The aromas emanating from coffee bins smell great and would drive any fanatic out of his mind. The sign above the containers reveals that it is a collection of the finest Arabica beans from around the world, carefully roasted to enhance their characteristics to the fullest. It’s a haven for coffee fanatics, but not everyone acquires a taste for the unusual and feels at ease to boldly step up to the counter at the coffeehouse to ask for a cup of hazelnut coffee.
Coffee can be bought in full bean packages or ground, but that is not the end of it. There are some kinds on the market that are richly enhanced by flavors like almond twist, blueberry scone, cinnamon, cherry cobbler, French vanilla and, for any flavored coffee fan one sounds as inviting as the next.
Adding flavors to black brew is not as new a concept as one may think. The Arabs were the first coffee drinkers who mixed spices such as cinnamon into their coffee. Later on, ingredients like cardamom, clove, nutmeg, allspice and even ground nuts were used to bring extra flavor. From there it did not take long to make the jump to citrus peels, spirits, chocolate, vanilla, cream and sugar.
Even if you yourself prefer the natural taste of coffee you may have some friends who do like a more assertive taste. They like to experiment with more adorned products and, when the occasion arises, why not bestow these pals with a few packages of these distinctive single-origin coffees or striking flavors such as an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, a Yemen Mocha Sanani, or a good Brazil Santos? Add a package of biscotti to your Jamaica Blue Mountain and a couple of designer mugs, a ceramic container with a good sealing mechanism for storage and your gift turns into a superb gift basket. Bottoms up!
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