The Search for Indonesian (or perhaps African) Dark, Roast Beans.
In this post, I review two coffee shops in Toronto. I'm persistently perplexed by the fact that baristas know so much about the intricacies of making espresso but nothing about the origins of their coffee beans. No food can be better than the ingredients from which it is made.
Place on Yonge, reputed to be very cool. Very steep stairs; not for old people with bad knees
I look at beans in 3 coffee grinders: none are dark or greasy
Me: what kind of beans; where from?
Kenya, plus 2 other places that are not Africa or Indonesia.
Calgary, he says in the next breath.
Calgary? says I.
We get them roasted in Calgary. (Implication: we care so much we go to the best place in Canada which is as far as Calgary; that’s how much effort we put into it.)
Me: Is the Kenyan dark roasted?
Everything is medium roasted.
Me: thank you, bye
Another hip coffee shop, across from where Isaacs Gallery and Dorothy Cameron used to be; now suffering from facadism (shockingly). Young man at cash very friendly and seems knowledgeable. Quiet buzz at long tables.
I Order a double espresso, ask if they sell beans
He says: yes that is their specialty, what they are known for; our own roastery in Ontario (I forget where). Implication: we are experts and we care re our coffee
Oh, says I, I thought that you got your beans from Mountain View; uh uh, never.
Takes me to low shelving a few steps into the table area.
Do you have Indonesian: for sure: 2 kinds: Sumatra and … uh, looking at the pkg, some other island there.
Dark roast? Sumatra, yes.
When roasted?: ‘uh', examines the date on the 1st bag, then the 2nd, and to the last, the 4th, and says, not as confidently: 'a week ago'.
When do you get delivery of your coffee? Tuesdays.
Me: Today is Tuesday
Him: apologetic shrug
Me: where are the beans from in my double espresso?
Him: examining a bag: a whole lot of places I guess, bag doesn’t really say…but it is great coffee.
Smooth?
Yes.
I try it: uh uh.
Me: ok, will try you next Tuesday.