For decades, there have been discussions about the effects of coffee and tea on the human body. Often, lovers of another are judged for choosing a certain drink. But real gourmets don’t just drink coffee or tea, but also strive to try new recipes. Baristas are reviving ancient recipes, popularizing old traditions from Asia and Africa.
Real madmen combine coffee with tea, but there is a recipe in which the drink turns out rich and tasty. It came to us from China and is called Yuanyang. Translated, this means “Mandarin duck,” which in itself is unusual.
Tip #1. Choosing a manufacturer
There is an opinion that it is necessary to buy ground coffee exclusively from Brazil, Colombia or India, since that is where the huge plantations of our element are located. But you should not make a choice in favor of these countries. Countries such as Italy, Germany and others buy coffee from the above countries, and only then apply certain roasting and grinding methods to them. Moreover, the technologies of these countries are more progressive, so we can say that the final product is better. That is why it is better to give preference to progressive countries in which the necessary fruits do not grow, but coffee is produced under a well-known brand, than to “coffee” countries that do not have the proper technologies and brand.
The first coffee shop in the world and its followers
The first coffee shop in the world opened in 1475 in Constantinople, now the capital of Turkey - Istanbul. The Turks have made a significant contribution to the development of world coffee culture, including consumption, because until now, Turkish coffee is one of the most popular ways of brewing at home.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the door to Europe opened for coffee, and by 1670 coffee houses had appeared in almost every major city, and European countries adapted this phenomenon into culture in different ways:
- In England, coffee shops became a place where pressing issues of the day were discussed, a kind of public forum; they were also called “penny universities,” since anyone with one penny could buy a cup of coffee and join the discussion. Women were not allowed into these coffee shops, which was the beginning of protests, since men spent a lot of time in them. The protests were unsuccessful, and by the end of the 16th century there were about 300 coffee houses in London.
- In France, on the contrary, coffee culture took a different path, these were places where men and women met, there was a rich interior around them, and musicians played. It was here that coffee with milk, which the French called café au lait, first became popular.
- In Italy, the first coffee shop appeared in 1647, in Venice. It was the Italians who in the 20th century invented the espresso coffee machine, which would become a revolution in preparation and form the basis for everyone’s favorite coffee recipes: cappuccino and latte. By the way, many people believe that coffee itself grows in Italy. This is a misconception, they make good equipment for its preparation, and we will tell you where coffee grows and its current geography in the following articles.
- In America, the first coffee shop opened in Boston in 1670, but Americans drank more tea than coffee. Everything changed in 1773, when the Boston Tea Party occurred, it was a protest against an increase in the tax on tea by England. This was the turning point when Americans abandoned tea in favor of coffee, after which it became the national drink here too.
Tip #2. Deciding on the degree of grinding
Before choosing, decide which cooking method is right for you. Each cooking method requires ground coffee of a certain degree of grinding. Fine and ultra-fine grinding must be used in order to prepare the drink in a Turk. If you are going to brew with a filter coffee maker, then medium or coarse grind coffee will suit you. Fine grinding is inappropriate here, as it will not impart the proper taste to the finished drink. The choice between medium and coarse grinding should be made based on the specifics of your technique. Also, to make espresso in a specialized coffee maker, you will need espresso grinding.
Vietnam: coffee with egg
You can easily replace dessert with Vietnamese coffee, as it tastes like the favorite dessert of many, tiramisu. This coffee is prepared from egg yolk, condensed milk and hot Vietnamese coffee.
- egg yolk
- 3 tbsp. l. Vietnamese coffee powder
- 2 tsp. condensed milk
- boiling water
Brew a small cup of Vietnamese coffee. Separate the white from the yolk. We don't need the protein, use it to prepare other dishes. Whisk the yolk with condensed milk into a thick foam, add a couple of spoons of coffee to the mixture and stir. Pour the brewed coffee into a large cup and place the egg mixture on top.
Tip #3. Selecting the degree of roasting
The degree of roasting plays an important role in determining the taste. The important thing to understand here is that there is no correct degree of roasting. Roasting is as follows:
- weak;
- average;
- strong;
- maximum.
This is only a general classification, since different countries have different terminology. You need to know one thing - the higher the degree of roasting, the richer the taste of the finished drink. Always look at this parameter on the packaging so as not to find yourself in a situation where your coffee turns out to be too bitter. Remember that most often the Italian product is the most deeply roasted. Other producing countries produce completely different ground coffee.
