Need not fear the evil’s eye
The scent of rose oil, jasmine and Tahitian vanilla lingered in the air. At once seductive and yet charmingly playful. A scent that once stimulates the olfactory apparatus, capable of initiating the kinetic act of turning a man’s head.
And furthermore, stoking his imagination. Such is the allure of Clive Christian No. 1 Imperial Majesty, the third most expensive fragrance in the world. In case you’re wondering, noted British perfumer Roja Dove’s masterpiece will set you back $12,722 per ounce. Skin shimmering and smooth, as the soft light reflected, gleaming like a million diamonds.
The painter’s palate subtly referenced today. Just a matte red lip application, courtesy of Rouge Louboutin Velvet Matte. Perfectly applied eyeliner completed the visage profile. The pink patch on the back pocket and gold embroidered logo gave away the Dolce & Gabbana jeans. Paired with a white Gucci t-shirt, it kept this outfit firmly within the Italian borders. Featuring bubble gum pink toes wrapped in strappy black redsoled Louboutin heels, the word chic would be wholly appropriate.
The gold accented black Michael Kors handbag dangled from her shoulder as the journey began. The push button starter breathed fire into the German engineered motor as it gunned to life. The AMG emblazoned dashboard gave away the car’s origins. Thankfully, the traffic was sparse as the vehicle neared its destination. A restaurant front parking welcomed the vehicle into its waiting open arms. And as she climbed the few stairs she saw them. Her friends. Following hearty greetings and a few giggles she was seated.
It was a ladies day out. And as the pleasant aromas wafted through the cool vaporised air, one fragrance dominated. One would find very few adults not schooled in recognising the distinctive smell of Coffea Arabica beans. Maybe they are Coffea canephora (robusta)? Makes no difference, on this planet coffee is king. And in Gaborone, The Daily Grind coffee is king. The proprietary home of visionary restaurateur James Briscoe, this establishment has not only changed the playing field but the rules of the game. Home to not only exceptional innovative cuisine but world-class java. You know my order James. Cafe mocha with macadamia milk. Caliente.
But where did coffee come from? Popular legend has it that Ethiopian goat herder Kaldi in 850 CE saw his goats nibbling on the red berries of a bush and playing energetically. After which the beans were roasted, ground and mixed with hot water producing the first cup of coffee. The story is probably apocryphal. The first credible evidence of coffee drinking appears in the middle of the 15th century in the accounts of Ahmed AlGhaffar in Yemen. It is here in Arabia that coffee beans were roasted and brewed as they are today. Sufi circles to stay awake for their religious rituals used coffee. An important part of the world economy, it is currently the second most traded commodity behind oil. While Ethiopia is coffee’s historical home, the world’s top producer is Brazil, followed by Vietnam and Columbia. Currently it is the world’s most popular beverage with 2.25 billion cups consumed daily. The country with the highest consumption per capita is Finland with four cups per day (12kg/ person/year). If you read my last week’s column you would know that Finland is also the happiest country in the world. Coincidence? I wonder?
Interestingly, Norway, Iceland and
Denmark ranked second to fourth in consumption. The Scandinavian countries are well represented on both lists of happiest countries and highest consumption. I guess we can hypothesise, but we will leave it to the academics to scrutinise and investigate this possible association and tell us for sure. At the very least, it provides a hot accompaniment to those long, dark and cold Scandinavian winters. For the curious, and who isn’t, Botswana ranks 91st out of 155 countries ranked with 0.819kg/person/year.
At my dental clinic, patients are somewhat guarded with their responses when I enquire to their own personal coffee consumption. Given the fact that caffeine in coffee increases heart rate, people worry that it may worsen heart conditions.
Historically, there have been contradictory findings that complicate the matter. But what does current research tell us? Three research abstracts released March 24, 2022 may shed some light. Collectively, they studied 500,000 people over 10 years. Contrary to what some doctors and the public may think, drinking coffee may actually protect your heart rather than worsening cardiac problems. Findings showed that drinking two to three cups of coffee a day was associated with a 10 to 15% reduction of getting heart disease, heart failure or a heart rhythm problem, or dying early for any reason.
Currently, there is no causal relationship associated between the two and doctors caution that sensible lifestyle choices such as good diet and exercise must be adhered to. Hence, my patients need not fear the evil eye from me when I pose that question at their next appointment. As the world peers pensively from under the covers at the current Covid situation, might the danger be receding slowly and may we be permitted to ponder what our new normal may look like? I’ll be in deep contemplation sitting outside, social distanced at Kreo Cafe at Mowana Park, Phakalane sipping my cafe mocha. Sublime really.