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Chicory – A Long-Standing Substitute or Addition to Coffee

November 25th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Depending on whom you ask, chicory can be either a substitute for or a great addition to a cup of coffee. The chicory plant flowers at about two to three feet tall and the roots of a chicory plant are dried and then roasted. The resulting material is then used as a flavorful addition to a cup of coffee or as a replacement for your cup of java. Although chicory was originally from the British Isles, chicory can now be found virtually all over the world.

The preparation of chicory is an interesting process. The aged, heavy roots of the plant are taken and washed thoroughly. After cleaning, they are cut into tiny slices and dried in a kiln. At this point, the substance is sold to someone who is a chicory roaster.

The chicory roaster takes the material and continues roasting the substance until it reaches a dark brown shade. When it is ground, it appears very similar to coffee. There are some noticeable differences however.

Chicory does not smell the same as coffee does, which can seem a disadvantage to some. After all, aroma means a lot to our senses. Also, chicory does not contain alkaloid caffeine, which is found in coffee either. It depends on whom you ask if these are good or bad virtues concerning chicory.

Regardless of these facts, chicory has been used for a very long time as both a substitute for as well as an addition to coffee.

Chicory provides coffee with a more intense flavor, and body while offering a bitterness that many enjoy. Many places enjoy using chicory in their coffee or drinking it independently. In Belgium particularly, chicory is often consumed in place of a cup of coffee.

History says that it was Napoleons chef who became aware that roasted chicory root could be used in place of coffee. These days, it is a favorable supplement for coffee or a major part of the blend of certain coffees sold.

There are two chemicals in chicory– lactucin and lactucopicrin that are believed to thwart the effects of caffeine because they have the effect of a sedative on one’s central nervous system. Therefore, when combined your body may feel balanced out, as the caffeine will hype you up while the chicory calms you down. This may be a good blend for those who find themselves jittery from too much caffeine.

Chicory is a very strong perennial and is simple to grow right in your home garden. The reason it is so easy to grow is because it can thrive in virtually any type of condition as long as some seeds are planted in your garden around April or May.

You will want to find a chicory plant and locate the brown seedpod. If the pods are open, you know that the seeds are ripe. All that you need to do is to cut a branch of the pods and carefully pour the seeds onto a page of newspaper. The seeds then need to be stored in a container that is completely airtight. A sealed envelope can be a good substitute for an airtight container.

In the springtime, plant your seeds and bury them in about a half of an inch of dirt. When they have germinated, you will be apt to find that they need to be thinned out. Thin your chicory to allow them to be approximately 12 inches away from one another.

If you are going to find it necessary to transplant your chicory, you will want to do this early on. Chicory contains incredibly deep taproots that rebel against being disrupted once they have grown even a little.

In the fall, you simply gather your chicory roots and grind them. They can then be used as a delicious coffee substitute or as a flavorful addition to your current blend of brew.

Some info about Blue Mountain Coffee

November 17th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Regarded by many as the Rolls Royce of all coffees, Blue Mountain Coffee has a full flavor, balance, prominent fruit flavors, and acidity and provides all the satisfaction one could want with a strong and intense aroma. It has a very clean taste, with a noticeable sweetness. It has got a bold, smooth and rich flavor. Blue Mountain Coffee is a connoisseur’s delight made from the best local blue-green beans.

Blue mountain coffee is recognized as one of the most prized coffees world wide and is in high demand. The Jamaican government has certified this as official 100% Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee. There are absolutely no filler beans and the product should not be confused with counterfeit coffees using the same name. Because of the restricted geographical range where it is grown, Blue Mountain Coffee is available in limited quantities and the price is thus on the higher side.

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is the easily the most famous exotic coffee in the world. The unique combination of soil and micro-climatic conditions specific to the Jamaica Blue Mountain ranges give this coffee a flavor and aroma coveted around the world. Jamaican Blue Mountain is one of the rarest coffees available and also commands one of the highest prices. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is considered by many to be the best in the world, and for good reason. While taste is very subjective, we can say that volcanica Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is known for being incredibly well balanced in flavor, with medium acidity and excellent body.

