Tuesday 26 May 2015

Coffee memories

Exercise 15: Diner cheeseburger deluxe. Mrs. Brune’s lasagna. Cheese and veggie omelet MRE. No, this isn’t my “To Eat” list, although I sure could go for some lasagna, now that I think about it. Rather, I can tell you a story about each one of these items, evoking a couple of memories along the way.
For this challenge, write a scene in which food plays a role. It could be major, it could be incidental. But share with us the story that your character will always remember when next they see, smell, and/or taste that food.

Coffee Memories


He scooped a small handful of the rich brown Mexican beans out of the bag, and poured them into the coffee grinder. Carefully placing the lid on top, he pressed the button to start the process. The beans rattled around at first, and then the pitch changed. "Not too long." he reminded himself, he wanted the grind just right, too coarse and the full flavor would not be released, too long and it will too fine and will leave sediment in the brew.

When he felt the time was right, he stopped the grinder and opened the lid. He brought the machine close to his nose and breathed in the aroma. It was rich, earthy, with hints of spices and fruits. As he took in the heady combination an image came to his mind, a small white stucco building, trimmed with a light green.

Sun filtered through branches of the coffee plants, their cherry red fruit grew in clusters. Coffee beans were spread out on a concrete pad to dry, a tarp stretched over the area, offered protective shade. The owner explained how his family had run this small plantation in San Sebastian del Oeste for five generations as he described how he picked the fruit by hand when it was at its ripest, a deep ruby red.

The entire process was demonstrated, the cleaning, drying of the beans, and finally the roasting. The coffee roaster emitted waves of heat in the stifling hot afternoon. Beans prepared earlier were ground in an ancient hand grinder, and brewed. All the guests were served a small earthenware cup of the fresh brew, piping hot, it was refreshing to drink, even on such a hot sunny day.

He added the fresh grounds to a French press and poured the boiling water over them, stirred gently and set the strainer on the top. Now all that is left is to wait a few minutes before carefully pushing the handle down to get all the coffee grounds separated on the the bottom.

The coffee, visible through the glass carafe,was a deep, mysterious brown. The scent of the coffee takes him back to that afternoon at the small plantation, and the memory of the small dog that played with him there. He smiled.

© 2015 NoelHC

 

For images of this little family coffee business in San Sebastian del Oeste, Jalisco, Mexico see the link below.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/collazoprojects/sets/72157629821186605/

From blogger Julie Collazo, I couldn't find mine on the computer yet. 


No comments:

Post a Comment