Wilderness Chef by Ray Mears

Author:Ray Mears
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 2020-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

COFFEE

One of the greatest joys of cooking is the heady aromas that emanate from the kitchen, a draw to the hungry and a torment to the satisfied. Who can resist the scent of a mirepoix rising from the pan or the enveloping perfume of freshly baked bread? But truly, is there any scent that can compare with that of freshly ground coffee? As I write these words, in front of me is a small leather pouch filled with freshly ground coffee. Despite the packaging, the whole pouch is gently scenting my studio with the allure of its dark, rich, velvety fragrance. It will not be long before I am compelled to put water over a flame and release the complex kaleidoscope of flavours from those enchanting ground beans.

Scents trigger memories: the scent of coffee reminds me of good friends and good times, but also some other things. During the dark days of the Second World War, Britain ran clandestine networks of saboteurs across occupied Europe. The agents who prepared to parachute into occupied Europe in support of these operations were specifically taught to pay attention to the aroma of coffee. For ‘good coffee’ was a telltale sign of black-market racketeering and with it the risk of being swept up in a crack down on illegal trading. Even the best forged identity papers were unlikely to withstand the resulting close scrutiny so agents were told to keep away from such establishments. When I raise a coffee mug, I often think of those courageous individuals who fought alone against tyranny and despotism, many of whom selflessly gave their lives to secure the freedom in which I drink my coffee.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.