The Blue Mountain Coffee growing region is in fact only a tiny growing area of around 15,000 acres. The original 100% variety is one of the highest grown coffees in the world. The climate, geology and topology of Jamaica combine to provide the ideal location. The spine of mountains that runs across Jamaica ends in the east of the island in the Blue Mountains, which reach to over 7,000 feet. The climate is cool and misty, with frequent rainfall, and the rich volcanic soil is well drained. Terracing and mixed cropping are used, with coffee growing alongside bananas and avocados.

The popularity and high demand for this gourmet coffee has resulted in some coffee retailers and roasters selling other coffees under the Jamaica Blue Mountain label. Because of this, all shipments of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee must be certified and approved and by the only certifying agency, the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board.

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is the most famous specialty coffee and has its own strain of coffee bean described as blue-green beans. The country of Japan purchases 90% of the yearly crop and the rest is exported mostly to North America. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee from Volcanica is certified by the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board.

Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee History

In 1730 the British introduced coffee to Jamaica, initiating the long and fascinating history of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. Government support and instruction in the art of cultivation allowed the industry to develop in reputation and quality. In the years between 1728 and 1768, the Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee industry developed largely in the area at the foothills of St. Andrew. This then expanded into the Blue Mountains.

In 1891, efforts were made to increase the production of coffee and to establish a central processing and grading system. This effort to raise the quality level was not successful until in 1943 when the quality deterioration resulted in Canadian market refusing shipments. Canada was at that time was the largest purchaser of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. Thus, the government established a Central Coffee Clearing House in 1944. All coffee for export had to be process through the Clearing House where it was cleaned and graded. This resulted in the vast improvement in the quality of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.

The Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee can be easily as termed as the world’s best coffee. You got to taste it to believe this.

Different Coffee Brews For Different Views

October 14th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Once upon a time there was only the lowly percolator. Coiffed housewives would sit lovingly staring at water being heated until pressure forced it up a small tube and over a basket full of grounds.

Well, it was amusing to watch even if the coffee couldn’t be very good. Boiling coffee and running the liquid over grounds more than once can each produce a brew less than ideal.

Then in the 1970s, as with so many things, life changed forever. The drip method - inexpensive, quick and even an improvement in taste - came to dominate the scene. A cup of grounds thrown in a plastic container over filter paper, a few minutes of nearly boiling water dripping over the result and - voila! - coffee in a glass pot.

Later came pre-packaged ‘pods’ of a favorite blend, changes in materials and all sorts of controls to adjust the brew, and internal spouts that spread the water evenly over the grounds. Whether cone or flat, always near 200F (93C), please.

In the ’90s, espresso makers became the rage, with the importation of European culture and the application of American ingenuity to lower the cost without ruining the flavor. Hot water is forced under pressure through finely ground dark roast and in a few minutes, out pours a delicious, aromatic drink.

Add steamed, frothy milk and you have a cappuccino or latte, depending on the ratio of milk to coffee. A definite improvement and the variety of espresso makers makes for delightful experiments in chemistry.

The French plunger is another device aiding the spread of European methods, anywhere open-minded coffee innovators are seeking the new. A metal rod extends through the center of a glass cylinder, where it is topped with a handle. At the other end is a filter, fitting snugly inside the container.

Put grounds into the container and pour nearly boiling hot water in. Unlike the drip method, the grounds steep until the plunger is pressed. The result is a dark, full-bodied brew served right from the device.

One of the more esoteric brew methods uses the vacuum brewer: two glass or metal bowls, one atop the other. Heat causes water to rise into the upper, similar to the percolator principle. Remove the heat and as the liquid cools slightly a partial vacuum is created, drawing the hot water through the grounds and into the lower chamber.

The process is a pleasant show at a dinner party and a wonderfully fresh cup, since it can be carried out right at the table.

Of course, none of these methods is really new - most go back centuries in one form or another. The Ibrik from Turkey may be one of the oldest. Water is heated in a brass or copper container with a long handle and a grooved tongue. Finely ground coffee is added directly to the hot water and then poured, unfiltered. Strong!

Any of these will produce a delicious cup, but all bring out distinctive aspects of the ground. Try them all! You may find that a history lesson can also be a delectable taste tour.

Coffee - Bean Growing

January 10th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

For a tree grown in over 70 countries, from Indonesia to Brazil, it’s curious how narrow a range of conditions is required to produce quality ‘beans’ and how relatively small the total output is.

The word ‘beans’ is deliberately in single-quote marks, since the thing that gets roasted and ground to make the drink isn’t really a bean at all, it’s a seed.

