, the Holy Roman Emperor. The key question was who can move through the front line, which is teeming with Ottoman soldiers? Among the defenders was a Polish officer Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki (or, according to other sources, Georg Franz Kolschitzky). In his youth, he learned Turkish in Turkish captivity and could completely present himself as a Turkish warrior. Finally, Kulczycki brilliantly carried out the mission and several times crossed the front line in both directions. Charles V came to the rescue and defeated the Turkish conquerors. Large prey was captured, including 600 bags of dark grains with a pleasant smell. But what to do with these grains, no one knew except Kulczycki. The hero took the bags of coffee to himself and soon near the tower of St. Stefan he opened the first Viennese coffee house.
In principle, the Vienneses liked the coffee; but the only thing that delayed its quick distribution was its Turkish origin and the name of the drink. “Good!”- Kulczycki said, – “Let’s prepare Viennese coffee”. Three tablespoons of milk, honey, and filtered coffee – and the recipe is ready! Crescent-shaped rolls were served together with the new drink, and the Vienneses destroyed the enemies not only on the battlefield but also at the cafe. Other entrepreneurs picked up the idea, and soon many coffee houses had opened in Vienna.
Brazilian Intrigue
The last story is a detective story from Brazil. Coffee production in Brazil is responsible for about a third of all coffee production in the world, making Brazil by far the world’s largest producer. Over two million tons of coffee beans are grown in this country every year. However, the appearance of coffee plantations in Brazil was preceded by a detective and romantic story.
So, we are in the romantic XVIII century. France successfully developed coffee plantations in its South American colonies and protected its own coffee monopoly no less effectively. Any attempt to transfer coffee branches, seedlings, or fresh fruits abroad was punishable by death. However, the competitors tried to find the most original ways to get the coffee seedlings and waited for the right occasion. Finally, they found it!
In 1727, a border dispute between Dutch and French Guiana had developed. Brazil was invited to mediate. The Brazilian group was led by Lt. Col. Francisco de Melo Palheta. While the negotiations progressed, the wise diplomat had acted on the romantic front as well – he had very close relations with French Guiana governor’s wife. During the final banquet in honor of the Brazilian diplomats at the end of the negotiations, the governor’s wife publicly presented the magnificent bouquet to the lieutenant colonel. Among the flowers, she neatly disguised coffee seedlings… So this bouquet gave a beginning for Brazilian coffee hegemony (almost like in football!)
That’s all for now, I’m tired of typing. So, do you allow me to prepare another cup of coffee?
Featured image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay.