Hooked on Books discussion
The Best Part of Waking Up...
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Geri's Best Part of Waking Up... {COMPLETED}
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cof·fee /ˈkôfē,ˈkäfē/ | noun | The berries harvested from species of Coffea plants.
Everyone recognizes a roasted coffee bean, but you might not recognize an actual coffee plant.
Coffee trees are pruned short to conserve their energy and aid in harvesting, but can grow to more than 30 feet (9 meters) high. Each tree is covered with green, waxy leaves growing opposite each other in pairs. Coffee cherries grow along the branches. Because it grows in a continuous cycle, it’s not unusual to see flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit simultaneously on a single tree.
It takes nearly a year for a cherry to mature after first flowering, and about 5 years of growth to reach full fruit production. While coffee plants can live up to 100 years, they are generally the most productive between the ages of 7 and 20. Proper care can maintain and even increase their output over the years, depending on the variety. The average coffee tree produces 10 pounds of coffee cherry per year, or 2 pounds of green beans.
All commercially grown coffee is from a region of the world called the Coffee Belt. The trees grow best in rich soil, with mild temperatures, frequent rain and shaded sun.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in COFFEE.
☕️ 2. Read a book set in a location with mild temperatures.
☕️ 3. Read a book with a character between the ages of 7 - 20.
☕️ 4. Read a book with a mostly green cover. {Your discretion.}
Remember: Books may not be completed until April 1, 2024.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #1: What Is Coffee?
Book: Not Your Crush's Cauldron
Author: April Asher
Date Read: 4/1/24
Pages: 327
Task: Read a book with a mostly green cover.
How it Fits: Green cover
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Coffee traces its origin to a genus of plants known as Coffea. Within the genus there are over 500 genera and 6,000 species of tropical trees and shrubs. Experts estimate that there are anywhere from 25 to 100 species of coffee plants.
The genus was first described in the 18th century by the Swedish botanist, Carolus Linneaus, who also described Coffea Arabica in his Species Plantarum in 1753. Botanists have disagreed ever since on the exact classification, since coffee plants can range widely. They can be small shrubs to tall trees, with leaves from one to 16 inches in size, and in colors from purple or yellow to the predominant dark green.
In the commercial coffee industry, there are two important coffee species — Arabica and Robusta.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with more than one species of characters.
☕️ 2. Read a book that is over 500 pages.
☕️ 3. Read a book that is between 25 - 100 pages, for this prompt only.
☕️ 4. Read a book where the author's first initial is found in CAROLUS and the last initial is found in LINNEAUS.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #2A: Botanical Classification
Book: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands
Author: Heather Fawcett
Date Read: 4/3/24
Pages: 342
Task: Read a book with more than one species of characters.
How it Fits: Both human and faerie are in book.
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Varieties: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Mundo Novo, Tico, San Ramon, Jamaican Blue Mountain
Coffea Arabica is descended from the original coffee trees discovered in Ethiopia. These trees produce a fine, mild, aromatic coffee and represent approximately 70% of the world's coffee production. The beans are flatter and more elongated than Robusta and lower in caffeine.
On the world market, Arabica coffees bring the highest prices. The better Arabicas are high grown coffees — generally grown between 2,000 to 6,000 feet (610 to 1830 meters) above sea level — though optimal altitude varies with proximity to the equator.
The most important factor is that temperatures must remain mild, ideally between 59 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with about 60 inches of rainfall a year. The trees are hearty, but a heavy frost will kill them.
Arabica trees are costly to cultivate because the ideal terrain tends to be steep and access is difficult. Also, because the trees are more disease-prone than Robusta, they require additional care and attention.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in ARABICA.
☕️ 2. Read a book with between 59 - 75 chapters.
☕️ 3. Read a book where it rains at least once.
☕️ 4. Read a book with an MC that "requires additional care and attention." {Be creative.}
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #2B: Coffea Arabica — C. Arabica
Book: Crossing Over Easy
Author: Nova Nelson
Date Read: 4/5/24
Pages: 196
Task: Read a book where the title starts with a letter in ARABICA.
How it Fits: Title starts with C
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Variety: Robusta
Most of the world's Robusta is grown in Central and Western Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Vietnam, and in Brazil. Production of Robusta is increasing, though it accounts for only about 30% of the world market.
Robusta is primarily used in blends and for instant coffees. The Robusta bean itself tends to be slightly rounder and smaller than an Arabica bean.
The Robusta tree is heartier and more resistant to disease and parasites, which makes it easier and cheaper to cultivate. It also has the advantage of being able to withstand warmer climates, preferring constant temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, which enables it to grow at far lower altitudes than Arabica.
It requires about 60 inches of rainfall a year, and cannot withstand frost. Compared with Arabica, Robusta beans produce a coffee which has a distinctive taste and about 50-60% more caffeine.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in ROBUSTA.
☕️ 2. Read a book with something round and/or small on the cover. {Your discretion.}
☕️ 3. Read a book where a character consumes a drink that contains caffeine. {coffee, cola, etc.}
☕️ 4. Read a book set in one of these places: "Central and Western Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Vietnam, and in Brazil."
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #2C: Coffea canephora — C. canephora var. Robusta
Book: These Hollow Vows
Author: Lexi Ryan
Date Read: 4/7/24
Pages: 448
Task: Read a book with something round and/or small on the cover. {Your discretion.
How it Fits: Top of the dagger is round.
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The beans you brew are actually the processed and roasted seeds from a fruit, which is called a coffee cherry.
The coffee cherry's outer skin is called the exocarp. Beneath it is the mesocarp, a thin layer of pulp, followed by a slimy layer called the parenchyma. The beans themselves are covered in a paper-like envelope named the endocarp, more commonly referred to as the parchment.
Inside the parchment, side-by-side, lie two beans, each covered separately by yet another thin membrane. The biological name for this seed skin is the spermoderm, but it is generally referred to in the coffee trade as the silver skin.
In about 5% of the world's coffee, there is only one bean inside the cherry. This is called a peaberry (or a caracol, or "snail" in Spanish), and it is a natural mutation. Some people believe that peaberries are actually sweeter and more flavorful than standard beans, so they are sometimes manually sorted out for special sale.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with the word CHERRY found in the text.
☕️ 2. Read a book with a 5 in the page count.
☕️ 3. Read a book you thought was sweet in some way.
☕️ 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are found in PARCHMENT.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #3: The Anatomy of a Coffee Cherry
Book: A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes
Author: Manda Collins
Date Read: 4/8/24
Pages: 310
Task: Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are found in PARCHMENT
How it Fits: Author initials MC
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No one knows exactly how or when coffee was discovered, though there are many legends about its origin. Let's look at several of them.
Coffee grown worldwide can trace its heritage back centuries to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau. There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans.
The story goes that that Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed that after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night.
Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and knowledge of the energizing berries began to spread.
As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian peninsula, it began a journey which would bring these beans across the globe.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book about an urban legend.
☕️ 2. Read a book where the title/subtitle has all the letters of K-A-L-D-I in it.
☕️ 3. Read a book where a discovery is made.
☕️ 4. Read a book with any farm animal on the cover.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #4A: Origins - An Ethiopian Legend
Book: The Gathering
Author: C.J. Tudor
Date Read: 4/10/24
Pages: 352
Task: Read a book where a discovery is made.
How it Fits: The body of a teen boy was discovered.
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Coffee cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula. By the 15th century, coffee was being grown in the Yemeni district of Arabia and by the 16th century it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.
Coffee was not only enjoyed in homes, but also in the many public coffee houses — called qahveh khaneh — which began to appear in cities across the Near East. The popularity of the coffee houses was unequaled and people frequented them for all kinds of social activity.
Not only did the patrons drink coffee and engage in conversation, but they also listened to music, watched performers, played chess and kept current on the news. Coffee houses quickly became such an important center for the exchange of information that they were often referred to as “Schools of the Wise.”
With thousands of pilgrims visiting the holy city of Mecca each year from all over the world, knowledge of this “wine of Araby” began to spread.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book where chess or another board game is played.
☕️ 2. Read a book where the MC goes to a social activity.
☕️ 3. Read a book where the first letter of each word in the title starts with a letter found in SCHOOLS OF THE WISE. {3-word minimum}
☕️ 4. Read a book with a word(s) in the text that you aren't familiar with, like qahveh khaneh.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #4B: Origins - The Arabian Peninsula
Book: Hungry for Her Wolves
Author: Tara West
Date Read: 4/11/24
Pages: 333
Task: Read a book where the first letter of each word in the title starts with a letter found in SCHOOLS OF THE WISE. {3-word minimum}
How it Fits: First letter of each word in title HFHW
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European travelers to the Near East brought back stories of an unusual dark black beverage. By the 17th century, coffee had made its way to Europe and was becoming popular across the continent.
