Own image, watercolor made by me.
I am not very clear about the moment when I tasted my first sip of coffee. I remember well that when I was going to be confirmed, my godmother made me a breakfast of sandwich and coffee with milk and for a change I poured half a cup of it on my dress, my disgruntled aunt changed my clothes and then we went to fulfill the religious commitment.
The adults drank black coffee and invariably closed their eyes after the first sip, a smile of satisfaction accompanied the gesture and then the expression: "what a tasty coffee"; my grandmother was delighted, she served it in exquisite pewter cups that she took care of with care so that they would not peel off, now those cups are almost not seen, but the frothy black liquid is kept, served in other containers.
I believe that what made grandmother's coffee special was not precisely the cup, but the smell of firewood, which complemented it, because my grandmother boiled the water in the stove where she also made the arepas. Coffee was synonymous with home, love, protection and stories, you had to see how the adults talked, while they tasted that famous liquid. My grandmother would go in silence to see her plants and enjoy her first cup alone.
I was not allowed to taste the same as the elders, but they would give me one, which they had gone over several times, and it was almost the color of honey. To dip the bread, called "butaque", in that wonderful liquid, sweet as the nectar of flowers, and then eat it with delight, became a habit, as well as pouring the contents of the cup on my chest. I tasted the elixir with pleasure and almost imitated the gestures of the old people. The aroma did arrive intact, so one of the most distant home tastes has to do with that experience.
Breathing in the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is a magical experience. It brings back a carousel of memories and experiences that do not leave us indifferent, and they all have to do with emotions and affections that come to us all at once, as we squint our eyes and savor the first sip. I know of no other drink that produces the same effect or fills us with so much happiness.
The best thing is that the ritual will be repeated alone or in company and then the spirit of coffee will return to envelop me to accompany my well-being. I have been drinking it without sugar for several months, at first I thought that I would not get used to it but I did and now I like it this way, I feel the flavor of the coffee better.
There are different brands that incorporate vanilla, cinnamon or chocolate to their presentations, but I prefer the natural one that does not change the taste of the coffee. When I go to a coffee shop I ask for it with milk, light brown. This beverage is so immersed in our lives that it is now common to say in greetings with friends: "see you soon for coffee".
My content is original
I have used the translator DeepL