Coffee and friendship

Maybe my taste buds are more sensitive, I like all kinds of drinks, tea, coffee, wine, whiskey, brandy, etc. I have been drinking coffee for a long time, which is not less than drinking tea.

I remember the first time I drank #coffee was when I was a graduate student in the mid-1980s. At that time, my impression of coffee was limited to the English novels I read, the foreign movies I watched, and the advertisements in some foreign publications. I just thought it was exotic, cool, romantic, and so on. But there was no direct sensory impression. So when I was writing my graduation thesis and traveling to Shanghai for research, I saw instant coffee and bought a barrel of it. The coffee was packaged in a tin can, and without tools, I used a knife to cut it open. Because I was in a hurry, I accidentally cut my hand. So my first cup of coffee was paid for with blood. To make it seem more authentic, I even bought a box of sugar cubes. Of course, there was no milk powder. To show off, I invited several graduate students to my dormitory to taste it together. None of them had ever tasted it before, so they followed my lead and each brewed a cup with two sugar cubes. We were all young people in our 20s, and the more we drank, the more excited we got. We talked about everything under the sun, from the sky to the earth. When we got excited, we would have another cup. After we said goodbye to our friends, I suddenly felt my heart beating faster and my whole body sweating. After resting for a while, I regained my composure. At that time, I didn't know, but later I realized that it was because I had too much caffeine. However, I still remember that can of coffee was very authentic and had a strong taste. The memory is still vivid. It seems that the first time is very important. Later, because of low wages, I never had the chance to buy any brand of coffee again.

Later, I became a little addicted to coffee, and in addition to going to the store to drink it, I began to think about making my own coffee. The first inexpensive leaky coffee machine was added. I drove my daughter to the supermarket at the weekend to buy some coffee beans and crushed them in a grinder. The process and the taste, I was already drunk. It's a great treat to make a pot of coffee every morning.

In a flash, years passed. The coffee hasn't stopped. Drinking in the morning is a necessary lesson. Sometimes I get together with friends and colleagues, usually with a cup of coffee. Except for Tim's Hortons, who moved to America and started drinking Starbucks again. In addition to the drip flask, the family has added a French press flask and an Italian espresso. Not satisfied with buying ground coffee powder, I started to buy various coffee beans and grind them myself. Later, a friend who worked in China and also liked coffee returned with a siphon coffee pot and a handmade coffee grinder. I don't know if it's a psychological factor or something, but the coffee that comes out of this pot has a special smell. However, due to the limited capacity and complexity of the process, it is only used occasionally. Or show a friend a drill while climbing a ladder.

Later, due to the pressure of work, I bought a K-Cup coffee maker and a Nespresso coffee maker for convenience. These modern coffee makers are very convenient and the taste is consistent, but they lack the control and enjoyment of making coffee by hand, and they are also more expensive than homemade coffee. After the pandemic began, I had time and didn't have to rush to drive on the road, so I bought another drip coffee maker. Every day, I weigh the coffee beans with an electronic scale, then slowly grind the coffee powder with a manual coffee grinder, put it in a bleach-free filter paper, and slowly pour it with water at a controlled temperature. The difference in taste is not important, what's important is the process of being B.

After drinking coffee for so many years, I feel like I'm an expert. However, my two trips to Europe made me realize what real coffee is. I remember in Italy, there were coffee shops everywhere. When I went in, the coffee machine was huge and complicated, with all kinds of choices. I remember the first time I went to a coffee shop, I asked the waiter for a cup of coffee. The waiter, with a beard and dark skin, said with an arrogant expression, What coffee? I thought to myself, MD, coffee is just coffee, what coffee. Later, I learned that Italian coffee has so many tricks. The coffee we usually drink is despised by them as Americano, which is espresso mixed with hot water. During my stay in Europe, I also tried various kinds of coffee, and I got a general impression. When I came back, I found that most American coffee was a bit bland.

Later, by chance, I found an AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker. After using it, I found that the taste was very close to the coffee I drank in Europe. There are many different ways to make it. This has also become my main coffee tool now.

A long-time friend moved to the south before the holiday, mainly to have more time to play golf after retirement. I decided to visit him on my way to Florida to play golf. To warm up his new home and give him a small gift, I used WeChat to ask if he still drinks coffee. He said he mainly drinks tea now and occasionally drinks coffee. I was secretly happy and decided to buy a high-end coffee machine for him. But the next day, he sent me a message saying that he had bought a coffee machine and that I could drink it when I came. I was speechless for a moment. He thought I was asking if there was coffee at his home. Truly friends are like this, they don't need to say much, and they have already made plans for you. So the plan to send a coffee machine was put on hold, and I had to change to another gift.

In fact, Western coffee and Eastern tea are similar. In addition to being a stimulating beverage, both drinks can be enjoyed alone or shared with friends. Compared to inviting people to eat, drinking a cup of coffee or tea together is simpler and more time-saving, and less vulgar. Moreover, the natural aroma of coffee is just as enchanting as tea. It's just that one is strong and the other is light.