วันอังคารที่ 11 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2551

Coffee Drink Recipes From Around The World

Grown all around the planet but especially in Ethiopia, the Middle East, Columbia and Brazil, coffee seeds are extracted, dried, and then roasted..Coffee beans, consisting of caffeine and a variety of oils....

Coffee Drink Recipes From Around The World


Coffee is the second highest imported commodity in todays industry, right behind petroleum. This beverage has become so widely used that many coffee-derivative drinks have been produced and consumed for years. Below are a few everyday coffee drink recipes.


The first drink would, of course, be coffee. Grown all around the planet but especially in Ethiopia, the Middle East, Columbia and Brazil, coffee seeds are extracted, dried, and then roasted. The system in preparation is complex, but the coffee drink recipe for coffee is simple: Coffee beans, consisting of caffeine and a variety of oils indigenous to the particular environment in which the beans are extracted.

One coffee drink, called Ca Phe Sua, cosmopolitan in Vietnam comes in two variations Ca Phe Sua Da (coffee, milk, and ice) and Ca Phe Sua Nong (coffee and milk hot). The coffee drink recipe for the first consists of the simple method of blending dark French Roast with a quarter to half percent of condensed milk and then pouring, through a small drip filter, over ice. The coffee drink recipe for the second is related, but ice is withheld, leaving only hot Ca Phe Sua.

The famous and widely consumed Espresso, invented and developed in Italy and cosmopolitan all over Europe, has a wide array of coffee drink recipes. Only a couple of them are described here.

A formal Italian Espresso is constructed by forcing moderately hot water through high pressure (nine to ten atmospheres, or bars) into extremely fine-ground coffee to create a drink thicker in consistency than regular coffee and composed of a variety of vegetable oils, proteins, sugars, and reddish-brown foam called Crema.

Espresso has very little water. The coffee drink recipe for Caffe Americano (American Coffee), an American version of Espresso, has a higher degree of water and is assembled similar to the drip-brew fashion.

The coffee drink recipe for Latte (Italian for milk) is a simple one: Caf a Latte, meaning Coffee and Milk, is composed of one-third Espresso and two-thirds steamed milk, poured together simultaneously into either side of the drinking cup. Caf Lattes typically have foam floating on top.

The Frappaccino is a popular drink sold by the Starbucks coffee chain. This coffee drink recipe is as follows: one-part soluble coffee is blended with water, which in turn is mixed with an one-part proprietary liquid comprised of milk, sugar substances, and caramel flavoring and then ultimately with ice. A Frappaccino has a milkshake consistency, an enduring coffee flavor, and is chilled before drinking.

All of these and many other coffee drink recipes are available on the Interweb or in various recipe books. For those who love coffee, these coffee drink recipes will leave mouths watering!

By Expert Author: John Thompson
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Grinding Coffee is Never a Grind

Grinding Coffee is Never a Grind

After years of collecting all the kitchen gadgets and labour-saving devices you could care to mention, I'm still prize my coffee grinder above all else. I drink gallons of coffee a week - a habit that really puts my coffee grinder through the mill, as it were, on a daily basis. You just can't beat the taste of coffee brewed from freshly ground beans. Even the very act of grinding the beans myself is something I look forward to. It has become a ritual that connects me to my kitchen and stimulates every sense. The aroma is released, my mouth begins to water, my hands tingle as they grip the body of the grinder, my eyes are hypnotized by the whirling beans, and... well the noise is pretty awful actually. In our fast-track lives in which we often eat on the fly and seldom make the time to cook, it is a privilege to enjoy such as sensual feast in your kitchen every day.

I'm sure I'd be healthier if I drank less coffee, but I belong to a long line of coffee connoisseurs. I started my coffee drinking devotion long before I should have. I had watched my parents in the middle of a heated 'discussion' stop and purr as the first wonderful elixia reached made contact with the tips of their tongues. I came to associate that wonderful aroma with a sense of well-being and close-knittedness. I wanted to be part of the grinding and brewing process; I wanted to be the magician that made a brew that made everything perfect. I have my coffee, like the Japanese have their tea. If you've seen 'Karate Kid,' you'll know where I'm coming from.