Some people reacted to this new beverage with suspicion or fear, calling it the “bitter invention of Satan.” The local clergy condemned coffee when it came to Venice in 1615. The controversy was so great that Pope Clement VIII was asked to intervene. He decided to taste the beverage for himself before making a decision, and found the drink so satisfying that he gave it papal approval.
Despite such controversy, coffee houses were quickly becoming centers of social activity and communication in the major cities of England, Austria, France, Germany and Holland. In England “penny universities” sprang up, so called because for the price of a penny one could purchase a cup of coffee and engage in stimulating conversation.
Coffee began to replace the common breakfast drink beverages of the time — beer and wine. Those who drank coffee instead of alcohol began the day alert and energized, and not surprisingly, the quality of their work was greatly improved. (We like to think of this a precursor to the modern office coffee service.)
By the mid-17th century, there were over 300 coffee houses in London, many of which attracted like-minded patrons, including merchants, shippers, brokers and artists.
Many businesses grew out of these specialized coffee houses. Lloyd's of London, for example, came into existence at the Edward Lloyd's Coffee House.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with someone dressed in red on the cover.
☕️ 2. Read a book with a devil of a character in it.
☕️ 3. Read a book with the word PENNY found in the text.
☕️ 4. Read a book with over 300 pages.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #4C: Origins - Coffee Comes to Europe
Book: Eternal Rider
Author: Larissa Ione
Date Read: 4/16/24
Pages: 415
Task: Read a book with over 300 pages
How it Fits: Over 300 pages
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In the mid-1600's, coffee was brought to New Amsterdam, later called New York by the British.
Though coffee houses rapidly began to appear, tea continued to be the favored drink in the New World until 1773, when the colonists revolted against a heavy tax on tea imposed by King George III. The revolt, known as the Boston Tea Party, would forever change the American drinking preference to coffee.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book set in New York or Boston.
☕️ 2. Read a book with an MPG of HISTORICAL OR HISTORICAL FICTION.
☕️ 3. Read a book with a royal character.
☕️ 4. Read a book with at least 2 numbers of 1773 in the publication date.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #4D: Origins - The New World
Book: The Morningside
Author: Téa Obreht
Date Read: 4/18/24
Pages: 304
Task: Read a book with at least 2 numbers of 1773 in the publication date.
How it Fits: published 3/19/2024 (1 and 3)
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As demand for the beverage continued to spread, there was fierce competition to cultivate coffee outside of Arabia.
The Dutch finally got seedlings in the latter half of the 17th century. Their first attempts to plant them in India failed, but they were successful with their efforts in Batavia, on the island of Java in what is now Indonesia.
The plants thrived and soon the Dutch had a productive and growing trade in coffee. They then expanded the cultivation of coffee trees to the islands of Sumatra and Celebes.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with the word FIERCE found in the text.
☕️ 2. Read a book set in India.
☕️ 3. Read a book where the title start with a letter in DUTCH.
☕️ 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in BATAVIA.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #4E: Origins - Plantations Around the World
Book: The Echo of Old Books
Author: Barbara Davis
Date Read: 4/20/24
Pages: 431
Task: Read a book with the word FIERCE found in the text.
How it Fits: Page 8, “Charlotte Brontë’s Villette and a fierce surge of joy rippled through her fingers.”
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In 1714, the Mayor of Amsterdam presented a gift of a young coffee plant to King Louis XIV of France. The King ordered it to be planted in the Royal Botanical Garden in Paris. In 1723, a young naval officer, Gabriel de Clieu obtained a seedling from the King's plant. Despite a challenging voyage — complete with horrendous weather, a saboteur who tried to destroy the seedling, and a pirate attack — he managed to transport it safely to Martinique.
Once planted, the seedling not only thrived, but it’s credited with the spread of over 18 million coffee trees on the island of Martinique in the next 50 years. Even more incredible is that this seedling was the parent of all coffee trees throughout the Caribbean, South and Central America.
The famed Brazilian coffee owes its existence to Francisco de Mello Palheta, who was sent by the emperor to French Guiana to get coffee seedlings. The French were not willing to share, but the French Governor's wife, captivated by his good looks, gave him a large bouquet of flowers before he left— buried inside were enough coffee seeds to begin what is today a billion-dollar industry.
