COFFEE AND TEA
15/10/11 by Natasha M.
"There are some things you just have to be loyal to. One of them is coffee..."
John Galsworthy
You can not live without coffee. It wakes you up, it gives you energy and sharp thinking. It does not matter how you make it: it might be Turkish, it might be dripper or you might be just a lucky one to have an espresso machine.... you can event use an instant coffee (but some coffee lovers will think you are insane so never mention the latter)... but the diagnosis is the same for everyone - coffee mania.
No one will tell you if it is good or bad for you - no one knows. Some say it stimulates our physical activity, mind and brain, your respiratory system but the others will tell you that caffeine is bad for your nervous system, your heart and your other organs.
It was always the same: 500 or 10,000 years ago - the argument will never end. At some stage it was even condemned by some governments as they thought that coffee actually stimulated "political" talks against politicians. At some times coffee became fashionable everywhere.
Arabs were trying to have a monopoly on selling coffee. As a result some of the trees were even stolen from them as it happened when one Dutch company stole some young plants and brought them over to Java and to Shi-Lanka (Ceylon). It was the time when Dutch started to dictate their own coffee prices on the world market. The Dutch example was followed by English and French. But it was all wasted in vain after one very smart Portuguese gentleman took the tree seeds to Brazil. Ideal climate, ideal soil... So it began... Brazil became a world marketer for excellent coffee beans. There are only three coffee brands known: Arabica, Brazil and Robusta but the taste changes from country to country and even from one plantation to the other. The climate and the soil - these factors make coffee taste unique and unrepeatable. Each coffee name is unique so the rile is: you have to write it down from a capital letter...
"There are some things you just have to be loyal to. One of them is coffee..."
John Galsworthy
You can not live without coffee. It wakes you up, it gives you energy and sharp thinking. It does not matter how you make it: it might be Turkish, it might be dripper or you might be just a lucky one to have an espresso machine.... you can event use an instant coffee (but some coffee lovers will think you are insane so never mention the latter)... but the diagnosis is the same for everyone - coffee mania.
No one will tell you if it is good or bad for you - no one knows. Some say it stimulates our physical activity, mind and brain, your respiratory system but the others will tell you that caffeine is bad for your nervous system, your heart and your other organs.
It was always the same: 500 or 10,000 years ago - the argument will never end. At some stage it was even condemned by some governments as they thought that coffee actually stimulated "political" talks against politicians. At some times coffee became fashionable everywhere.
Arabs were trying to have a monopoly on selling coffee. As a result some of the trees were even stolen from them as it happened when one Dutch company stole some young plants and brought them over to Java and to Shi-Lanka (Ceylon). It was the time when Dutch started to dictate their own coffee prices on the world market. The Dutch example was followed by English and French. But it was all wasted in vain after one very smart Portuguese gentleman took the tree seeds to Brazil. Ideal climate, ideal soil... So it began... Brazil became a world marketer for excellent coffee beans. There are only three coffee brands known: Arabica, Brazil and Robusta but the taste changes from country to country and even from one plantation to the other. The climate and the soil - these factors make coffee taste unique and unrepeatable. Each coffee name is unique so the rile is: you have to write it down from a capital letter...
As we told you in our previous article the most expensive coffee from $50 to $75 for one cup in Copy Luwak made from poo. The next one on the scale of most expensive is Mountain Blue (Jamaica). It is also very-very expensive.
Only one fifth of the world crops are excellent coffee. There are three categories: aroma, the bean rigidity and its size and the technology of making coffee.
They shake the trees to get the coffee beans down. Then the beans are collected from the ground. The beans can be not ready for cheapest coffee brands. the beans are separated from the soft part of the berry. It can be done by hands or by machines. the methods can be dry or wet. Some times the beans are polished in some special drums. The polishing is done by special wood chips. The beans turn white after such treatment. The coffee is considered a good quality is it has this white coloring.
Then the coffee is packed in special sacks and kept like this like a good wine. In one year the taste become better and that grassy taste disappeared. Arabian coffee is kept for 3 years, Brazilian - for 8-10.
