Some Late Night Reflections and Some Tea to Go with Them

As I near the 200th article that I have posted on this blog, I find myself in a reflective mood. I have spent a good deal of these pages exploring the various facets of tea, coffee, chocolate and soda pop: all of which are known to contain caffeine or caffeine-like substances. Much effort has been devoted to outlining the details of the this subject; but it seem to me that what is really missing is a vision of coffee et.al. and its place in the in the larger cultural context of human experience. 

There can be little doubt that the drinking of coffee, tea and to a lesser extent soda pop has acted as an effective adjunct to many an important human endeavor. By that I mean the very act of drinking tea and coffee has been transformed into an event in itself, a physical accompaniment to social interaction. Many meetings might have turned out otherwise had not tea or coffee been present. Coffee and tea when drunk in moderation have a benign, and even pleasant, effect on many people. They stimulate the senses and provides the person with a boost of energy that can enhance thinking and communicating. In a few cases, such as what can be seen from the Tea and Opium Wars of the 18th century, the drinking of these substances has had a major effect on the human condition. 

Coffee has never been altogether accepted by established opinion. Coffee's unquestioned popularity was mitigated by those who were suspicious of it, and who saw it as a threat to the status quo. Thus coffee (and to a lesser extent tea) has always contained within it a positive and negative side that are always in conflict with one another. Yes, coffee reduces the incidence of diabetes and can reduce some types of cancer;  But coffee raises the heart rate and can increase the incidence of stroke and brain aneurysm. A little bit of coffee can provide the body with a welcome boost and help you get through your day; too much can lead to nervous exhaustion, anxiety and heart problems.

Writing about coffee is a complex business, especially if one wants to write about coffee in a responsible way. The challenge is to make the subject of caffeine in all its various manifestations as entertaining as possible without resorting to hyperbole or an irresponsible promotion of the products being discussed. That is the goal as I presently see it.