Missionaries and travelers, traders and colonists continued to carry coffee seeds to new lands, and coffee trees were planted worldwide. Plantations were established in magnificent tropical forests and on rugged mountain highlands. Some crops flourished, while others were short-lived. New nations were established on coffee economies. Fortunes were made and lost. By the end of the 18th century, coffee had become one of the world's most profitable export crops. After crude oil, coffee is the most sought commodity in the world.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with a man on the cover.
☕️ 2. Read a book where a character gives or receives flowers.
☕️ 3. Read a book where the MC made or lost a fortune.
☕️ 4. Read a book that uses Roman numerals for the chapter numbers or at least some of the page numbers.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #4F: Origins - Coming to the Americas
Book: Beard Necessities
Author: Penny Reid
Date Read: 4/24/24
Pages: 334
Task: Read a book with a man on the cover.
How it Fits: Man on cover
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Coffee was banned in Mecca in 1511, as it was believed to stimulate radical thinking and hanging out — the governor thought it might unite his opposition. Java also got a bad rap for its use as a stimulant — some Sufi sects would pass around a bowl of coffee at funerals to stay awake during prayers.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book where a funeral takes place.
☕️ 2. Read a book where the author's first OR last initial is found in MECCA.
☕️ 3. Read a book with three 1s in the publication date, like 1511.
☕️ 4. Read a banned book. Here are some suggestions: Books Banned or Challenged.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #5A: Attempts to Ban Coffee - Mecca
Book: Claimed by Gods
Author: Eva Chase
Date Read: 4/25/24
Pages: 260
Task: Read a book where the author's first OR last initial is found in MECCA
How it Fits: Author initials EC
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When coffee arrived in Europe in the 16th century, clergymen pressed for it to be banned and labeled Satanic. But Pope Clement VIII took a taste, declared it delicious, and even quipped that it should be baptized. On the strength of this papal blessing, coffeehouses rapidly sprang up throughout Europe.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with all the letters of S-A-T-A-N in the title/subtitle.
☕️ 2. Read a book with steam or smoke on the cover.
☕️ 3. Read a book where someone receives a blessing. {Your discretion.}
☕️ 4. Read a book set anywhere in Europe.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #5B: Attempts to Ban Coffee - Italy
Book: Hearts Still Beating
Author: Brooke Archer
Date Read: 4/27/24
Pages: 331
Task: Read a book with all the letters of S-A-T-A-N in the title/subtitle.
How it Fits: All letters in title
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After Murad IV claimed the Ottoman throne in 1623, he quickly forbade coffee and set up a system of reasonable penalties. The punishment for a first offense was a beating. Anyone caught with coffee a second time was sewn into a leather bag and thrown into the waters of the Bosporus.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book where a character is forbade to do something.
☕️ 2. Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in BOSPORUS.
☕️ 3. Read a book from a series with at least 4 separate works included.
☕️ 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are found in CONSTANTINOPLE.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #5C: Attempts to Ban Coffee - Constantinople
Book: Poor Deer
Author: Claire Oshetsky
Date Read: 5/1/24
Pages: 240
Task: Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in BOSPORUS.
How it Fits: MC’s name Margaret
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Sweden gave coffee the ax in 1746. The government also banned “coffee paraphernalia” — with cops confiscating cups and dishes. King Gustav III even ordered convicted murderers to drink coffee while doctors monitored how long the cups of joe took to kill them, which was great for convicts and boring for the doctors.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with a king, a cop, a convict, or a doctor in it.
☕️ 2. Read a book you found to be boring.
☕️ 3. Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in SWEDEN.
☕️ 4. Read a book with some type of “coffee paraphernalia” on the cover or mentioned in the text, like cups and dishes.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #5D: Attempts to Ban Coffee - Sweden
Book: Darling Girls
Author: Sally Hepworth
Date Read: 5/2/24
Pages: 359
Task: Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in SWEDEN
How it Fits: Title starts with D
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Prompt #5E: Attempts to Ban Coffee - Prussia
In 1777, Frederick the Great of Prussia issued a manifesto claiming beer’s superiority over coffee. He argued that coffee interfered with the country’s beer consumption, apparently hoping a royal statement would make Prussians eager for an eye-opening brew each morning. Frederick’s statement proclaimed, “His Majesty was brought up on beer,” explaining why he thought breakfast drinking was a good idea.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with a hat on the cover.
☕️ 2. Read a book with a 7 in the page count.
☕️ 3. Read a book where a character eats breakfast.
