Keep in mind that the lighter the roast, the more confidence the roaster is showing in the quality of the raw bean.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Coffee Facts
This is an infographic about Coffee :
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Coffee is an mysterious drink and so is its past
About 850 A.D it is said that a lone shepherd and his flock came across a strange and mysterious plant growing upon a secluded and forgotten hillside. Before he could stop them some of his herd had began to gnaw away at this unusual berry. After about fifteen minutes or so the herder started to notice that his sheep were behaving in an odd manner.
Not only were they unusually alert but they also appeared to be extremely hyperactive. Now being a little weary and extremely tired the shepherd decided to try the berries and see if the end results would be the same for him as they had been for his flock.
To his pleasant surprise the shepherd began to feel wide awake and he too became very alert. After a few hours had passed along came a wandering monk who, after being informed of the plants amazing qualities proceeded to scold the poor shepherd and lecture him on his foolish indulgence. After he had finished telling the shepherd just what a sinner he had been the monk set upon his journey but not before he had added a little something to his backpack and supplies.
Back at the monastery the monks decided to try this new and exciting substance. Soon the endless hours of praying were endured with the greatest of ease. Coffee, the drink had been revealed to the world. Its widespread use then took a grip in the Ethiopian lands before then migrating on to the Arabian outlands. Here it was to be held for many years as a sacred substance but was eventually to be unlawfully exported by a merchant called Baba Budan. Word of its qualities were soon to spread and within a few years coffee was to emerge as one of the most valued commodities of all time. Now would you believe that each year we drink an amazing four billion cups and there are those among us who would cry at the thought of starting their day without it.
Although coffee is mainly known as a sleep suppressant there are those who consider coffee to have many health benefits. It is thought that people who suffer from asthma and partake of the beverage have at least 25% less symptoms which may be due to a substance in coffee called theophylline. This is known as a bronchodilator and quite simply it is thought to help those who suffer with the disease to breath with a little more ease. Drinking coffee on a daily basis is also thought to help lower your chances of developing colon cancer by a figure also in the region of about 25%. This may be due to the fact that coffee helps to keep you regular. Coffee can do more than just help you get through your day!
Aside from the benefits that have been mentioned above, it has to be said that simply enjoying coffee as a beverage is a delight that will never be easily surpassed. The unbelievable thing is that most people have no idea of the different tastes and delights that this monarch of all drinks has to offer. One of the fastest growing trends of the past few years has to be the rising popularity of obtaining coffee via the internet. Never before has it been so easy to sample such a huge variety of blends, tastes and aromas, and all at the click of a mouse. I order coffee frequently through the internet and I always make a point to record the country, blend and from whom I purchased.
Now you know the story of the magic beans I hope that next time you are considering popping into the local coffee shop you recall the story of the wandering sheep herder and consider just what you might be drinking were he not to have wandered with his flock onto that lonely hillside. Take the time to try the many different varieties available and I promise you the joys of coffee will be sure to tantalize your senses,tease your tastebuds and delight your friends and associates.
Latte or mocha?
Not only were they unusually alert but they also appeared to be extremely hyperactive. Now being a little weary and extremely tired the shepherd decided to try the berries and see if the end results would be the same for him as they had been for his flock.
Back at the monastery the monks decided to try this new and exciting substance. Soon the endless hours of praying were endured with the greatest of ease. Coffee, the drink had been revealed to the world. Its widespread use then took a grip in the Ethiopian lands before then migrating on to the Arabian outlands. Here it was to be held for many years as a sacred substance but was eventually to be unlawfully exported by a merchant called Baba Budan. Word of its qualities were soon to spread and within a few years coffee was to emerge as one of the most valued commodities of all time. Now would you believe that each year we drink an amazing four billion cups and there are those among us who would cry at the thought of starting their day without it.
Although coffee is mainly known as a sleep suppressant there are those who consider coffee to have many health benefits. It is thought that people who suffer from asthma and partake of the beverage have at least 25% less symptoms which may be due to a substance in coffee called theophylline. This is known as a bronchodilator and quite simply it is thought to help those who suffer with the disease to breath with a little more ease. Drinking coffee on a daily basis is also thought to help lower your chances of developing colon cancer by a figure also in the region of about 25%. This may be due to the fact that coffee helps to keep you regular. Coffee can do more than just help you get through your day!
Aside from the benefits that have been mentioned above, it has to be said that simply enjoying coffee as a beverage is a delight that will never be easily surpassed. The unbelievable thing is that most people have no idea of the different tastes and delights that this monarch of all drinks has to offer. One of the fastest growing trends of the past few years has to be the rising popularity of obtaining coffee via the internet. Never before has it been so easy to sample such a huge variety of blends, tastes and aromas, and all at the click of a mouse. I order coffee frequently through the internet and I always make a point to record the country, blend and from whom I purchased.
Now you know the story of the magic beans I hope that next time you are considering popping into the local coffee shop you recall the story of the wandering sheep herder and consider just what you might be drinking were he not to have wandered with his flock onto that lonely hillside. Take the time to try the many different varieties available and I promise you the joys of coffee will be sure to tantalize your senses,tease your tastebuds and delight your friends and associates.
