A REVIVAL OF COFFEE: U.S. CONSUMPTION OF COFFEE APPEARS TO BE ON THE RISE FOLLOWING DECLINE IN '60s, '70s

A French press steeps the coffee grounds and enhances the flavor.

Melinda Cook, manager of Gospeland Book Store at the West Park Mall, drew a cup of Latte coffee fro a LaCimbail cappuccino machine.

Legend has it that when a Ethiopian herder named Kaldi saw his goats frolicking in the wild after eating the leaves and berries of a then-unfamiliar shrub, he tried the berries himself and soon changed the habits of the world. What Kaldi had discovered in the Ethiopian wild was coffee.

Coffee -- whose name likely derives from the Arabic word "gahwa," meaning "wine" or "excitement" -- has been used as both food and medicine throughout its long history. Not until much later did people begin brewing coffee and consuming it as a beverage.

Since that time, coffee has become one of the most popular drinks worldwide, though how it is consumed differs from culture to culture.

A Turkish proverb describes coffee as "black as hell, strong as death, sweet as love," which seems to fit a coffee that most Americans would find unpalatable.

Still, America consumes more coffee than any other nation in the world.

The early 1960s was the peak period of American coffee consumption when 75 percent of the American population drank more than four cups of coffee per day.

As carbonated beverages became more popular during the 60s and 70s, coffee consumption dropped dramatically.

But today, as Americans cut back on their alcohol consumption, coffee seems to be experiencing a revival of popularity. The average American adult drinks over 400 cups of coffee a year, and 50 percent of the population drinks about four cups a day.

Growing very quickly in popularity are specialty and gourmet coffees. More than 100 different varieties of coffee are imported into the United States each year. And the Specialty Coffee Association of America projects that by the year 1999, 10,000 coffee cafes, espresso bars and carts will be in operation in this country.

Espresso, a highly concentrated and very strong coffee, is brewed by forcing steam and nearly boiling water at 130 pounds of pressure through finely ground darkly roasted coffee beans. The process takes about 20 seconds.

Espresso is also the base for several special coffees, including two favorites, cappuccino and latte. Latte is a mixture of espresso and steamed milk. Cappuccino is espresso and foamed milk, giving it a lighter, frothy texture. Often they are topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg or cocoa.

Other things also may be added to both latte and cappuccino to enhance the flavor. A Vienna latte is flavored with vanilla syrup. Caramel latte is with caramel syrup. A Cappuccino con Panna is cappuccino with whipped cream.

In Cape Girardeau, though there are no longer any shops devoted solely to the serving of the beverage, there are several places were one may go to enjoy a cup of specialty coffee, served hot or cold, with or without whipped cream and in a variety of flavors.

Two local bookstores -- Gospeland and Barnes & Noble -- feature sections where customers may sip an espresso, a cappuccino or a latte.

Gospeland, which has been selling coffee since it remodeled in September 1996, also offers special drinks which change every week or two. Over Christmas, Gospeland featured an egg nog mocha, which is a mixture of espresso, chocolate syrup and egg nog.

Presently, they are featuring a Milky Way -- swiss chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, espresso and foamed milk with whipped cream on top -- and a White Cow -- the same as the Milky Way except it uses vanilla syrup rather than caramel syrup. Both are served pipping hot.

Served cold is the Peppy Penguin, a mixture of swiss chocolate syrup, a double shot of espresso and Half and Half served over ice.

Mollie's Cafe & Bar also features a number of flavored and imported coffees and specialty coffee drinks. Sometimes the coffees are enhanced not only with steamed milk or flavors, but with a splash of liqueur such as Bailey's, Kahlua or Tia Maria.

Mollie's version of Irish coffee blends Irish whiskey, coffee, whipped cream and creme de menthe.

They also feature an unusual way of preparing and serving coffee -- the French Press. Loose coffee grounds are placed into the press, which looks like a small glass coffee pot, and boiling water is poured into the pot. The lid is placed on, helping to keep the heat in the press, and the coffee grounds are allowed to steep in the boiling water.

"The advantage is that the water doesn't just drip or pour over the grounds, but the grounds steep in the water, thus allowing the maximum flavor," said Mollie's owner John Wyman as he demonstrated the press.

When the coffee has reached the desired strength, usually after about four minutes, a plunger in the lid pushes a filter through the water, separating the grounds from the water and forcing the grounds to the bottom of the pot. The result is, Wyman says, a nearly perfect cup of coffee.

Wyman first discovered the French Press when he was visiting a restaurant in Chicago three years ago and incorporated the device into the service at Mollie's.

In 1587, Adb-Al-Kadir called coffee "the common man's gold."

"And like gold, it brings to every man the feeling of luxury and nobility," he said.