Today I learned a lot of new things:
- coffee was once prepared like tea by steeping the leaves.
- the pulp contains a large amount of vitamins and other beneficial substances; because of this, jam and even wine are made from it where it's grown.
- there are three processing methods for the raw product — from simple sun-drying to fermentation in the stomachs of animals.
Later I added to my knowledge that the fruits can be eaten not only by musangs (the Malayan palm civet), but also by birds and even elephants. Natural fermentation occurs in the animals' stomachs; such coffee is considered the most expensive.
- there are eighteen roast levels, but three main ones: Scandinavian, Viennese and Italian (by roast strength)
- the expression 'it smells like roasting' originated in 18th-century Prussia, where a special official ensured that no one roasted coffee privately. Coffee roasting was a state monopoly!
- Catherine the Great drank five cups of coffee a day, but this consumed 400 g of beans; allegedly the coffee was so concentrated that she ate it with a spoon!
My impression of the tour — the guide often questioned what I said; it felt like I was a first-grader and the 'teacher knows better.' However, upon returning home and preparing this material I found that some of the facts I knew were correct — coffee is indeed brewed in a French press, and the most expensive variety is not kopi luwak.
As a perk — you'll be given about 20 different coffee aromas to try from various parts of the world. The scent varies depending on the soil and nearby plants. Each variety can be evaluated and, if desired, purchased. In addition to single-origin coffees, there will be a blend made by the master 'coffee composer' and purchased by the museum owner. Such a coffee cannot be found anywhere else in the world, only here.
On the second floor above the museum there is a café where you can try single-origin varieties or that very unique blend. Your admission ticket gives you a discount — an excellent way to end the tour.
