Colombian Coffee
Coffee…hot sweet coffee…a drink to absolutely savor. It brings with it such a rich taste and experience that is more than just another drink. It truly is an experience.
Among the most enjoyed is Colombian coffee. Its very name sounds exotic to some, evoking an image of the country and its people. This coffee bean is very familiar to most coffee drinkers.
Coffee coming from South America is generally considered mild and balanced. Its taste is sharper than that of North American beans. For those who are not fond of the bitter brew, this is a good place to start. It helps that this is one brew that doesn’t or barely does leave an aftertaste.
Colombia is the second biggest exporter of coffee. The beans come from two regions. The central region harvests coffee from Medillian, Armenia and Manizales (MAM). Coffee production from Bogota and Bucaramanga on the other hand are part of the eastern mountain region.
Colombian coffee has a naturally sweet scent and chocolatey taste much appreciated by those who love chocolate. It is heavy bodied which suits those who prefer their coffee with cream. We find that Colombian coffee is a very forgiving brew for those who wish to experiment, which is why it is a favorite.
You’ll probably hear the term Colombian Supremo or Excelso. This actually refers to the coffee bean size. The Supremo is bigger than the Excelso. The Supremo is said to be supreme but you need to decide that for yourself.
If you really want to rate this coffee fairly, please ask for top-notch vintage beans and not just Colombian coffee the next time you go to your local coffee house. It would also be unfair to judge this coffee based on a brew you made from a can marked Supremo that you buy in the local supermarket. The true premium Colombian coffee is there but you need to check carefully to truly get the best experience and not just another insipid brew.
Coffee Cupping
Most people take coffee for granted. It is the brew that we saw mom and dad drink before they rushed off to work. It is the brew we swallow to keep our lids from drooping as we go about our day. It is the potion to jumpstart our bodies at the start of the day. It is also the easiest drink to choose for any occasion.
Most of the time, who can blame you for treating coffee like your sneakers. They are comfortable, familiar and functional. But then there is footwear and there is footwear. Just as there is coffee and there is COFFEE!
Every bean and every brew tastes different. We all know that. Each one has a different rating. Taste is very individual so that what one would call premium to another is just plain old boring. Yet how would you tell the difference if you don’t taste them all?
Why not broaden your knowledge and coffee experience with a little coffee cupping? Coffee cupping is the method by which coffee tasters evaluate coffee. It will allow you to become truly familiar with the flavor- acidity, aroma and body – of the various coffees that you taste.
As with wine tasting, more than your taste buds will be involved. You will need to smell the coffee since the aroma plays a big part in making a great brew. In fact a lot of people have been known to say that the smell of coffee alone is enough to settle their nerves.
If you are interested in developing more coffee culture, check out your local coffee shops and find out if they have any coffee cupping lessons scheduled. There is sure to be such an activity going on in at least one of your local cafes.
A Dash of Mint
Summer colds are such a drag. When you just feel all clogged up, it helps to have a warm drink. It warms you up and helps soothe your frazzled nerves.
Though you can’t go to a cafe yourself (please don’t spread the virus!) you can always make great coffee at home. Now is the time to have a little fun to your brew and perk up your spirits. It is really easy! If you’re feeling too lousy to get out of bed, now is the time to ask very sweetly for your other half’s generosity. A good way to enjoy pampering.
It is said that peppermint helps to relax the body and helps remove headaches. Most kids love peppermint and chocolate. Lets upgrade the recipe a little to meet your adult needs. Try this recipe from razzledazzlerrecipes.com:
Cafe Bavarian Mint Coffee
1/4 cup powdered creamer 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup coffee 2 Tbsp powdered baking cocoa 2 Hard candy peppermints
Simply combine all the ingrediants and process in a blender until well mixed. Add how much you want to a cup of hot water. You can store the excess in zip lock bags til you want to drink more.
Feel free to adjust the recipe to your taste and share this with friends.
A Cup of Irish, Anyone?
Have you ever had one of those days where everything just seems to go wrong? You feel like you work for the boss from hell. You were late which gave the said boss the opportunity to start your day off with a reprimand. Your dog had fun digging up your yard. To top it all off, you got bad news from home. Worse: you got caught in the downpour and came home soaking wet and now have a cold. Can your day get any worse?
For some, this is the best excuse to bring out the whisky. “What?!”, you say. “Alcohol won’t solve anything”. So true! But mixed with coffee, it can help warm you up. Think of it as a nice hot toddy.
The object is not to get you sloshed. The object is to just add a little zap to your latte. It can help settle your nerves, or so a lot of people believe.
Irish coffee is coffee with whisky and cream. Though some claims have been made that it was created by Irish pubs in San Francisco, it has been established that the true creator was Mr Joseph Sheridan, head Chef of the Foynes, to help the passengers disembarking from the seaplane to warm up after their long voyage. There is in fact marking the achievement of the creation of Irish coffee at the Shannon airport.
