Saveur

[markovitch]

In the new issue of Saveur there is an article about Ethiopia and Coffee. I liked it, except, like most Saveur stories, it is a bit brief. Anyone else read it?

[phaelon56]

I have not read it but prior to your post I'd also never heard of the magazine. Magazine articles that just scratch the surface of a topic but fail to go deep are a pet peeve of mine. It appears that there is only one store in my area that that carries it.

The history of coffee in Ethiopia and its continuing role in their culture could fill an entire book yet it's a topic I've rarely seen discussed in more than a few paragraphs in contemporary publications (books and magazines included).

[jogoode]

Because of a change in publisher, Saveur unfortunately is a lot thinner now than it was several years ago. But, docsconz, if any magazine out there is going to publish a substantial article about coffee in Ethiopia, it's Saveur. (I should also say that I was an intern at Saveur from July-Sept of this year and did some research on Ethiopian coffee for them. I have to read this article.)

[Verjuice]

(I should also say that I was an intern at Saveur from July-Sept of this year and did some research on Ethiopian coffee for them. I have to read this article.)

What was the internship like? I love Saveur.

And I have read the article; it was brief but then one of my favorite things about Saveur is that its very, very readable, and so it doesn't end up in a pile with all the other subscription magazines I need to make plans to get to eventually, and never end up reading as thoroughly as I'd like. Saveur is thoughtfully written and generally very well-edited, I think. I find that it's great for initiating my curiosity, and if I want more info on whatever; Ethiopian coffee for example, I can look elsewhere for it anyway.

Edited December 26, 2003 by Verjuice (log)

[jogoode]

Good point. The articles are informative, relative to other magazines, but if you are interested in more detailed information, you can then find a book.

The internship was great -- I was treated very well and learned a lot about the functioning of a magazine, about which I was totally clueless when I started. I hope to write about it soon for The Daily Gullet.

What was the article's focus?

[Verjuice]

Its focus is on introducing the agricultural and environmental backdrop and/or history of (Ethiopian) coffee (Ethiopia is apparently the birthplace of coffee, and the varieties grown there outnumber an pther country's). Also a bit about the processing of coffee (ie dry eg. harrar, wet eg. yirgacheffe etc.) and coffee ceremony. The article ends with, "Zerihun Alemayehu, a government employee who functions as an advocate for coffee cooperatives, seems to speak for everyone when he voices these thoughts: 'God gave us coffee, and we gave it to the world. And for that gift is seems that the world is not paying us.'"

I just noticed that the writer, Anne Marie Ruff, is based in the United Arab Emirates, where I am visiting right now. I was reading local magazines yesterday and lamenting the absence of food writing/restaurant reviews in them. Kind of weird.

[phaelon56]

I'll have to search that out and buy a copy. It may be less extensive than some might hope for but the capsule description just offered indicates that it covers more ground than the any articles I've seen elsewhere.

The sad situation with sagging wholesale coffee prices worldwide in spite of higher retail sprices is indeed a tragedy of enormous proportions - it affects far more than just Ethiopia.

[malachi]

It's particularly depressing to see the Ethiopian coffee plants being uprooted and replaced by Khat. Yet another reason to only buy Fair Trade coffees and to boycott coffee companies that buy from Brazilian and Vietnamese bulk growers.

[m(a)ce]

The article was enjoyable but brief. Moreover, the article did a good job of acknowledging the different methods of processing coffee (wet and dry methods) and comparing the most well-known varieties of coffees from Ethiopia.

On another note. . .I think we are getting close to the can of worms known as Fair Trade.

I have mixed feelings on this topic. Maybe I'll start a new post for this topic.

[phaelon56]

Is this the Nov/Dec issue? I found the Jan/Feb issue today and have not paged through its entirety but the TOC lists no article on Ethiopia.

[fresco]

It's Nov. - Dec.