Good things happen to open people. Allegedly. And that was definitely the case this Sunday. My cousin called me Saturday night to tell me about this little philosophical artsy gathering that one of her teachers was hosting the following day, and ask if I wanna join. I said yes on a whim, but it snugly fit the space between two other activities, so I figured hey-ho.
I mean, I do love her to bits, but another big cincher for me was the venue, which is just this fantastic vintage house in the old Jewish Quarter of Bucharest and is located on Strada Parfumului (Perfume Street, literally). It's also, for that reason, informally referred to as La Parfumerie. It regularly hosts all sorts of amazing literary and dance events which I love, and the lady who owns the place is just dynamite. It's all very alt vibes and cozy, so why would I miss a chance to go?
Well, I pretty much could see I was gonna have a good time as soon as I arrived - it was a brilliant, not too hot afternoon and they were arranging chairs in the shaded garden of this little townhouse, so it was the perfect place for a siesta. The philosophy teacher guy was also super fun and welcoming. Somehow, the events they host here are never too crowded, which is strange because they're really good (and while this was free, most are very affordable anyway). But I suppose that's lucky for those who do attend.
And while I wasn't too clear what the actual schedule was supposed to be, I was simply delighted when I noticed a couple of students setting up a little table with coffee stuffs outside. Even more so when they explained they were baristas (at Starbucks, but still, didn't hold that against them) and would be holding a little coffee presentation.
They took it in turns telling us the story of how coffee originated, citing the oft-remembered legend of the Ethiopian shepherd Kaldi. Allegedly, back in 800 CE, so quite a bit ago, this shepherd dude noticed his goats had started getting all feisty after consuming the distinct red berries of a particular shrub. Ever the self-learner, Kaldi decided to take a closer look and tried the berries on his own sweet self. And lo and behold, Kaldi soon started bouncing off the walls as well, and thought well, fuck me, best get the others. It's believed this is how coffee was originally discovered.
I must say I wasn't focusing too much on the story at this point, since they'd also been kind enough to pass around little thimbles of coffee for us to try. They'd set up a neat V60 on their display table and were quite lovely to watch as they clearly enjoyed the process. The first thing they served everyone was a single origin roast South Asian roast that was quite good. Bit chocolatey, but more overpoweringly, it had this herb taste that I suppose went with the V60 really quite well.
I don't really know much about the distinctions in coffee roasting or such, more in terms of what I like and dislike, and this I liked, though it didn't compare to what was to follow.
While everyone sipped, they also took us through a more philosophical discussion through more modern times (think 1500s onward) on how our European concept of the Orient has shaped how we think of coffee. For instance, they reasoned that the bad rep that coffee and coffeehouses had here for many years after its arrival might've tied into our general view of Easterners as lecherous and morally quite indolent. In that sense, coffee was certainly regarded as a sinful beverage perverting the sweet, puritan spirits of good, godly Europeans. I should hope so.
Next, they offered us another roast, specifying that this one was infused with lavender. Although I'm not a big fan of lavender generally, I thought this, I've gotta try, and was happy I did. This second sample was much more flowery (well, duh) and aromatic. It was sweet, though definitely not in an overpowering way, more like enjoying a lovely afternoon in the shade with a bunch of strangers on the first day of summer.
Around this time, they also passed around famous paintings and images relating to coffee and the East, I suppose to give us a better visual on what was happening in the story. I guess you can see the lechery our European ancestors guessed (and probably secretly dreamed) at.
Secret cat almost as lazy as your truly.
Our young guides then explained how, because of this somewhat narrow understanding of different cultures, our own concept of coffee on the continent became somewhat narrow, reduced to only a few more obvious senses (taste, smell, etc.) and obviating much of the cultural nuance surrounding the drink. Of course, coffee hasn't always been a community-favorite in the East, either, facing several bans precisely due to its stimulating, suspicious effects on the mind and body.
also known for their suspiciously stimulating effect on human brains and bodies.
An interesting concept that one of them offered was that rather than build our concept of geography on more firmly-rooted details like North, East, or actual positions on a map, we each create our own idea of geography based on an emotional and intellectual concept of geography. And sure enough, if you take a brief survey of the map in your own head, you'll find you define mysterious foreign concepts such as France, Asia or Kansas based more on intellectual associations, suppositions, or perhaps pleasurable or disastrous experiences.
For instance, if I think of Italy, my idea of it is perhaps twice as wide as the country actually is, and all penciled in bright, happy colors. Or maybe it's just me wishing for the beach a bit.
Speaking of, did you know the espresso machine was invented to cut short coffee breaks since employees were wasting too much time enjoying a cuppa with their mates?
Finally, the last sample they passed around was coffee infused with dried apple, which I somehow wasn't quick enough to get my hands on. I mean I kinda felt bad 'cause I was sat at the back of the little garden and all the gentlemen around were attentive enough to make sure I always received a sample, even though they sometimes went without, so I thought I wouldn't jump at this one, also :D Besides, I was hyped enough already. But I understand that last little sample was tasty as hell, too, which rocked up the presentation to the present moment, and signaled the end of the little coffee gathering. Which meant cookies and sun and going to explore the other nooks and crannies of this wonderful house before the next bit of the event started.
There was music and poetry, and though I had to leave early to meet a friend, I was super happy I said yes to this little invitation from the Universe. :)
