Here's The Scoop / September 2012 / Would you choose a salty turtle?

Sep 28, 201208:17 AMDaily News

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Would you choose a salty turtle?

A salty turtle. The name doesn’t do it justice. Imagine a large mug of coffee covered in froth, whipped cream, caramel and colorful sugar sprinkles—and a little salt—and you have a beverage that provides a perfect balance of a chocolate-covered pretzel.

I savored every sip of my latte that I ordered at the Timeless Café in Lebanon.

After water, coffee is the most commonly consumed beverage in the United States on a daily basis, according to a research poll done by National Coffee Association.

I didn’t start drinking coffee until I started college. It wasn’t the late-night studying sessions that drove me to enjoy a good caffeine jolt. It was just the overall environment on the college campus. (My school has an on-campus coffee bar).

But in honor of National Coffee Day tomorrow, I wanted to see how other people enjoy their java, so I hit the town to visit several local coffee shops.

The vibe of nearly every coffee shop I stopped at was very chic; I felt like I could sit there for hours and write a novel without the owners caring. It was both comfortable and inviting and nearly every patron I approached was happy to sit and discuss their love of coffee.

It was interesting to watch intellectuals have conversations or old friends converse over a steaming latte or observe the cute little girl in her stroller waving hello to people while her parents munched on a breakfast sandwich.

National Coffee Day aims not only to celebrate the popular beverage, but also serves as an educational opportunity for fair trade coffee—coffee that originates from growers which provide better conditions for workers at a higher price than standard coffee.

3 J’s Coffee in Palmyra uses only fair trade coffee in its shop. That shop will offer any size coffee for only a dollar tomorrow.

Timeless Café in Lebanon will offer its specially-blended signature flavor, chocolate berry truffle, a coffee that is made especially for them by East Indies, a local company that roasts beans and blends their teas onsite.

According to statistics, 64 percent of the population said they consume coffee on a daily basis, and on average consumed 3.2 cups per day. I wanted to know why people choose the drinks they choose and how coffee lovers will honor the day.

3 J’s patrons Kirby and Carol Dubble, self-proclaimed “coffee snots,” will go the extra mile (literally) on National Coffee Day. “I’ll be drinking Blue Mouse coffee, roasted by the Electric Brewing Company in Scranton, at the Buckwood Café at the Shawnee Inn on the Delaware … we go far for good coffee,” Kirby Dubble said. “We’ve become coffee snots, we like good-flavored coffee,” Carol Dubble added. “Everything else is just brown water.”

“It’s their relaxation time, to get up and have that first cup of coffee for the day,” said Nancy High, Timeless Café patron.

If you’re looking for a short getaway to relax, read a book, and sip on a good ole’ cup of Joe, a coffee shop is just what you’re looking for. Oh, and the delicious-tasting caramel mustache isn’t too bad either.

Natosha Kreamer is an intern at Central Penn Parent and a senior at Lebanon Valley College studying English Communications with a minor in Art and Art History.