How it all began
The history of the legendary Starbucks began back in 1972. Friends Zev Siegle, Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker decided to open a small business for three - a shop selling coffee beans, as well as various devices for roasting and brewing coffee. The entrepreneurs owe the name of their business to the world famous literary work “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville.
Why coffee? Yes, all three of them simply loved this freshly brewed, aromatic drink with passion. For about 10 years in a row, the coffee shop was doing very well. And in the 1980s, business began to undergo some changes.
Tip #4. Pay attention to the type of coffee
Of course, there are an indefinite number of varieties. They all have their own special taste, which, basically, can only be recognized by a true gourmet or a person with good taste buds. However, all these varieties come down to two, which are considered classic - Arabica and Robusta. You can often find the words “100% Arabica” on packaging. Its meaning is clear, but how does it affect the taste of the drink?
Arabica has a slight acidity, rich taste and strong aroma. It has less caffeine than Robusta. The Robusta variety has a stronger taste, instead of sourness there are bitter notes, and it also contains more caffeine. You can rarely find “100% Robusta” coffee on the shelves, since it is used to dilute Arabica beans. Thus, we get a mixture for the espresso drink. Pay attention to the percentage ratio of these two varieties on the packaging to understand what kind of drink you can prepare.
Hong Kong: coffee and tea
Filter coffee, black tea and milk - this is the composition of real Hong Kong coffee!
- a glass of brewed strong black coffee
- glass of Hong Kong milk tea
To prepare milk tea, place 2 teaspoons of black Ceylon tea in a saucepan and add a glass of water. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add a can of condensed milk (390-400 ml), and bring to a boil again. Boil for 3 minutes.
Mix a glass of the resulting milk tea with a glass of coffee and enjoy.
Tip #5. Let's taste the aroma
Now every consumer has the opportunity to choose ground coffee with a variety of flavors. This can be a drink with chocolate, nuts, cognac and other flavors. Here the question arises, how to distinguish natural from its analogue with flavorings. The answer is as follows: natural coffee with additional aroma can only be with some kind of bulk spices. For example, with cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, etc. You can be sure that a drink with some kind of fruit, chocolate or alcohol is chemical.
Attention!
Always look at the ingredients of such drinks. If it is natural, then the composition should only contain it and an additional ingredient. Drinks with chemical additives not only do not help you experience the real taste, but they can also negatively affect your health.
Finland: coffee with cheese
Coffee with cheese - original! A special type of cheese is poured with hot coffee, after which the drink must infuse a little. After drinking coffee, the cheese is eaten with a spoon. Experts prepare coffee cheese (Kaffeost) themselves, but we suggest you take your favorite soft cheese.
- cup of brewed black coffee
- sugar to taste
- a couple of pieces of soft cheese
Place soft cheese cubes in a cup and pour hot coffee over it. Add sugar as desired and mix gently. Drink coffee and eat cheese.
Tip #6. We distinguish between types of packaging
Inside the roasted beans there is a special gas bubble, which stores the entire aroma of this drink. After grinding, the coffee begins to “fizzle out,” which leads to a complete loss of aroma. To avoid this consequence, buy coffee in a vacuum briquette. It will best preserve the aroma of your drink and will also prevent it from spilling. Never buy coffee in paper bags that sit in the store for a long time. If you have your eye on coffee by weight, which is sold exclusively in paper bags, then ask to grind it in front of you to be sure of its freshness and aroma. When you get home, don’t forget to pour it into a jar or vacuum briquette, which you set aside specifically for your favorite drink and do not use for other purposes.
Chemex
Chemex is not some kind of special coffee (no goat horn, a wagonload of spices and an exotic flower are needed here), it’s just a brewing method. But this coffee also has its own history, no less interesting than raffa. In general, it was like this: the German chemist Peter Schlumbom lived quietly in the world and was well versed in all sorts of laboratory gizmos. But besides chemistry, Dr. Schlumbohm had another great love. And it was not a woman (no, there were probably women in his life too, but we know nothing about that), but coffee. In 1941, Peter Schlumbom decided that for complete happiness he would need to combine his two great loves. And it was then that he came up with a Chemex: this is the name of the vessel for brewing coffee, the basis of which was an Erlenmeyer flask and an ordinary laboratory glass funnel with filter paper. If you are not very good at classifying laboratory flasks, then we will simply tell you that the resulting invention is shaped like an hourglass. A filter is placed in the upper part, and coffee, in turn, is placed in it. Then the whole thing is filled with water. Using this method, the coffee stays in contact with oxygen for longer, resulting in a softer, more aromatic taste.
