The language of any country undergoes various changes over time: foreign words are fixed, the names of modern technical inventions are introduced, and forms of use are simplified. However, there is still ongoing debate about what kind of “coffee” and how it should be said.
What gender does the word coffee belong to?
In the coffee world, due to the emergence of different preparation methods, varieties of berries, names of drinks, many new terms have appeared over the past decades.
Information from history
In Russia, coffee has been known since the 17th century, when a doctor prescribed this drink to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich as a cure for “arrogance, runny nose and headaches.” It began to be used as a tasty drink under Peter I, after the emperor became addicted to it in Amsterdam. Returning from abroad, in 1718 he issued a decree that guests should be served not only tea, but also treated to a new invigorating drink at assemblies and in the Kunstkamera.
In 1718, Peter I issued a decree ordering that, along with tea, guests should be served a new invigorating drink - coffee.
During the times of the Russian Empire, in addition to the word “coffee”, they also used “coffee” or “coffee”. Writer N.S. Leskov, in his work “Pabubniks” of 1885, writes both options, but for the Russian author they have different shades. “Kofiy” serves to convey village speech.
Forms that end in -y ceased to be the linguistic norm at the end of the 18th century. They are perceived as ignorant and vernacular. The main option remains “coffee”.
The history of the dispute about the type of coffee
The object of all-Russian controversy is coffee, which remains a masculine gender, despite the ending -e. There is an interesting history of this word, which was borrowed from English, although some sources point to Dutch. There the drink belonged to the pronoun “he”.
Let's find out when coffee became neuter. Initially, the drink was called “coffee” or “coffee”. It is immediately clear what does not apply to “it”. Over time, the word form changed a little, the ending -e appeared. The result was confusion and continuous debate.
It has long been customary to call coffee in the masculine gender
Some experts believe that errors in the pronunciation and spelling of the drink were due to the ending -e, which was confusing because it is associated with the neuter gender. There was also a lack of control over the literacy of the performances of presenters on television and actors in films.
The meaning of the word "coffee"
There are several assumptions about where this word came from, but this is still not known for certain.
The Arabic word for a type of wine is qahwah; in Turkish - kahve, which could become the ancestor of the word “coffee”. Perhaps the name of the aromatic drink was given by the Ethiopian region of Kaffa, which is the birthplace of the coffee tree. In Kaffe itself, coffee is called “buno”. Wikipedia reports that in Europe the name of this aromatic drink was the Dutch word koffie, which in 1598 came into English as coffee.
In Russian explanatory dictionaries there are several meanings of the term, for example:
- A plant that produces fruits and grains.
- Coffee beans.
- Ground powder from these grains.
- A drink based on coffee beans.
The birthplace of the coffee tree is the Ethiopian region of Kaffa.
Making coffee in an AeroPress
The AeroPress is one of the newest ways to brew coffee. The device was invented in 2005 by Aerobie and has become so popular that since 2008, annual championships have been held for brewing coffee using the AeroPress.
There are no difficulties with choosing an AeroPress: the device is quite simple, the product configuration may change slightly from year to year, the manufacturer adds additional stirring spoons, replaceable filters, and funnels. The reason coffee brewing competitions are possible is because of the intricacies of using this simple device.
Grind 1.5 tablespoons of coffee and pour into the flask. The grind should be a little coarser than for Turks. You need to prepare 200 ml of hot water - not boiling water, the temperature should be about 90 °C. If you have a kettle with a thermostat, you can select the exact temperature. If not, wait three minutes after the kettle has boiled.
Fill the coffee with water. And from this moment the magic begins. The taste and strength of the drink depends on how long you keep the coffee in the flask and when you start stirring. It is no coincidence that a special application was released for iOS, telling how long coffee should be kept in an AeroPress.
How to speak correctly
According to the rules of the Russian language, units of speech ending with the letter -e belong to the neuter gender. However, for example, in the explanatory dictionaries of S. Ozhegov and V. Dahl, the noun “coffee” is classified as a masculine grammatical feature.
There is no clear answer why the name of the invigorating drink began to be used in the masculine gender.
Why has coffee always been classified as masculine?
It is believed that this drink was first mentioned in Russia in the neuter gender. From what moment it began to be used in men’s clothing is unknown. This may have happened under the influence of the elite, who sought to distinguish themselves and emphasize their status in speech: saying “my coffee” was an indicator of prestige.
