Coffee talk

“The best part of waking up is Folger’s in your cup.”

“Folgers is specially blended and mountain grown.”

These quotes are from the 1965 to 1986 coffee commercials featuring Virginia Christine, Swedish accent neighbor Mrs. Olson. Portrayed in multiple ads over the years, she always came to the rescue with the “Perfect Cup.”

In my opinion, coffee, next to bacon, is one of the most valuable commodities in the world with shares trading today at $182.30. It is a huge part of our culture even though some people don’t drink it. My friend Allen Wilson says he will when he grows up, but I don’t think he has tried the various iterations that feature much more than cream and sugar.

Coffee breaks, coffee talks, coffee shops and, lately, coffee trucks have surged in popularity. We even take our children to coffee, which in my generation was taboo. There is a saying that “Coffee puts hair on your chest,” which, according to a German study in 2004, would require 60 to 80 cups a day.

The origins of coffee use began in medieval Ethiopia when a goat herder named Kaldi noticed his flock had more energy after eating coffee berries. Today’s brew came from Arabia in the 15th century. Like tobacco, it worked its way around the world and today 2.25 billion cups are consumed daily. Coffee cultivation spread to the Americas where Jose Duval, portraying Juan Valdez, promoted Columbian-grown varieties.

As for growing hair, maybe I should rub coffee on my scalp!