By the way, the very name “Chemex” refers us back to Schlumbom’s first love, because it comes from the English “chemistry”, that is, “chemistry”. In the 1950s, Chemex was even advertised with the slogan “Brew Coffee Like a Chemist.” And along with martini with vodka and olive, Chemex is James Bond’s favorite drink. If you don’t believe me, you can watch the second Bond film, the one “From Russia with Love”, and... you won’t see anything like that there. Because the famous special agent’s love for Chemex coffee remained only on the pages of the novel of the same name, but forgot to migrate to the film. But you can still buy Schlumbom’s invention for your office and show off every day - as if you are as cool as James Bond.
Four strategies to help you survive until Friday evening In the office
Tip #7. Checking the drink for impurities
Very often, manufacturers add some kind of admixture to save money. Most often it is chicory. Of course, there is nothing bad to say about it, except that you pay for coffee and get it. To test if your coffee has extra contaminants, simply pour a handful into cold water. Good coffee will all float on top, and any impurities will settle to the bottom or color your water. This advice will allow you to understand next time whether it is worth making a choice in favor of one option or another.
Bright room
In every Starbucks coffee shop, doors and windows always face east or south. If the front side of the premises faces north, Starbucks will never rent it, even if it is in the most prime location in the city. This is another fundamental principle of the establishment, from which they never deviate.
“This requirement for the premises is based on the fact that it is much more pleasant for visitors to be in a well-lit place with penetrating daylight, but at the same time the light should not dazzle the eyes,” say the company’s managers.
Tip #8. Close attention to price
The cost of coffee is not a factor that is of great importance when choosing coffee because, by following all the previous tips, you can choose good coffee at a low cost. But there are still a few nuances that you need to take into account. Don’t think that the most expensive coffee will be the most delicious and aromatic.
The high price of coffee may depend on the characteristics of its production. There are varieties whose production involves animal digestion. For example, palm civet is used to produce one of the varieties, the price of which reaches several tens of thousands of rubles per kilogram. This animal eats the fruits, after which they leave its digestion and are collected by people. These fruits are roasted, and we get a unique variety of coffee, which has a difference in price, but not a very big difference in taste. This striking example shows that you should not make a choice solely in favor of expensive coffee.
Focus on the average price, then you can be sure that this product is not overpriced due to the nature of production, but at the same time the coffee is quite good, because it costs more than budget options.
Mexico: sweet coffee in a jug
Authentic Mexican coffee is filtered through a paper filter into a clay jug with the addition of cinnamon and unrefined brown sugar. This coffee is considered one of the “cleanest”, as it is brewed exclusively from natural, unprocessed products. The only thing to be wary of is the amount of sugar in the cup, but you can adjust this to your taste.
- 2 glasses of water
- 5 tbsp. l. brown sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 clove buds
- pinch of anise seeds
- 3 tbsp. l. black coffee
Place water and spices in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes over medium-high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add coffee. Cover with a lid and let sit for five minutes. Strain and serve immediately. It's great to add whipped cream on top.
Tip #9. Calculating portions
If you want to act on the principle “I’ll buy it so it lasts for a long time,” then using ground coffee is not very smart. As we already mentioned, coffee tends to “fizzle out.” Even the most proper packaging will not protect him from this. When buying coffee, expect about 5-10 days. It is during this period that freshly ground coffee can retain its full aroma and taste.
To experience the maximum degree of enjoyment of your favorite drink, follow these tips. They will allow you to turn your coffee drink into a real masterpiece that will warm you up on winter evenings and wake you up every morning.
Try different coffees
There are many countries, regions, processing stations, processing methods, which ultimately changes the taste of the drink. There is such a thing as terroir - this is a set of climatic, soil and topographic features of the area that directly affect the taste. For example, Kenya has a bright berry flavor with pronounced acidity, and Ethiopia has tea and bergamot notes. Lately I have been very surprised by Colombia - different regions and very different coffees, very rich and intense aroma, malic and citric acidity. If you prefer something not acidic, but more nutty, chocolatey, a little like nougat, then choose Brazil or El Salvador.