In particular, it’s the seed of a fruit that grows on trees that can easily reach twenty feet or more. Some wild varieties grow to over 45 feet or 15m. Most of those seeds come in a pair, though there is a variety that produces only one (the peaberry). The berry resembles a cranberry, with a sweet pulp covered by a membrane called a silverskin.

In a band around the equator from approximately 25 degrees north or south, comes the overwhelming majority of the world’s coffee output. Temperatures of between 60F (15C) and 70F (21C) are best as is rainfall of six inches per month or more.

Loamy, good-draining soil is needed and also helpful is high humidity - plenty of mist and cloud at the high elevations, over 3000 ft (915m) for the good stuff. At these elevations the oxygen content is lower, so the trees take longer to mature.

The robusta, or coffea canephora, goes into making the majority of coffee because it can be grown at lower altitudes and is more disease resistant. But it’s the high-altitude coffea arabica that forms the base of a gourmet cup.

Diffuse light and moderate winds are helpful, both of which are sometimes produced by deliberately growing in the shelter and shade. By contrast, wine grapes like hot sun and lots of it.

Once planted, the tree takes about five years to mature to first crop and even then a single tree will only make enough for about two pounds (1 kilogram) of coffee.

Those two pounds equal about 2,000 beans, (correct or not, it’s the standard term), usually hand-picked by manual laborers. Manual they may be, but ignorant they are not. Coffee bean harvesting is a skill developed over time, where the picker learns to select good beans and discard the bad. Bean by individual bean. That’s only one reason coffee is high priced.

The trees have broad, dark green leaves and produce a flower that resembles Jasmine. Some - in Brazil and Mexico, for example, - blossom over a six to eight week period. In countries that lie along the equator such as Kenya and Colombia, though, a tree can have mature berries growing alongside still ripening ones. That’s part of what makes picking such a specialty.

Blossom to harvest may cover a period of up to nine months depending on the weather and other factors and the cycle will be carried out for the life of the tree - about 20-25 years. With the best cultivation technology, a good harvest will be between 6,600 lbs (3,000 kg) and 8,800 lbs (4,000 kg) per hectare. (One hectare is about 2.47 acres.)

From these inaccessible regions, where conditions are harsh, the berries are brought down and processed to make up the world’s second largest commodity (by annual dollar volume).

So, the next time you savor that brew, give a thought to the long journey it traveled to reach your cup. It might make that high price seem less steep.

Being Expressive about Espresso

January 5th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Espresso is one of the most popular coffee drinks in the world today. The espresso coffee drink began in Milan, Italy, and has since spread as a popular drink to many other countries. An espresso is a coffee beverage that is prepared using water under pressure and usually served in a preheated demitasse cup. The espresso coffee drinks have thicker consistency than regular coffee drinks. The high pressure of water used in making espressos is very hot, but the water will not boil. If the espresso brewing process is right, the coffee-maker will find a cream floating on the top of the drink, which makes the drink so special compared with other coffee drinks.

There are many types of espresso drinks, including the latte, mocha, and con leche. There are many sides to espresso that most people don’t know, including the different drinks and how they are made. Traditionally, a master coffee maker, or Barista makes espressos. Espressos that are made properly will have a top layer of golden foam, which is known as crema. There are four factors that help trained Baristas help enhance the quality of their espressos. The four factors include the machine, the blend, the grinder, and the hand.

The Barista must consider the machine because it controls the temperature and pressure of the water as it passes through the coffee. The machine must be clean and in working order to make the best espresso. The blend is important because there are not many single-origin coffees that have all the flavors and aromas that make a good espresso, so the Barista must blend several coffees together to achieve the desired effect. A coffee grinder is used to crush the beans into small particles for brewing, but there is no ideal particle size for espressos. It is the Barista’s job to figure out how coarsely to grind the coffee in order to provide the best flavor. The hand is important because the skill of the operator is a major factor in espresso making.

Espresso has grown in popularity of many years, and it is now one of the most popular coffee drinks. The coffee drink is the main type of coffee in Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, and many countries in southern Europe, including Spain, France, and Italy. Espressos are also popular throughout Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. For Australia and New Zealand, espresso coffee drinks account for almost all of the commercial café, coffeehouse, and restaurant coffee business. The rise of coffee chains such as Starbucks in the 1990s are also a factor in the ever-rising popularity of espresso-based drinks. With the addition of more coffeehouses, the popularity of the espresso drink will only increase even more over time.