☕️ 4. Read a book with the word BEER in the text.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #5E: Attempts to Ban Coffee - Prussia
Book: On the Wings of Murder
Author: Danielle Collins
Date Read: 5/3/24
Pages: 168
Task: Read a book with a hat on the cover.
How it Fits: Hat on cover
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The coffee you enjoy each day has taken a long journey to arrive in your cup.
Between the time they’re planted, picked and purchased, coffee beans go through a typical series of ten steps to bring out their best.
A coffee bean is actually a seed. When dried, roasted and ground, it’s used to brew coffee. If the seed isn’t processed, it can be planted and grow into a coffee tree.
Coffee seeds are generally planted in large beds in shaded nurseries. The seedlings will be watered frequently and shaded from bright sunlight until they are hearty enough to be permanently planted. Planting often takes place during the wet season, so that the soil remains moist while the roots become firmly established.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with a 10 in the publication date.
☕️ 2. Read a book with a very young character. {Your discretion.}
☕️ 3. Read a book a sun on the cover.
☕️ 4. Read a book where the title does NOT start with a letter in the word PLANT.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #6A: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup - Planting
Book: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
Author: Catherine Mack
Date Read: 5/5/24
Pages: 304
Task: Read a book where the title does NOT start with a letter in the word PLANT.
How it Fits: Title starts with E
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Depending on the variety, it will take approximately 3 to 4 years for the newly planted coffee trees to bear fruit. The fruit, called the coffee cherry, turns a bright, deep red when it is ripe and ready to be harvested.
There is typically one major harvest a year. In countries like Colombia, where there are two flowerings annually, there is a main and secondary crop.
In most countries, the crop is picked by hand in a labor-intensive and difficult process, though in places like Brazil where the landscape is relatively flat and the coffee fields immense, the process has been mechanized. Whether by hand or by machine, all coffee is harvested in one of two ways:
Strip Picked: All of the cherries are stripped off of the branch at one time, either by machine or by hand.
Selectively Picked: Only the ripe cherries are harvested, and they are picked individually by hand. Pickers rotate among the trees every eight to 10 days, choosing only the cherries which are at the peak of ripeness. Because this kind of harvest is labor intensive and more costly, it is used primarily to harvest the finer Arabica beans.
A good picker averages approximately 100 to 200 pounds of coffee cherries a day, which will produce 20 to 40 pounds of coffee beans. Each worker's daily haul is carefully weighed, and each picker is paid on the merit of his or her work. The day's harvest is then transported to the processing plant
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book that is 3 - 4 years old.
☕️ 2. Read a book with a mechanized item on the cover.
☕️ 3. Read a book where a character is paid for their work.
☕️ 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in HARVEST.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #6B: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup - Harvesting the Cherries
Book: Effie Olsen's Summer Special
Author: Rochelle Bilow
Date Read: 5/6/24
Pages: 384
Task: Read a book where the title starts with a letter in HARVEST
How it Fits: Title starts with E
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Once the coffee has been picked, processing must begin as quickly as possible to prevent fruit spoilage. Depending on location and local resources, coffee is processed in one of two ways:
The Dry Method is the age-old method of processing coffee, and still used in many countries where water resources are limited. The freshly picked cherries are simply spread out on huge surfaces to dry in the sun. In order to prevent the cherries from spoiling, they are raked and turned throughout the day, then covered at night or during rain to prevent them from getting wet. Depending on the weather, this process might continue for several weeks for each batch of coffee until the moisture content of the cherries drops to 11%.
The Wet Method removes the pulp from the coffee cherry after harvesting so the bean is dried with only the parchment skin left on. First, the freshly harvested cherries are passed through a pulping machine to separate the skin and pulp from the bean.
Then the beans are separated by weight as they pass through water channels. The lighter beans float to the top, while the heavier ripe beans sink to the bottom. They are passed through a series of rotating drums which separate them by size.
After separation, the beans are transported to large, water-filled fermentation tanks. Depending on a combination of factors -- such as the condition of the beans, the climate and the altitude -- they will remain in these tanks for anywhere from 12 to 48 hours to remove the slick layer of mucilage (called the parenchyma) that is still attached to the parchment. While resting in the tanks, naturally occurring enzymes will cause this layer to dissolve.
When fermentation is complete, the beans feel rough to the touch. The beans are rinsed by going through additional water channels, and are ready for drying.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book quickly!
