A Ritual Offering

Taking time to sit with a beverage

One of my favorite ways to pause is with an intentional beverage. For me, the rotation includes ceremonial cacao (how I start most mornings), Turkish coffee, or an herbal tisane (either an infusion made by my herbalist, hibiscus, or crysanthemum).

There’s something straightforward about the ritual of allowing oneself to focus on one thing, from the brewing, pouring, and finally enjoying of the beverage. Usually, I’ll curl up on the couch with a book or journal if it’s morning, and if it’s afternoon, a sweet treat with my coffee is usually in order.

This ritual reminds me so much of my Turkish-Israeli grandparents, who’d sit every afternoon at their kitchen table covered in a vinyl tablecloth after their afternoon siesta (nap). Occasionally, they’d share a single cigarette, and a deck of cards or shesh besh (backgammon) would be played. The smell of brewed coffee was always hanging deliciously in the air, and a box of anise or sesame cookies was the centerpiece, surrounded by our mugs, splattered with the remnants of Turkish coffee grounds. Many days, my great-uncle Sammy would pop by to have a cup of coffee with my grandparents. The house felt full, the windows were always open, and joy effortlessly floated through the space.

I love that my daily beverage ritual can connect me to these sweet memories of my ancestry day after day. And it’s what motivates me to carry on these traditions.