--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Instead, this cup of coffee is a rich…" description: "\"“Instead, this cup of coffee is a rich aroma, at once earthy and perfumed; it is the lazy movement of a curlicue of steam rising from its surface. As I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/sarah-bakewell-24972_money_instead-this-cup-of-coffee-is-a-rich-aro_1206609.jpg" --- # Instead, this cup of coffee is a rich aroma, at once… ![“Instead, this cup of coffee is a rich aroma, at once earthy and perfumed; it is the lazy movement of a curlicue of steam rising from its surface. As I lift it to my lips, it is a placidly shifting liquid and a weight in my hand inside its thick-rimmed cup. It is an approaching warmth, then an…” quote by Sarah Bakewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/sarah-bakewell-24972_money_instead-this-cup-of-coffee-is-a-rich-aro_1206609.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/sarah-bakewell-24972_money_instead-this-cup-of-coffee-is-a-rich-aro_1206609.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/sarah-bakewell-24972_money_instead-this-cup-of-coffee-is-a-rich-aro_1206609.jpg) > ““Instead, this cup of coffee is a rich aroma, at once earthy and perfumed; it is the lazy movement of a curlicue of steam rising from its surface. As I lift it to my lips, it is a placidly shifting liquid and a weight in my hand inside its thick-rimmed cup. It is an approaching warmth, then an intense dark flavour on my tongue, starting with a slightly austere jolt and then relaxing into a comforting warmth, which spreads from the cup into my body, bringing the promise of lasting alertness and refreshment. The promise, the anticipated sensations, the smell, the colour and the flavour are all part of the coffee as phenomenon. They all emerge by being experienced.”” [Sarah Bakewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bakewell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She describes coffee’s sensory experience as a complex, evolving phenomenon that awakens and comforts. **In simple terms:** Coffee offers evolving flavors and warmth that alert and soothe. Key Takeaway Savor each sip to fully experience its layered sensations. Themes sensory comfort ritual Mood calm invigorated Type descriptive reflective When to use this quote - morning routines - creative work - social gatherings Key Concepts perception embodiment mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What does the coffee ritual reveal about your daily habits? - How does sensory awareness affect focus? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on coffee can mask underlying fatigue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aroma/) [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [Espresso, made by steam expressing finely ground coffee, is rich in flavor and aroma and chlorogenic acids, but not very concentrated at all in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/espresso-made-by-steam-expressing-finely-ground-coffee-is-rich-in/) [Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/) > [I have always been thinking about the sounds and shades and aromas of words - fitting them together or disrupting their customary march -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pinsky/i-have-always-been-thinking-about-the-sounds-and-shades-and-aromas-of/) [Robert Pinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pinsky/) > [There is nothing more beautiful than the light of a Candle and the Aroma of it's Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/there-is-nothing-more-beautiful-than-the-light-of-a-candle-and-the/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [The bassoon is one of my favorite instruments. 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They live on, but the aroma of their life is lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/tolerated-people-are-never-conciliated-they-live-on-but-the-aroma-of/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [“The nuns were not the only ones to take an interest in French-Canadian cooking that fall. It was a November evening, a little before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-nuns-were-not-the-only-ones-to-take-an-interest-in-french/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our sages of blessed memory have said that we must not enjoy any pleasure in this world without reciting a blessing. If we eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuel-yosef-agnon/our-sages-of-blessed-memory-have-said-that-we-must-not-enjoy-any/) [Shmuel Yosef Agnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuel-yosef-agnon/) > [I'm not asking you to describe the rain falling the night the archangel arrived; I'm demanding that you get me wet. 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I wish I were in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenz-hart/when-love-congeals-it-soon-reveals-the-faint-aroma-of-performing/) [Lorenz Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenz-hart/) ## More by Sarah Bakewell > [“I do not portray being,” he wrote, “I portray passing. 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Be free from belief, disbelief, convictions, and parties. Be free from habit. Be free from ambition and greed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bakewell/be-free-from-vanity-and-pride-be-free-from-belief-disbelief/) [Sarah Bakewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bakewell/) > [“If you fail to grasp life, it will elude you. If you do grasp it, it will elude you anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bakewell/if-you-fail-to-grasp-life-it-will-elude-you-if-you-do-grasp-it-it/) [Sarah Bakewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bakewell/) > [“Montaigne’s half-century was so disastrous for France that it took another half-century to recover from it—and in some ways recovery never came, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bakewell/montaigne-s-half-century-was-so-disastrous-for-france-that-it-took/) [Sarah Bakewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bakewell/) > [“the great philosopher of deconstruction: in”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bakewell/the-great-philosopher-of-deconstruction-in/) [Sarah Bakewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bakewell/) > [“Reading Plutarch, he lost awareness of the gap in time that divided them—much bigger than the gap between Montaigne and us. 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If we eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuel-yosef-agnon/our-sages-of-blessed-memory-have-said-that-we-must-not-enjoy-any/) [Shmuel Yosef Agnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuel-yosef-agnon/) > [“The nuns were not the only ones to take an interest in French-Canadian cooking that fall. It was a November evening, a little before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-nuns-were-not-the-only-ones-to-take-an-interest-in-french/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tolerated people are never conciliated. They live on, but the aroma of their life is lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/tolerated-people-are-never-conciliated-they-live-on-but-the-aroma-of/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [A French poet famously referred to the aroma of certain cheeses as the ‘pieds de Dieu’—the feet of god. Just to be clear: foot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/a-french-poet-famously-referred-to-the-aroma-of-certain-cheeses-as/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [How would you describe the spiritual aroma of your home? The source of this aroma is the relationship between husband and wife. Many can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/how-would-you-describe-the-spiritual-aroma-of-your-home-the-source-of/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [The bassoon is one of my favorite instruments. It has a medieval aroma, like the days when everything used to sound like that. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/the-bassoon-is-one-of-my-favorite-instruments-it-has-a-medieval-aroma/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [There is nothing more beautiful than the light of a Candle and the Aroma of it's Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/there-is-nothing-more-beautiful-than-the-light-of-a-candle-and-the/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [When love congeals It soon reveals The faint aroma of performing seals, The double-crossing of a pair of heels. I wish I were in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenz-hart/when-love-congeals-it-soon-reveals-the-faint-aroma-of-performing/) [Lorenz Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenz-hart/) > [Your attitude is like the aroma of your heart. If your attitude stinks, it means your heart’s not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kendrick/your-attitude-is-like-the-aroma-of-your-heart-if-your-attitude-stinks/) [Alex Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kendrick/) [Browse all 90 Aroma quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aroma/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Instead, this cup of coffee is a rich aroma, at once earthy and perfumed; it is the lazy movement of a curlicue of steam rising from its surface. As I lift it to my lips, it is a placidly shifting liquid and a weight in my hand inside its thick-rimmed cup. It is an approaching warmth, then an intense dark flavour on my tongue, starting with a slightly austere jolt and then relaxing into a comforting warmth, which spreads from the cup into my body, bringing the promise of lasting alertness and refreshment. 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