I think because the history of coffee is better documented (at least online) than the history of artichokes. Goats getting high ---> goatherders getting high --> "hey these coffee-balls are kind of nast, what if we just boiled it?" --> Starbucks
A-ha. I feel bad for the people who ate the boiled coffee-balls before they realized all the good stuff was in the water. But what about the roasting?
As much as brains squick me, I can't see any people who had to hunt and kill their own food turning up their noses at any part of any animal.
And the brains are treasure trove caloricly speaking. Prehistoric power bars. In a gooey way.
People were already preparing medicines by various methods include drying and smoking (as in smoked ham, etc), so roasting would just be one more step to try, really. I suppose we owe a debt to the shamans and would-be wizards and witches of pre-history.
Ooh, and relatedly, check out this NES controller-controlled espresso machine!
I thought, Oh, is that what Nespresso is all about? (Note that the website plays music, but it also includes George Clooney, so it may be worth it.)
But what about the roasting?
Dries the beans out so they don't go rancid.
Oh, is that what Nespresso is all about?
Ha! We had a Nepresso machine in our flat in Paris -- we stumbled into their store the second day we were there completely by accident and were very impressed by its swankiness, given that all they sold were espresso pods. (Dark wood, dim lighting, staff all in suits. Pictures of George Clooney everywhere.) But it turned out to be an excellent discovery, as the previous tenants had left behind wussy light-roasted pods, so we were able to pick up some better ones.
Dries the beans out so they don't go rancid.
I'm just saying, it's a lot of steps to figure out. Hardly anything gets roasted, boiled, and then thrown away.
NES controller-controlled espresso machine!
I don't know what anything on that link meant.
If you were a seven year old girl or a ten year old girl, do you think you would like these as stocking stuffers?
Lee, that's a dangerous site. So many tempting things: the Seven Deadly Sins Wristbands, "What Would a Pirate Do?" Spin Folder, Jane Austen action figures...
I have spent the last 20 minutes making my cats insane with catnip, brushing and a sheet of irridescent plastic. Only stopped because I cracked my fingers against the table leg so hard I teared up.
I guess I really ought to pay bills, huh?