Latte or mocha?
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Are You A Gourmet Coffee Drinker?
Do you love your coffee? Can you go a day without a cup of your favourite drink? Coffee as we know it today is much different than when it was first discovered. These days there are so many varieties of gourmet coffee that it is difficult to choose a favourite one.
A cup of gourmet coffee is a relatively new idea. Gourmet coffee is usually only made from Arabica beans, which are usually the coffee beans with the fullest flavors. The general average jar of coffee which you buy in supermarkets is made using a mixture of beans using low grade Brazilian coffee beans and Robusta beans. They also add a small amount of the Arabica coffee beans to ensure a nicer flavour than using just the low grade beans. Also the lower grade beans contain more caffeine than the others.
Usually, gourmet coffee is roasted at the plant and makes it into the consumer’s hands within a week. You can buy pre-ground gourmet coffee, but the preferred way to buy it is while it is still in its bean form. The beans can usually be ground at the store you buy them from.
Commercial coffee is also usually not as fresh. Commercial coffee is pre-ground before it is packaged. After packaging it can take several weeks to actually make it to a grocery store. Usually, the longer pre-ground commercial coffee sits on a shelf waiting to be purchased, the staler and bitter it will become. Generally, the biggest advantage of commercial coffee is that it is cheap compared to some types of gourmet coffee.
The two most important things to remember when looking for gourmet coffee is that it is fresher and has more flavour than the commercial jars of coffee. Another important point to remember with gourmet coffee, is that you can choose where the coffee beans have come from and also know how it has been roasted. If you have yet to try a cup of gourmet coffee, you will not be disappointed. You will be spoilt for choice in the world of gourmet coffee, give it a try. You can find small bags so that if you decide you don’t like that particular variety, you don’t have a 10 pound can in your kitchen still full of coffee. So give gourmet coffee a try, and if you find it is not to your liking you can always revert back to your old ways!
What Exactly Is Gourmet Coffee?
A cup of gourmet coffee is a relatively new idea. Gourmet coffee is usually only made from Arabica beans, which are usually the coffee beans with the fullest flavors. The general average jar of coffee which you buy in supermarkets is made using a mixture of beans using low grade Brazilian coffee beans and Robusta beans. They also add a small amount of the Arabica coffee beans to ensure a nicer flavour than using just the low grade beans. Also the lower grade beans contain more caffeine than the others.
Commercial coffee is also usually not as fresh. Commercial coffee is pre-ground before it is packaged. After packaging it can take several weeks to actually make it to a grocery store. Usually, the longer pre-ground commercial coffee sits on a shelf waiting to be purchased, the staler and bitter it will become. Generally, the biggest advantage of commercial coffee is that it is cheap compared to some types of gourmet coffee.
The two most important things to remember when looking for gourmet coffee is that it is fresher and has more flavour than the commercial jars of coffee. Another important point to remember with gourmet coffee, is that you can choose where the coffee beans have come from and also know how it has been roasted. If you have yet to try a cup of gourmet coffee, you will not be disappointed. You will be spoilt for choice in the world of gourmet coffee, give it a try. You can find small bags so that if you decide you don’t like that particular variety, you don’t have a 10 pound can in your kitchen still full of coffee. So give gourmet coffee a try, and if you find it is not to your liking you can always revert back to your old ways!
10 Facts About Coffee
The next time you are at your favourite coffee shop and someone catches your eye, here are ten interesting coffee facts that you can use to break the ice:
1) Coffee is considered an aphrodisiac. Because it contains a high dose of caffeine and other various alkaloids, studies have shown that coffee can increase stamina and the overall length of intimate sessions.
2) Although coffee has been a part of the Arab culture for thousands of years, it did not become part of the western world until the 1500s. Before that time, priests believed that coffee was a drink of the devil. Pope Clement VIII finally ended this line of thinking by taking a sip of coffee and then giving it his blessing.
3) Japan’s official Coffee Day is October 1st.
4) A single acre of coffee trees can yield close to ten thousand pounds of coffee cherries. Once they are milled or hulled, there are still almost two thousand pounds of coffee beans.
5) Forty-nine of the fifty states grow absolutely no coffee. The only state that grows coffee is Hawaii. Additionally, the only United States territory that grows coffee is Puerto Rico.
6) Germany is the second largest coffee consumer in the world. Forty-three percent of Germans add sweetener to their coffee, while only twenty-seven percent of Americans (the number one consumer of coffee) use any kind of sweetener in their coffee.
7) The English word coffee is derived from the Latin word Coffea. Coffea is the Latin name for a genus of trees.
8) Every single one of the fifty-three countries that grows coffee is located along the equator, between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn.
9) On average, people who purchase their coffee from drive-through windows before work will spend around forty-five hours every year waiting in line for their coffee.
10) Petroleum is the only product that is traded more heavily than coffee. The amount of coffee produced around the world is close to six million metric tonnes.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)