Plain, Chocolate, Hazelnut or French Vanilla (Part 2)

     Coffee is such a wonderful thing.  It is grown on the sides of sun drenched hills at a certain altitude and only in particular parts of the world.  The bean grows on a bush, even though most people refer to the bush as a tree.
     The tree bears a fruit that looks something like a berry, that fruit turns a bright red as it matures and is ready to be picked. In that berry there are two halves of something that looks like a seed which is the actually the bean. The bean is removed from the berry and is dried in the sun on a large drying platform.  Once it has dried, it is then roasted in a process giving the bean its nut like flavor. You'll have to check the grammar and syntax of those last few sentences, they may be flawed and I haven't had my coffee yet this morning.  We are all well aware of the consequences of me not having my coffee. Hopefully you get the idea.
     There are different roastings of the beans.  What this means is that the bean is left in the roaster longer in order to give it a darker color and a deeper flavor.  You have "American Breakfast" roast which is not roasted as long as "French Roast" or other European roasts which are roasted for a very long time. The beans are then ground put in a filter cup and brewed with hot water going over the ground beans.  Voila, out comes that dark brown liquid that we all love. Into a cup the brew goes and you can drink it without additives or you can add cream and sugar.  The flavor is nirvana, and helps the world start their day.
     I take issue with what has been done to this noble concoction. Flavors have been added to the bean, which distorts the flavor.  To me, a "chocolate bean" tastes the same as a "hazelnut bean" which has been flavored with hazelnuts. If you want chocolate, make hot chocolate and put some hazelnut extract in it.What the heck is "French Vanilla" and why would you want your coffee to taste like vanilla when it is coffee.  Why don't you just brew up a cup of vanilla? Put some vanilla extract in some water and warm it up, or get some vanilla sticks if you want to be a snob about it.. That's not coffee.
      To this day, I don't know how they do that. Leave the bean alone! It tastes just fine without fooling around with the bean.  Why would you want to totally disrespect a perfectly fantastic tasting coffee bean by making it into something it is not?  That is an insult to the noble bean, and if I were a coffee bean, I would be totally angry about trying to change me into something I am not.

These guys don't drink flavored coffee!

     Speaking of coffee, my morning pot is ready.  Excuse me, I am going to enjoy my  pure "French Roast". More on this subject tomorrow.  Yes, there may be a part 3 to this.