– by Steve Sheppard –
Whether you’re a believer in Santa Claus or not doesn’t matter when it comes to the spirit of Christmas, and what it means to our culture here in Canada. To me, Santa represents being kind and his powerful presence each season is a clear ‘slow-down’ reminder for all of us in this fast pace, and getting faster world.
Have you ever wondered … what is Santa’s favorite coffee? Santa is well-known for his love of hot chocolate, but do you really think he can stay up around the clock delivering presents to the good children of the world on cocoa alone? Not likely.
Santa has access to the best coffees offered around the world, all in one day! Imagine as a coffee lover you had the chance to circle the globe and have a coffee from Jamaica, Yemen, Jakarta, Guatemala … all within a 24 hour period. I have now added a new bucket list item for myself!
The best coffees from around the world originate from the same Arabica species, however the sub-species are numerous; Caturra, Bourbon, Pacamarra, Gesha, Typica, the list goes on. Each one of these coffees is impacted by the terrior in which it grows. The word terrior by definition is the combined environmental conditions that any plant is grown in including; soil, sun, rain, temperature, elevation etc. The differences between each of these coffees is very slight year-to-year based on the amount of sun and rain that each of the coffee crops gets. Coffee plants are similar to grape vines in terms of how they produce fruit, which is why coffee has so many taste elements. In fact, coffee is more complex in taste elements than wine, although most people don’t walk around talking about the fact that their morning coffee was graced with ‘chocolate cinnamon overtones, with a cherry bark finish.’
If I was to hazard a guess as to which coffee is Santa’s favorite, I would first need to know what coffees he’s being given on his round-the-world tour. Is Santa being given only the best coffees from around the world? I don’t think so, not everyone can afford Jamaican Blue Mountain at $25 per lb. I would however, go as far as to say this: Santa’s favorite coffee is … the one you kindly leave for him on Christmas Eve (with a cookie on the side), and some carrots for the reindeer … Happy Holidays from Steve.