I can't understand why coffee grinders seem to be overlooked as gift ideas. They may not make the most glamorous presents, but they always make an impact on the lives of those who use them. What could be better than a coffee grinder for Christmas? It fits snuggly into a decent-sized stocking, and just a few hours later, leaning back in your chair after dinner, you can be breathing in the aroma of freshly ground coffee as you sample your first cup. Grinders can be found at any major store or mall. There's a grinder out there for you no matter whether you have 5 dollars to spend or fifty. My own modest grinder was bought about four years ago for 10 bucks. It has never let me down.

Giving a coffee grinder at Christmas, perhaps along with a carefully wrapped sample of premium beans, is the best gift I could imagine. I've given grinders to nearly all my family members over the years. As I've said, I come from a family of coffee drinkers, but I've also given coffee grinders as wedding gifts housewarming parties and even a college graduation. Funnily enough, nobody has ever bought me one. I guess they assume it's something I don't lack. My kitchen is more like my own caf?(c) than a food production area, and my coffee grinder holds centre stage on the counter.

By Expert Author: Eoin Beckett
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Can Coffee be Healthy?

The highly acidic nature of regular coffee can alter the specific pH balance in our body. A variety of health problems like arthritis...Ganoderma Lucidum, or Reishi"King of Herbs,...

Can Coffee be Healthy?

In North America 85% of the population drinks anywhere from 3 to 5 cups of coffee daily. No wonder that we are seeing growing health problems related to caffeine and acid intake. For example the alarming growth in cardiovascular disease related in part to the increased heart rate and heightened blood pressure caused by caffeine, or the raised anxiety levels caused by Caffeine, which stimulates the production of stress hormones, which causes also muscular tension, indigestion and a decreased immune response.

The highly acidic nature of regular coffee can alter the specific pH balance in our body. A variety of health problems like arthritis and gastrointestinal issues can be caused by over acidity of our system, unbalanced pH and contributed to the consumption of regular, not to say "not healthy" coffee and the negative consequences of caffeine.

But would it help just to switch to decaffeinated "Coffee" or do we have to quit drinking coffee altogether? A company in Malaysia, Gano Excel, has developed a method to combine organically grown Ganoderma Lucidum, also known as Reishi, with a naturally grown, low caffeine Brazilian coffee. This product has lower caffeine than decaffeinated coffee yet maintains the robust flavor and "boost" of fine coffee.

What gives this unique product it's healthful properties is the Ganoderma Lucidum, or Reishi. This mushroom, also known as the "King of Herbs, has been used for more than 4000 years in traditional Chinese medicine. Clinical studies have shown that it is an immunoenhancer, that it can help reduce stress while maintaining energy levels. Amazingly, this coffee actually helps balance the body's pH level... in fact, Gano Excel coffee, when mixed with water, has the same pH as human blood.

Now, with real naturally-low-in-caffeine coffee as the delivery medium, coffee drinkers are able to enjoy the benefits of this Reishi, with their morning, afternoon and evening cup of coffee and enjoy both great flavor and better health and the same energy boost they expect from regular, caffeinated coffee. Good bye jitters and sleepless nights, now you can get the "boost" the healthy way with great tasting Brazilian Arabica coffee blend and enriched with the "King of Herbs" called Ganoderma Lucidum.

By Expert Author: Birgit Jurock
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

All about Harvesting Coffee

All about Harvesting Coffee

Each year coffee is normally harvested during the dry season only, when the coffee cherries are very bright red, glossy and firm enough to be harvested. Ripe cherries could be either picked by hand, stripped from the tree with both unripe and overripe coffee beans or even all the beans could be collected using a harvesting machine. These processes are known as careful picking, stripping and mechanical harvesting, respectively.

