I was told the other day by an intrigued baffoon in a well known coffee bar in Southampton, that the little Espresso Con Panna that I was drinking was a waste of money because it was so small. I decided not to tell him that his wife probably says the same about him.
But it got me thinking, while I was telling him that for the price, one is not experiencing volume but quality and often great things come in small packages (contrary to what his wife may say about him). I told him that to savour the delight of over 200 aromatic compounds and esters created during a devilishly complicated roasting process and to absorb the essence of what was created thousands of miles away on volcanic soils, notwithstanding the toil of the farmers who nurtured the crops, one had to experience the intensity. The conversation went as follows:
Baffoon: "But it's gone so quickly"
The Serf: "All the more reason to enjoy the pleasure more"
Baffoon: "I get more for my money"
The Serf: "Do you really?"
The Serf: "What will you do while you drink you coffee?"
Baffoon: "Read the newspaper"
The Serf: "The coffee is a side issue then. In essence you are paying the cafe £2.95 for the time spent on reading a paper for 30 minutes, and the cafe has given you a coffee while you do it - that's not good value!!".
Baffoon: "You're odd"
The Serf: "No, you're deluded"
Here ended the exchange.