There is also a version that at first they said “coffee” and “coffee” in the masculine gender, so this term began to be used in the same way. For example, “... you should drink your own coffee” (A. Chakovsky, “Blockade”, 1968) or “She waited until the valet put out the coffee and left” (L. Tolstoy, “War and Peace”, 1867-1869).
Nevertheless, there is no exact confirmation that these obsolete forms were the original ones and that the grammatical feature was fixed from them. According to the research of philologist M. Eliferova, in 1700-1800. the form “coffee” occurred 15 times, “coffee” 25 times, and the form “coffee” 84 times. It follows from this that already in the 18th century. the predominant option was the one well known to everyone.
Can it be used in the neuter gender?
Even before the beginning of the 2000s. in modern Russian, only the masculine gender was considered correct, and only in some dictionaries did colloquial speech allow the neuter gender. But already in 2009, according to the order of the Ministry of Education, it became possible to use this noun both in m.r. and in sr. r., i.e. since then, “delicious coffee” has ceased to be a colloquial option and an indicator of illiteracy.
Many people disagree with this decision and try to stick to only one form.
What you will need
To ensure that the result does not disappoint you, you must take something into account.
- Water. It must be clean - ideally artesian, spring or well non-rigid. If there is none, at least bottled or filtered. From the tap it is not suitable, since impurities noticeably distort the taste of the finished drink.
- Coffee beans or ground. The answer to the question of how to choose coffee for home brewing depends on the result you want to get. For espresso, it is better to try a mixture of Arabica and Robusta. Any finely ground Arabica is suitable for Turkish coffee. And the taste options are completely limitless - from light sourness to floral notes. To get the best one, experiment with the roast level.
- Sugar, salt and spices. Personally, I don't like unsweetened coffee, so I add cane sugar. It is less harmful than refined white and does not spoil the taste of the drink. Salt on the tip of a knife will neutralize the bitterness if you find it too pronounced. At the same time, the taste of the salt itself is not felt in the finished drink.
I always make coffee with ground cinnamon and cardamom. They give the drink warm spicy notes and a light citrus aroma. Some people like to season their coffee with black pepper – it turns out to be a spicy, warming option for winter. Fresh or ground ginger is also a very popular addition and enhances the taste well.
- Milk or cream. Many people prefer to soften the taste of strong coffee and drink it with milk. The result is a nutritious drink that also neutralizes the effects of caffeine.
Now that everything you need is prepared, let's look at popular household appliances that will help you brew coffee correctly.
Has anything changed in Russian dictionaries?
New alternatives for the use of some words, their grammatical features, like “coffee”, appeared in 2009 in the “Big Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Language”, “Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language”, “Dictionary of Stresses of the Russian Language” and “Grammar Dictionary of the Russian Language: Word change." The authors added a second sign “cf. R." and removed the “colloquial” inscription.
Since then, the invigorating drink can be officially used in both genders, although the male one is considered the main one, and the middle one is considered additional.
Making coffee in a geyser coffee maker
The first geyser coffee makers appeared back in the 1930s. By the way, the company that designed them still exists today - the Italian Bialetti. Today, coffee makers of this type are produced by different companies.
When purchasing, you should focus on the material from which the coffee maker is made. You definitely shouldn't take aluminum specimens. But stainless steel or ceramics is a matter of taste.
Pay attention to the number of cups the coffee maker makes at a time.
In the case of a geyser coffee maker, you won’t be able to pour less water and add a spoonful of coffee in order to make one cup for yourself instead of six. You should always prepare the full amount. Moreover, different manufacturers may interpret the volume of one cup differently. For some it is 40 ml, for others it is 100. Find out this point before purchasing.
Choose medium grind coffee and pour it into the filter. If you later find that there are coffee particles floating in your cup, it means that the grind was not coarse enough. Pour water into the bottom of the coffee maker.
As soon as the water boils, remove from heat. In this case, there is no need to be afraid of boiling, since the coffee itself will not heat up to 100 °C. Water under the pressure of the steam generated during boiling will pass through the filter with coffee and settle in the upper part of the coffee maker. With an electric device it is even simpler: as soon as the coffee is ready, it will turn off itself.
The entire process is shown in detail in the video instructions below.
If water leaks from the sides during use, it means that you have not tightened the parts tightly or have exceeded the maximum water mark.
Declension by case
In Russian, this word is borrowed and refers to nouns denoting various substances (sugar, cream, blood, etc.), so it cannot be unambiguously classified as either singular or plural.