To maximize the amount of coffee harvesting it is extremely necessary to selectively pick the ripe beans form the tree by hand and leave the unripe beans behind to be harvested at a later time. In Brazil, harvesting the coffee beans from the same tree several times is more expensive than separating and discarding the unripe or overripe cherries. Therefore, Brazil naturally harvests coffee using the stripping method when 75% of the crop is completely ripe. Stripping method is feasible and cost effective in Brazil due to the uniform maturation of Brazilian gourmet coffee.

In stripping the coffee beans are pulled from the tree and fall to the ground where they are further caught by sheets. These coffee beans are removed from the tree by tossing the coffee in air allowing the wind to take away sticks and leaves. Then the coffee is put in 60 L a green basket that is the tool measurement used by coffee producers to determine wages. Some estates in Brazil have computerized system to determine wages that keeps the account for the amount of coffee collected by each person. About 12-20 kg of export ready coffee would be created from every 100 kg of coffee cherries harvested.

By Expert Author: Scott A Wilson
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

วันจันทร์ที่ 10 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2551

Sophisticated, Mysterious and Flavorsome

A good espresso needs a proper espresso machine, an exquisite blend of coffees, the grinder and the talent of the barista. Espresso is neither a brand,e perfect espresso, one needs a blend of quality coffees,

Sophisticated

What makes espresso really special? It's just a coffee, you'll say. You wouldn't want to say that in front of an Italian. For Italians, espresso making is a real art that requires skill and experience. Solely those who prove their talents and fully understand the creation of espresso win in Italy the title of "barista" (translated: espresso bartender").

The term "espresso" itself makes this beverage so special. Translated, espresso means "quick" and "for special purposes". The drink is indeed quickly prepared and distinctive: it is a luxury drink if we consider the quality of the coffees use for the blend and the special brewing process.

A good espresso needs a proper espresso machine, an exquisite blend of coffees, the grinder and the talent of the barista. Espresso is neither a brand, nor a place but a beverage made using a specific method. For the perfect espresso, one needs a blend of quality coffees, pure water that needs to be poured over the coffee blend at the right temperature and with the right pressure.

When you think automatic espresso machines can replace the human factor, you err. The skills of the barista play a huge role in preparing the coffee blend, setting the grind, preheating the cup and so on. The correct preparing time for espresso varies between 20 and 30 seconds. This is enough for the espresso machine to extract only the best essences of the coffee. The cup itself is also very important. It's not only the preheating aspect that matters; the cup needs to have a specific thickness to maintain the heat of the coffee. Then, the espresso volume in the cup should not exceed two thirds if the cup capacity. If skillfully prepared, espresso is one of the most enjoyable drinks: sophisticated, with a slight creamy taste, flavorsome and mysterious.

There is another special aspect about espresso: the level of caffeine. Many people order coffee instead of espresso after dinner, believing that a regular coffee is not "so strong". As a matter of fact it is stronger. Espresso's creamy taste and warm-honey-like consistency may mislead you in believing that you'll stay up all night. Wrong: first of all, you drink a shot - that is a small amount. Second, coffee beans are roasted longer for espresso than for regular coffee. That brings the rich oils in the beans at the surface, but, the longer the roast time, lesser the caffeine.

Generally, a regular cup of coffee or a cappuccino has more caffeine than an espresso shot. But, for the level of caffeine, it doesn't really matter how big your coffee is. The level of caffeine is not influenced by the amount of water, but by the amount of coffee and how long the water is in contact with the coffee. A regular coffee has more caffeine because the water stays longer in contact with the coffee and it's using more coffee per cup than an espresso. The amount of caffeine in espresso might or might not be lower than in drip coffee, but caffeine in espresso has a faster effect, as it enters faster into the blood stream. However, this effect does not last long. The caffeine will be faster assimilated in your body due to its concentrated dosage.

By Expert Author: Michael Russell
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Is Fair Trade Coffee Really Fair

is Fair Trade Certified Coffee? Basically it's the coffee sold by a company, such as Starbucks, that has entered into an agreement with a licensing company to purchase..

