There's a popular quote I can't find about how you only feel guilty the first time you do it. Well, this is the third straight month that I steal a pound of coffee from the Peets' Coffee Tour
that I bought for my parents. The first time was to "help them" with their personal overstock of coffee. The second time was because I'd be hosting them over the holidays so I could make them their own coffee. This time...uh...this time, I just took it!If Guatemalan coffee is my favorite coffee in the world, second place is a close tie between Kenyan coffee and Yemeni Mocha coffee. As long as the word "mocha" comes up, we want to make sure we're talking about the same thing.Mocha has become associated with chocolate over time, particularly in the famous Cafe Mocha drink that combines chocolate and coffee in any number of ways. But, the original actual use of "Mocha" is derived from the name of the Yemeni port from which coffee was first exported to the world from the growing regions of Yemen and neighboring Ethiopia. Coffee grown in that area to this day still bears the name Mocha, or Arabian Mocha to differentiate it from chocolate. Since all coffee originates from this area, the Arabian Mocha along with Ethiopian coffee is for many the oldest and most authentic coffee there is.A true Mocha is grown in Yemen. For a vendor that goes to the expense of sourcing a true Mocha, they will usually put the name of the growing region on its label, either Mattari, or in Peets' case, Sanani. Either region provides a full-bodied coffee. While a Mocha can ironically carry chocolate tones, it is also VERY aromatic and in that way helps you appreciate just how much the sense of smell can contribute to the flavor of a coffee.If you've heard of the Mocha Java blend of coffee, it is meant to be one of the most balanced blends, combining the bold Mocha coffee with the mellow Indonesian Java coffee. A Mocha Java is a nice coffee, but if you LIKE coffee, try Arabian Mocha coffee on its own.For the third straight month, I've brewed some as quickly as it arrived. The beans went straight from the Peets packaging that is stamped to tell me that it was fresh-roasted less than a week ago and into an airtight container to maintain freshness. And the empty bag? There's no way it goes in the garbage yet. It's sitting next to this computer as I type this, lined with oil from the coffee beans that is filling this room with an amazing coffee scent as I enjoy a cup of it. I have a feeling I'll be up late tonight.