Baristas are not the only ones making espressos, and home-espresso machines are also available to consumers for home-brewing. The home machines are also a major contributor to the espresso’s rise in popularity. Espresso machines are available almost anywhere, including in department stores and coffee specialty shops. Home espresso machines are fairly user-friendly and make it simple for almost every person to master the basics of espresso making. The latte, mocha, espresso machiato, and con leche are a few of the espresso drinks available.

Lattes are a blend of espresso and “velvetized” foamed milk. Mocha can be described as a chocolate latte topped with whipped cream. Mocha drinks also have “velvetized” foam, which is put in after the Barista adds the chocolate syrup. Espresso machiato is a shot of espresso that is topped with a tablespoon of light, fluffy, foam. Con leche is a double espresso that is put in a regular style cup, with latte-style steamed milk poured on top of the drink to fill the cup. Espresso is one of the most popular coffee drinks in the world, and its popularity will only get greater as the popularity of coffeehouses expands.

A Breakdown of Popular Icy Coffee Drinks

December 23rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

There are countless iced coffee drinks that are enjoyed by many people all over the world. No matter what your taste preferences may be, there is a delicious iced coffee drink that you can enjoy. Although these drinks can be rather expensive when purchased in cafes and coffee shops, the good news is that most of them can be created right at home using only a few simple ingredients.

One of the simplest things you can make at home, which is a wonderful addition to any icy coffee drink, is a coffee ice cube. Often iced coffee drinks require ice, however once the ice melts, your beverage is left watery. When using coffee ice cubes you will never encounter this problem. Just freeze coffee in ice cube trays; you can even opt for a unique touch by freezing a coffee bean into the middle of each ice cube.

Creating a cinnamon caramel icy coffee drink is so simple and very delicious. You will want to remember to add the cinnamon before your brew your coffee however. To make a cinnamon caramel icy coffee drink you will need-

6 tablespoons of ground coffee.
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
1/2 cup of caramel syrup.
Combine your cinnamon with your ground coffee and then continue on brewing like you normally would. The caramel syrup will be added to your hot coffee and stir until it has all dissolved. Place the mixture into the fridge until it is cold. Fill tall glasses with ice and pour your cold coffee beverage into the glass. You can feel free to add milk or sugar according to your taste preferences.

A coffee soda is another wonderful icy coffee drink that can be enjoyed by those young and old alike. A coffee soda is such a unique blend of creamy goodness and fun fizz.

To make a coffee soda, you will need-
3 cups of very strong coffee that has been chilled.
1 cup of half-and-half cream.
Coffee flavored ice cream.
3/4 of a cup of club soda.
1 tablespoon of sugar.
Whipped cream.

Combine your iced coffee, sugar and half-and-half cream together. Fill your glasses approximately half of the way full and add a generous scoop of ice cream to the glass. Fill the remainder of the glass almost to the top with the club soda and garnish with whipped cream.

Thai coffee makes a delicious icy coffee drink that is incredibly pleasing to the palate. To create Thai iced coffee at home, you will need to have-

2 teaspoons of ground cardamom.
4 tablespoons of sugar.
4 tablespoons of heavy cream.
1 teaspoon of almond extract.

Brew yourself four cups of coffee in the way that you typically would; however you need to mix your two teaspoons of cardamom in with the coffee grounds first. When the coffee is brewed and while it is still hot, add in your sugar and almond extract. Stir the blend until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Allow the mixture to cool either on the counter or in the fridge, typically the fridge is the ideal method, as it will chill your beverage faster. Fill your glasses with ice that has been crushed and then pour your flavored coffee over top. Before you serve add a heaping tablespoon of cream to each glass.

Although delicious, an icy Jamaican coffee is strictly an adult’s only beverage. This is the perfect icy coffee drink for an afternoon summer party. To create a wonderful icy Jamaican coffee, you will need-

1 oz of dark rum.
1 oz of Tia Maria.
3/4 oz of heavy cream.
4 oz of coffee that has been chilled.
Crushed ice.

Blend you rum and Tia Maria in with your coffee and cream. Take a wineglass and fill it about half way with crushed ice and then fill to the top with your chilled coffee mixture.

I hope that you enjoy these recipes for cold coffee drinks. Enjoy

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