“The Devil’s Cup”
by
Stewart Lee Allen
Espresso, Einspänner, qahwa, cappuccino, marrón con hielo, large decaf mocha –throughout the world, coffee expresses itself as the everyday fuel of society.
Have you ever thought about where that stuff actually came from? When did it start? And how is does it grow? Luckily, there is no immediate need to travel around the globe in search for all that information – Stewart Lee Allen has already done that thinking and researching. And he has put down the insights into his witty and truly entertaining book “The Devil’s Cup”.
Without solid dates as back up, coffee beans started out in the Ethiopian highlands, were introduced into Yemen, spread over the Arab World and were finally brought to Europe by the Turks. Smuggled into Dutch Indonesia as well as the New World, the bean forms today the agricultural basis of a number of overseas countries.
Through times, the black liquid was loved and hated, brewed and banned with equal eagerness, and some consider it even the root for political unrest and overthrows. Still today, there are innumerable variations of coffee drinking, ranging from the green, bitter Arab qahwa to the black, oil-like ristretto in Italy. Even the dishwashing water served in U.S. fast food restaurants claims to have a faint resemblance to the original stuff!
In a journalistic travel style, Stewart Lee Allen followed the route of the coffee three-quarters around the world, blending it with numerous enlightening encounters and anecdotes. “The Devil’s Cup” is a truly enjoyable account of square minds, political twists and personal experiences all around the famous bean.
One setback of the book must be mentioned, however. If you expect the disclosure of what is the best coffee in the world today, you will have to look elsewhere. I would refer you to the Specialty Coffee Association of the Americas (SCAA), which has recently awarded Panama’s Hacienda La Esmeralda as the best coffee maker for the third year in a row.
O.k., having solved this issue, you can peacefully get your hands on the book, lean back and emerge yourself into a journey along the world of coffee.
Stewart Lee Allen
“The Devil’s Cup” in English, ISBN 0345441494
“Ein Teuflisches Zeug” in Deutsch, ISBN 3593372908
Andreas Hauser
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