Would you like a cup of coffee? Whenever we went visiting in Haiti, the lady of the house felt that it was her duty to offer a cup of coffee. It was wonderful to share a cup of coffee with these very gracious people, but, oh my, the work that went into preparing it.
Kitchens in a Haitian home are away from the regular dwelling. Before the coffee can be made, a fire has to be built to heat the water. Madame did not go down to the corner grocery for the flavor of the day. She bought the beans, roasted them, and then ground them. In Haiti you pile them. There needs to be an accent aigu over that e, but I don’t know how to do it. ( The coffee goes into the sack that she has there, and then she pours the hot water over the beans to make the beverage.
Then madame graciously served the coffee in demitasses on a tray. The coffee is very strong, and it needs lots of sugar. Good to the last drop!
There’s nothing like sharing a good cup of coffee with a friend.
3 comments:
What a fine example of true hospitality! I shall try to remember the love that obviously went into her preparation as I go about my tasks today. Thank you!
We need to hear these stories to remember how blessed we are in the US. Perhaps then we might be less whiny and less critical when we don't get what we want.
I am thankful for you and this day and for being able to live in this country.
Oh my goodness.. every drop would have to be savoured. It causes me to pause and reflect on just how very much we have.
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