[Sca-cooks] A college class... on Coffee

[Laura C. Minnick]

Just saw this on CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/02/25/coffee.class.ap/index.html

The prof is teach the class not _just_ on coffee, but on the social and 
cultural brew (!) we've formed around it.

I was particularly interested, largely because of the many conversations 
we've had on the list- about hot drinks in general, and coffee in 
particular- seem to center around a 'period substitute' for coffee. I have 
long believed (and will continue to rant, whether anyone hears me or not 
;-) that looking for and/or using a coffee substitute in an SCA setting is 
missing the point- because there is really no similar _cultural tradition_ 
for the consumption of hot drinks in period, as we have now. Coffee 
drinking in our culture is not simply a way to slake thirst- it is an act 
of public participation, a social act. Closest I've found to similar social 
act in period revolved around the ale house. And well, there are other 
issues there...

Anyway, I thought the article was interesting,

'Lainie
___________________________________________________________________________
O it is excellent to have a giant's strength; but it is tyrannous To use it 
like a giant--Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, Act II