☕️ 2. Read a book with something that can rotate on the cover.
☕️ 3. Read a book with two 1s in the publication date.
☕️ 4. Read a book where the first letter of each word in the title is found in FERMENTATION. {3-word minimum}
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #6C: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup - Processing the Cherries
Book: The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Author: Holly Jackson
Date Read: 5/7/24
Pages: 441
Task: Read a book quickly!
How it Fits: Read the 16.5 hour audiobook in a day.
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If the beans have been processed by the wet method, the pulped and fermented beans must now be dried to approximately 11% moisture to properly prepare them for storage.
These beans, still inside the parchment envelope (the endocarp), can be sun-dried by spreading them on drying tables or floors, where they are turned regularly, or they can be machine-dried in large tumblers. The dried beans are known as parchment coffee, and are warehoused in jute or sisal bags until they are readied for export.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in ENDOCARP.
☕️ 2. Read a book where the title has double letters, like the Fs and Es in COFFEE.
☕️ 3. Read a book tagged PULP.
☕️ 4. Read a book where all the letters of J-U-T-E are found in the title.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #6D: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup - Drying the Beans
Book: This Summer Will Be Different
Author: Carley Fortune
Date Read: 5/9/24
Pages: 320
Task: Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in ENDOCARP.
How it Fits: MC’s name Lucy
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Before being exported, parchment coffee is processed in the following manner:
Hulling machinery removes the parchment layer (endocarp) from wet processed coffee. Hulling dry processed coffee refers to removing the entire dried husk — the exocarp, mesocarp and endocarp — of the dried cherries.
Polishing is an optional process where any silver skin that remains on the beans after hulling is removed by machine. While polished beans are considered superior to unpolished ones, in reality, there is little difference between the two.
Grading and Sorting is done by size and weight, and beans are also reviewed for color flaws or other imperfections.
Beans are sized by being passed through a series of screens. They are also sorted pneumatically by using an air jet to separate heavy from light beans.
Typically, the bean size is represented on a scale of 10 to 20. The number represents the size of a round hole's diameter in terms of 1/64's of an inch. A number 10 bean would be the approximate size of a hole in a diameter of 10/64 of an inch, and a number 15 bean, 15/64 of an inch.
Finally, defective beans are removed either by hand or by machinery. Beans that are unsatisfactory due to deficiencies (unacceptable size or color, over-fermented beans, insect-damaged, unhulled) are removed. In many countries, this process is done both by machine and by hand, ensuring that only the finest quality coffee beans are exported.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book from a series that has between 10 and 20 distinct works.
☕️ 2. Read a book with an MC that could be described as "defective."
☕️ 3. Read a book with at least 64 chapters.
☕️ 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are found in PNEUMATICALLY.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #6E: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup - Milling the Beans
Book: A Midsummer Night's Fudge
Author: Nancy CoCo
Date Read: 5/10/24
Pages: 279
Task: Read a book from a series that has between 10 and 20 distinct works.
How it Fits: 12 books in series
Mod
The milled beans, now referred to as green coffee, are loaded onto ships in either jute or sisal bags loaded in shipping containers, or bulk-shipped inside plastic-lined containers.
World coffee production for 2015/16 is forecast to be 152.7 million 60-kg bags, per data from the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service. {This website was a little outdated. 😬}
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book published in 2015 or 2016.
☕️ 2. Read a book that takes place at least partially on a ship.
☕️ 3. Read a book with less than 60 chapters.
☕️ 4. Read a book where some type of government agency that is known by initials is mentioned, like the USDA.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #6F: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup - Exporting the Beans
Book: Missing White Woman
Author: Kellye Garrett
Date Read: 5/13/24
Pages: 330
Task: Read a book with less than 60 chapters.
How it Fits: Book has 33 chapters.
Mod
Coffee is repeatedly tested for quality and taste. This process is referred to as cupping and usually takes place in a room specifically designed to facilitate the process.
First, the taster — usually called the cupper — evaluates the beans for their overall visual quality. The beans are then roasted in a small laboratory roaster, immediately ground and infused in boiling water with carefully-controlled temperature. The cupper noses the brew to experience its aroma, an essential step in judging the coffee's quality.
After letting the coffee rest for several minutes, the cupper breaks the crust by pushing aside the grounds at the top of the cup. Again, the coffee is nosed before the tasting begins.
