(Steve Pope) wrote:
>
> you haven't encountered the good stuff?

The good stuff... that's a definition?... you haven't a clue what
espresso IS, moron.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/coffee/roasts.html

Italian, espresso

Roaster Watch: After 14 minutes or so the beans grow quiet and begin
to smoke. Having carmelized, the bean sugars begin to carbonize.

Surface: Very oily

Flavor: Smokey; tastes primarily of roasting, *not* of the inherent
flavor of the bean
---

Espresso existed hundreds of years before the first espresso machine.
Today most folk fiddle with their methodology so that they don't
really drink espresso... true espresso is burned beans, crappy beans
salvaged by burning, reminescent of the acridness of burned tires
(which is why folks say Star Bucks sells burned coffee, no they do
not, they sell close to the real deal, yoose just don't like
espresso). Naturally the concept can't be absorbed by the sealed
minded ritualistic cultists. This all came about in Italy because at
first coffee was banned as being sinful (after all, caffeine is a
narcotic), no different from how the gubermint looks at pot. Then the
Pope tried it and blessed it, but the gubermint didn't have enough to
go around, so they hoarded all the GOOD STUFF for the wealthy and
metted out the crap to the peasants, who discovered by roasting till
burnt they made it salvageable. Hardly anyone likes espresso at
first, it's an acquired taste, same as tobacco and pot... nearly
everyone chokes on their first drags. One day the gubermint will
legalize pot, but will keep all the GOOD STUFF for themselves. This
is not a fairy tale. National Geographic ran a TV special about
coffee about twenty years ago, occasionally there are reruns on the
public service stations.

There are many foods/drinks that an awful lot of folks think really
suck big time, doesn't mean they're bad. But don't water it down and
add stuff until you find it palatable and then still call it the real
deal... latte is tantamount to strawberry licorice. I really love
real licorice, the stronger and blacker the better... hate that red
crap. I don't mind an occasional espresso, but as soon as anything is
added, even a lemon peel or pernod, it's no longer espresso. If yoose
add dairy and sweetener you're really a wuss. Even in Italy, real
espresso is difficult to find. The last time I knew of an Italian
restaurant in NY's Little Italy that served the real deal was thirty
years ago... now it's all wussed down to even above a true French
roast.

Sheldon