Is Fair Trade Coffee Really Fair

The US consumes about 20% of the world's coffee production. This makes it a huge market and the demand of that market is one of the things that keeps coffee prices fairly high. One might think that part of that price gets back to the people who actually grow the coffee, but traditionally it hasn't. Only a tiny bit of the price we pay for coffee makes it back to the producers, but it's not enough to support production costs, much less a family.

The tiny, almost trivial, amount that makes it back to the workers forces them into a cycle of poverty and debt. The Fair Trade movement was developed to try to change that. Among other things, to be Fair Trade certified means that the growers will get at least $1.26 per pound for their coffee, much better than the typical 40-60 cents.

Using determination and persistance the Fair Trade movement has convinced over 100 companies, including Starbucks and Peets, to give you the opportunity to buy fair trade coffee. More and more companies are also joining this rapidly growing movement.

In addition to giving the grower a fair price, the movement is also pushing for organic farming methods, the idea being that organic farming is easier on the environment, fewer pesticides and chemicals are used, and it is also cheaper for the farmer. This makes it a win-win situation with the farmer incurring lower costs, getting more money, and not contaminating the land.

So what, exactly, is Fair Trade Certified Coffee? Basically it's the coffee sold by a company, such as Starbucks, that has entered into an agreement with a licensing company to purchase Fair Trade Certified coffee. Transfair USA is the only Fair Trade certification company in the US, but there are 17 of these companies worldwide.

Certification guarantees that the Fair Trade requirements are met. These requirements include that a minimum price is paid to the growers for the coffee, the buyer assists the grower with access to credit (to pay for harvesting,) and an incentive for growers and marketers to enter into longer term contracts. Long term contracts provide stability for the farmer, since he doesn't have to worry about where he will sell his coffee crop.

Before Fair Trade the minimum price for the coffee might be as low as 20 cents a pound. The ability to make enough money to live on, and raise a family on, means a great deal to the growers. It also gives them a greater incentive to be productive, since they know the extra work is meaningful.

In addition to the certifications for the buyers there is a similar system for the growers. The Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) maintains a producers registry. In order to be a part of this registry the producers (farmers) must meet several criteria. They have to be poor, they cannot make use of hired labor, and they have to be democratically organized into small farmer associations. This ensures that the benefits of the Fair Trade movement go to the people who need it the most.

The Fair Trade movement is powered by a small, but growing, and very energetic group of people. Using grassroots activism, not government regulation, they are seeing encouraging and growing results among the various coffee companies. As mentioned above, over 100 companies are participating to a greater or lesser degree. There are a number of companies that are already 100% Fair Trade and more that are transitioning over from the traditional trade methods.

To learn more about Fair Trade Coffee, which companies are involved, and to see if you want to get involved, just go to your favorite search engine and type in "fair trade coffee."

By Expert Author: Greg Mee
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

The Power of The Coffee Break

"coffee breaks"In fact every time you gain new employment the first thing you look for during your break is to see if there's a coffee machine in the employee lounge...

The Power of The Coffee Break


Coffee is not only big market in the United States and the West in total but it is a countrywide pastime that everybody like to get engaged in very regularly to get that immediate buzz and also to feel like they're part of the larger culture.

Coffee has been so infused in our culture that we have a time of day called "coffee breaks" which occurs every now and then in every single workplace in the United States. It's something that we've just taken for granted because we've become so accustomed to it. In fact every time you gain new employment the first thing you look for during your break is to see if there's a coffee machine in the employee lounge.

People who have more steep taste like to go downstairs and across the street to their local Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts or any number of a gazillion stores that offers some sort of coffee. Now this isn't just in the mornings but also the afternoons and evenings and really whenever the craving hits that people will reach out for the coffee and shell out a few bucks for their favorite blend.

It's become our main excuse to step away from our desks every now and then to just enjoy the sun and the weather every now and then. Can you imagine a culture where we did not have these "coffee breaks" we would not be leave our desks as frequently as we can and do.

Recall all those times a co-worker goes out for coffee and asks "can I bring you anything back". So not only is coffee kind of personal escape, it's also a very social activity as well that allows people to connect to each other every now and then and restore their bonds.

By Expert Author: John Thompson
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/