Two weeks is the life span of the coffee if you open your pack with roasted beans, and one hour for a grinded one. Brewed coffee life span is even less - one minute!
There are some types of roasting coffee:
1. Scandinavian. The lightest. The beans are lightly brown and the taste is very light, delicate and aromatic. This is breakfast coffee. It is best when used with milk
2. Vienna. Medium roast. the color is chocolate brown. the taste is rich and even a bit sweet, the aroma is luxurious. This is the most popular coffee.
3. French. Strong roast. The beans are dark brown and shiny from the oils. The taste is bitter.
Only one fifth of the world crops are excellent coffee. There are three categories: aroma, the bean rigidity and its size and the technology of making coffee.
They shake the trees to get the coffee beans down. Then the beans are collected from the ground. The beans can be not ready for cheapest coffee brands. the beans are separated from the soft part of the berry. It can be done by hands or by machines. the methods can be dry or wet. Some times the beans are polished in some special drums. The polishing is done by special wood chips. The beans turn white after such treatment. The coffee is considered a good quality is it has this white coloring.
Then the coffee is packed in special sacks and kept like this like a good wine. In one year the taste become better and that grassy taste disappeared. Arabian coffee is kept for 3 years, Brazilian - for 8-10.
Two weeks is the life span of the coffee if you open your pack with roasted beans, and one hour for a grinded one. Brewed coffee life span is even less - one minute!
There are some types of roasting coffee:
1. Scandinavian. The lightest. The beans are lightly brown and the taste is very light, delicate and aromatic. This is breakfast coffee. It is best when used with milk
2. Vienna. Medium roast. the color is chocolate brown. the taste is rich and even a bit sweet, the aroma is luxurious. This is the most popular coffee.
3. French. Strong roast. The beans are dark brown and shiny from the oils. The taste is bitter.
4. Italian. The darkest. the beans are dark brown to black-brown. The bean surface is oily. the taste is very bitter, very distinct and even a bit 'burnt'.
Espresso requires the darkest roast. the beans have black color close to coil, very shiny and oily.
Coffee grinding is very important as it brings out the creamer and the oils.
1. Rough grind. It has large grains up to 0.8 mm. It is good for French press. Time for brewing 8-10 min
2. Medium grind. It is universal. It suits lots of coffees. Time 4-6min
3. Fine grind. For filters. Time: 1-4min
4. Super fine grind. It looks like flower. It is good for Turkish coffee.
Some recipes:
Brazilian coffee
Take some good quality dark chocolate (125g). Break it in small pieces. and melt it in hot coffee (1/2 of the cup). Add three cups of hot milk and whisk the mixture. Add sugar and cream.
Java (or Japanese) coffee
Mix a cup pf coffee with a cup of cacao. Add some cream.
Espresso requires the darkest roast. the beans have black color close to coil, very shiny and oily.
Coffee grinding is very important as it brings out the creamer and the oils.
1. Rough grind. It has large grains up to 0.8 mm. It is good for French press. Time for brewing 8-10 min
2. Medium grind. It is universal. It suits lots of coffees. Time 4-6min
3. Fine grind. For filters. Time: 1-4min
4. Super fine grind. It looks like flower. It is good for Turkish coffee.
Some recipes:
Brazilian coffee
Take some good quality dark chocolate (125g). Break it in small pieces. and melt it in hot coffee (1/2 of the cup). Add three cups of hot milk and whisk the mixture. Add sugar and cream.
Java (or Japanese) coffee
Mix a cup pf coffee with a cup of cacao. Add some cream.
Arabic or Eastern coffee
You would need a very finely grinded coffee. Add a tea spoon of sugar to jeswa (for Turkish coffee brewing). Put it on the stove. When the sugar turns brown add some cold water to jeswa and wait till it boils. Add a tea spoon of coffee, place it to boil and your coffee is ready!
You would need a very finely grinded coffee. Add a tea spoon of sugar to jeswa (for Turkish coffee brewing). Put it on the stove. When the sugar turns brown add some cold water to jeswa and wait till it boils. Add a tea spoon of coffee, place it to boil and your coffee is ready!
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