The word "coffee" is inflected the same way, regardless of meaning, case or number.
Usage examples:
- guests treated to (what?) coffee - TV. P.;
- wash the cup after (what?) coffee - R. p.;
- please make (what?) coffee - V. p.
Dictionaries indicate that this word will be declined in the same way, regardless of meaning, case and number.
Making coffee in Turkish
Turka has been known since the times of the Ottoman Empire, and, in fact, the name of this dish speaks of its origin. In its historical homeland it is called cezve, and both names have taken root in the Russian language.
Today, Turks make from a variety of materials: copper, aluminum, stainless steel, brass and even ceramics. There are both small Turks for a 100 ml cup, and large ones for a solid mug.
Among coffee lovers, preference is given to copper small Turks.
Copper heats up evenly, and the small volume allows you to maximize the flavor of the grain.
Aluminum cookware heats up quickly, but in principle it is not advisable to use it for cooking any food, since this material reacts with food when heated. The stainless steel heats up unevenly, which is why a hot spot of the highest temperature appears in the center of the cookware, and the coffee begins to boil, although the temperature at the edges has not yet reached the desired level.
Ceramics and clay also warm up, but these materials continue to give off heat even when you have already removed the dishes from the stove: the foam will continue to rise, and there is a risk that you will flood the table or stove. Due to the porous structure, clay cezves absorb odors well, so over time the taste of coffee will only get better, but you can only use it for preparing one type.
If you have an induction cooker, then it makes no sense to take a ceramic pot: it simply won’t heat up. If you buy a copper one, please note that there should be special inserts in its bottom, onto which induction will be induced.
The most correct form of a Turk is a traditional conical one with a funnel-shaped bell. The cone will prevent the thickness from rising to the top, and the bell will prevent the foam from rising too quickly, which is especially important for those who have not had any experience using this cookware before. The handle can be any length, but the longer it is, the more convenient it will be for you to remove the Turk from the heat.
Rinse the Turk, add 1 teaspoon of finely ground coffee and add 75 ml of cold water. Add sugar or a few grains of salt before putting the Turk on low heat. These components somewhat slow down the boiling process and make the foam denser.
Place on the fire, heat, but do not bring to a boil. Your main task now is not to be distracted and wait for the moment when the foam rises. Remember the funnel-shaped bell? It will increase your chances of capturing this moment and not letting the coffee flood the stove.
Remove the Turk from the heat, let the foam settle and put it back on the fire. Three times the foam should rise and three times you should lower it. The process is clearly shown in this video.
Using a Turk is not an easy task and requires attention and certain skills. But this particular method of brewing coffee has many followers, since it requires a minimum of equipment: only the right dishes and a stove.
Additional Information
Today in the coffee industry there are many different types of brewing, serving and recipes for an invigorating drink.
However, not all correspond to the same gender, and some of them still do not have a fixed grammatical norm in Russian dictionaries.
In a cafe you must use:
- Americano - not in dictionaries, but is more often used by analogy with “coffee” in the m.r.
- Cappuccino - you can say in m.r. or cf. R.
- Latte - it is permissible to speak in both m.r. and sr. R.
- Macchiato - not fixed, presumably can be used in both m.r. and cf. R.
- Espresso - should be used in ml.
The use of the noun “coffee” is possible both in the masculine and in the neuter gender “coffee-on”; modern language norms allow both options. Everyone can decide for themselves which grammatical form to choose. However, few people know about the changes made more than 10 years ago, so “good coffee” may still be perceived by others as colloquial.
French press
Perhaps this is the simplest and most convenient device that is suitable even for beginners. It can also be used in an office where there is no coffee machine or stove. To prepare the drink you need to take 3.5 tbsp. l. coarsely ground coffee and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water over it.
After 3-4 minutes, foam forms on the surface. After this, the coffee needs to be stirred, covered with a plunger and left to brew for 5-6 minutes. Then gently lower the plunger and pour the finished drink into a cup.
Coffee cools quickly in a French press, so make only as much coffee as you can drink at one time. In addition, the brewing process continues after you lower the plunger. Do not overcook the drink in the French press to avoid excessive bitterness.
If you want to make green coffee, a French press is the best option. This variety cannot be boiled, as it loses its main valuable qualities. In addition, green beans are ground coarser due to their greater hardness. The French press creates the optimal temperature for obtaining a healing drink.
