Difficult Beginnings: My First Unsuccessful Encounter with Coffee.

Long, long ago, when coffee was still regulated, and its taste stripped all possible flavors from your tongue, I was just a little tyke, the sort of kid who could even captivate cats. We set out on a visit to Auntie's.

As our visit progressed, the ritual question emerged: "Tea or coffee?" Out of playful irony, I responded, "Coffee."

The kindness and sincerity of my family's actions were never our strong suit. So, in a moment, I was served coffee. Or rather, a brew of strange substances, scalding, sour, and bitter as eighty-three misfortunes.

No one wanted to spare me from the coffee ordeal, and out of politeness, I tried to drink it. Five teaspoons of sugar and sheer willpower came to my rescue.

But from that moment on, I thought of coffee as something with a strong aroma, consumed by true tough guys with gravelly palates. The result was a decrease in my desire to sleep.

For many years, no one tried to rescue me from my misconception, as I consumed coffee-like acid, or other derivative substances that I couldn't rightly call real coffee. To make matters worse, I saw that this coffee allegedly tasted good and had an awakening effect.

"Can coffee lie?" I thought. Perhaps it can, hence the matter of Little Deceptions.

I first learned about the deceitful benefits of coffee during a particular journey. I was traveling very early in the morning and was armed with a thermos full of coffee. I had no intention of making friends with this explosive brew. However, after a few hours, when fatigue was gnawing deep in my head, I, with the caution of a bomb disposal expert, drank a sip from the thermos, as that's how coffee is usually consumed. With disbelief, I felt the fatigue dissipating. It simply vanished. I couldn't believe what had happened. "This is blatant deception," I thought. Can the body deceive itself with substances? Today, of course, I know it can, but back then, it wasn't so clear.

As I continued my journey, the fatigue returned, but the coffee cap kept it at a safe distance. It was incredible.

However, the horrible sour taste persisted.

The Real Taste of Coffee. That's how it should be written in capital letters.

I knew that there were coffee shops, I had heard of "cappuccino," but I didn't know what it was, and I never tried it because I feared that drilling taste, that acid embodied and mixed with coal.

When, like an enlightenment in a jasmine garden, my spouse became a barista. She told me about the art of making coffee, and I was ignited with the fire of a neophyte wanting to change my views, to venture into the unknown ocean of coffee.

The temptations of Satan appeared in the form of names like "Cappuccino," "Cafe Latte," "Espresso." I decided to explore this from within, and the nature of Aga's work allowed me to do that to some extent.

Enlightenment

The enlightenment came with the first cappuccino.

Smell? Delicate and pleasant, the smell alone could awaken you.

Taste? My initial thought was, "This cannot be coffee." Indeed, you could sense that slight chocolatey flavor, tickling here and there on the tongue, but it blended perfectly with the taste of milk and harmonized with the sugar, making it all a pleasant flavor.

After this first breakthrough, I started consuming larger quantities of this delicious elixir called coffee. My approach changed dramatically. From a heavy childhood with Auntie's salty acid, to the ear-pampering "Cafe Latte," which dazzled not only with its appearance but also caressed every taste bud, allowing you to devour (not just drink!) perfectly frothed milk.

Coffee (unfortunately) a Luxury

Here's a little disclaimer. Until we had a coffee machine at home, coffee was quite a luxurious indulgence. Coffee shops, knowing how addictive this taste is, charge devilish prices for coffee. However, we make coffee at home (well, my wife does).

And the coffee made by my wife is delicious, and I'm not just being complimentary. I tried making it myself, but it didn't work out, and if I have such a good specialist at hand, it would be a sin not to take advantage of it.

Addiction

Does coffee create addiction? Probably. For some, it's because of its stimulating effects. Some people drink it to wake up, others to boost their vitality.

But I am addicted to the taste and aroma. To the presentation, to the harmony with other flavors (like cookies, for example).

Recommendation

In conclusion, I recommend trying delicious coffee at a coffee shop or at our place (you're welcome to visit). If there's someone in the coffee shop who knows how to make coffee, you'll experience what heaven for your taste buds means, or what a