To taste the coffee, the cupper slurps a spoonful with a quick inhalation. The objective is to spray the coffee evenly over the cupper's taste buds, and then weigh it on the tongue before spitting it out.
Samples from a variety of batches and different beans are tasted daily. Coffees are not only analyzed to determine their characteristics and flaws, but also for the purpose of blending different beans or creating the proper roast. An expert cupper can taste hundreds of samples of coffee a day and still taste the subtle differences between them.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with a nose visible on the cover.
☕️ 2. Read a book with an -ing word in the title, like tasting.
☕️ 3. Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in CUPPER.
☕️ 4. Read a book where a character smells or spits out food or drink.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #6G: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup - Tasting the Coffee
Book: Disturbing the Dead
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Date Read: 5/14/24
Pages: 341
Task: Read a book with an -ing word in the title, like tasting.
How it Fits: Disturbing (ing word)
Mod
Roasting transforms green coffee into the aromatic brown beans that we purchase in our favorite stores or cafés. Most roasting machines maintain a temperature of about 550 degrees Fahrenheit. The beans are kept moving throughout the entire process to keep them from burning.
When they reach an internal temperature of about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, they begin to turn brown and the caffeol, a fragrant oil locked inside the beans, begins to emerge. This process called pyrolysis is at the heart of roasting — it produces the flavor and aroma of the coffee we drink.
After roasting, the beans are immediately cooled either by air or water. Roasting is generally performed in the importing countries because freshly roasted beans must reach the consumer as quickly as possible.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with between 400 - 550 pages.
☕️ 2. Read a book with some type of appliance on the cover.
☕️ 3. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in AROMATIC.
☕️ 4. Read a book originally published in another country.
Completion PostPrompt # / Name: Prompt #6H: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup - Roasting the Coffee
Book: Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
Author: Rebecca Thorne
Date Read: 5/15/24
Pages: 388
Task: Read a book where the title starts with a letter in AROMATIC.
How it Fits: Title starts with C
Mod
The objective of a proper grind is to get the most flavor in a cup of coffee. How coarse or fine the coffee is ground depends on the brewing method.
The length of time the grounds will be in contact with water determines the ideal grade of grind. Generally, the finer the grind, the more quickly the coffee should be prepared. That’s why coffee ground for an espresso machine is much finer than coffee brewed in a drip system.
Espresso machines use 132 pounds per square inch of pressure to extract coffee.
We recommend taking a moment to examine the beans and smell their aroma — in fact, the scent of coffee alone has been shown to have energizing effects on the brain.
Complete ONE of the following:
☕️ 1. Read a book with a mostly brown cover. {Your discretion.}
☕️ 2. Read a book that made you feel energized.
☕️ 3. Read a book with a 1, 2, or 3 in the page count.
☕️ 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in GRIND.
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Booked for Trouble (other topics)Silver Master (other topics)
The Hunter's Daughter (other topics)
For 100 Days (other topics)
The Hemlock Queen (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Eva Gates (other topics)Jayne Castle (other topics)
Nicola Solvinic (other topics)
Lara Adrian (other topics)
Hannah F. Whitten (other topics)
More...
The Best Part of Waking Up...
Individual, Self-Pace Challenge
April 1, 2024 - March 31, 2026
Whether you sang, "Folgers in your cup," or another brand, many people would agree that the best part of waking up is a fresh hot, cold brewed, or iced cup of coffee. In this challenge we will look at all things coffee-related. We'll even finish up by taking a look at some delicious recipes for various types of coffee. You'll have lots of time to complete this venti-sized, individual, self-paced challenge. That's right. The Best Part of Waking Up... will brew from April 1, 2024 - March 31, 2026!
This is an individual, self-paced challenge. You will have 4 tasks to choose from for each prompt. You only need to complete one to move on to the next prompt.
Each time you satisfy a task, make a post here In YOUR OWN THREAD. Please use the following example for your Completion Post.
Prompt # / Name:
Book:
Author:
Date Read:
Pages:
Task:
How it Fits:
If you have any questions about this challenge, please post them in the Coffee Bar: Q&A Thread.
Challenge Rules:
☕️ Standard Rules Apply
☕️ I will create an individual thread for you prior to the start date.
☕️ Your first prompt will be posted on March 31, 2024.
☕️ Books must be completed after the task has been posted.
{Source: ncausa.org}
☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️
Free Coffee Passes
Stuck on a task? It just seems too difficult? You have 3 Free Coffee Passes to use throughout this challenge. Use them wisely!