While enjoying Henk Pur® coffee - Epic odyssey and coffee bean
Deel
The word odyssey stems from the famous Greek epic The Odyssey by the poet Homer. It tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus, who, after the Trojan War, embarks on a ten-year-long, perilous, and wandering journey across the sea to return to his wife and home on the island of Ithaca.
Along the way, he faces monstrous obstacles, storms, gods who thwart him, and endless delays.
Today, we use the word odyssey for any long, captivating, grueling, and adventurous journey full of detours and obstacles. It is not a simple trip from A to B, but a journey full of trials.
What does "Epic" mean?
The word epic (from an epic poem, a great heroic poem) literally means of heroic proportions, grand, legendary, or breathtaking. If something is epic, it transcends the ordinary. It is a story so grand that it leaves an impression on you.
Why is the journey of a coffee bean an 'epic odyssey'?
When you combine these two words into an epic odyssey, you indicate that the journey of the coffee bean is much more than simply a logistical transport from a factory to a store. It is a heroic adventure:
The hero: The small coffee cherry/bean.
The dangers and obstacles: The steep, inaccessible mountains in the tropics, bumpy mule trails, winding mountain roads, and weeks of pounding on a colossal cargo ship across the wild, unpredictable oceans where the climate must be strictly monitored to prevent mold and spoilage.
The transformation: Just like a hero who changes along the way through his experiences, the bean undergoes metamorphoses (from cherry to green bean, and eventually through fire in the roastery to a fragrant, dark gold).
The goal: The homecoming. Just as Odysseus finally returned home after ten years, the coffee bean finds its ultimate destination after thousands of kilometers: in your cup on the breakfast table.