To create the original Shannon Irish Coffee you need to heat a stemmed whiskey goblet, then pour in a shot of whiskey. Add three sugar cubes then fill the goblet with strong black coffee until it is an inch from the top. Then top it off to the brim with heavy cream that is slightly aerated.
Please note that the cream is not meant to be stirred in. The coffee must be drunk through the cream. Most ready made whipped creams just won’t do as well. It is best if you use untreated cream and beat it yourself.
This recipe is courtesy of Castletown.com
When Ordinary Coffee Just Won’t Do
It is quite common to hear people go: “coffee?” at least once a day. Even if they don’t say it out loud, they are bound to find themselves with a cup or mug in their hand savoring either the smell or the taste of the brew. Even those of the population who say that they don’t drink coffee have been to a coffee shop and enjoyed the rich scent that permeates the shop while chatting with their friends.
There are so many varieties to choose from. There are so many varied tastes and textures to coffee that it can be hard to decide which one is perfect. So far though, I have yet to hear anyone disagree that Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee is delicious.
The Blue Mountains are a range of hills on the eastern side of the Jamaican island. The coffee is grown just below 5,500 feet where nature has created a wonderful home for the coffee plants. They are grown just below the forest reserve. The combination of the terrain, the rainfall and the Blue Mountain mist combine to create beans that make the base for a wonderful brew that has a taste so clean it is sweet. It is smooth rich and just absolutely perfect!
If you can’t decide what to get your best friend for her birthday and she lives on coffee, you won’t go wrong if you choose to get her some Blue Mountain coffee as a gift. There is a limited amount available since unlike most, these beans are not grown by plantations but by small area farmers. Its rarity is partly why it is such a treasure. Try some for yourself!
Coffee and the Arts
Cappuccino and Cafe Latte lovers, June 27, 2006 could be your lucky day! The movie “The Devil Wears Prada” has declared the 27th as “The Devil Wears Prada” National Coffee Break Day. You may just get one free cup of free coffee on this day, between two to four pm at selected shops in the following areas.
- Atlanta, GA
- Boston, MA
- Chicago, IL
- Los Angeles, CA
- New York, NY
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Washington, DC
The offer is limited to one drink per person in the two hour period. Please be sure to check out the complete details of this great coffee deal here and do watch the movie as well.
How about a movie about coffee? There are some interesting clips over at coffee project some of you coffee-lovers may want to take a peek at. Anne Hathaway won’t be starring in these videos but for those who want to know more about coffee beans, it can be very informative.
Would you like to have some coffee and art at the same time? Then you’ll probably enjoy this video. I’m amazed at how simple and creative this person is. Really cool and fun to try, though I’m sure those of us who take coffee black would object. Looks like I’ll be playing with milk, cream and coffee for a while.
Hmmm….sounds like a good excuse for a coffee party. Invite your friends over, play with coffee and create your own art. Have fun, great company and some interesting designs with your brew.
Change It Up!
You wake up and your almost late for work. So you take a spoonful of instant coffee, pour in some water and gulp it down as quickly as you can. With caffeine running in your system, you’re good to go. That was not coffee!
As soon as you get to the coffee, you drop by the pantry and grab yourself a mug of what’s brewing. It’s a heavy day today, and you want to be at your most alert today to stay on top of your game. You can’t afford to make a mistake, not with the boss eyeing you for promotion. Corner office, here we come!
It’s going on 3 o’clock and you could really use a break. Unfortunately there’s just no time to get out of the office so you’ll just have to make do with whatever’s brewing in the pantry. That vile brew will keep you awake ’til the working day is done.
If that is what your day sounds like, you need to find a coffee shop that delivers coffee quick! Either that or make sure you have your own coffee maker and stock of great ingredients. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should have to make do with the office brew (not unless your company does ensure that you do get great coffee).
At least end your day with a good coffee note. It is time to spice up your coffee! Try this recipe at home and enjoy some time with your friends before calling it a night:
Cafe Speciale
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 tsp chocolate syrup
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ cup heavy cream
1 TBSP sugar
¾ tspn cinnamon
1-½ cups extra-strength hot coffee
Put 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup into each of 4 small cups. Combine cream, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Whip. Stir remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon into hot coffee. Pour coffee into cups. Stir to blend with syrup. Top with whipped cream.
Receipe courtesy of eureka-java-gold.com
Building A Coffee Collection
If you have a friend who loves something, is a huge, HUGE fan, don’t they go around collecting things that reflect that love. Trading cards, matchboxes, coins, stamps are the most familiar to most. There are also those who have collections of everything made with their favorite on it. For example a fan of a singer would usually have all their albums and memorabilia. There are quite a number of people who have huge collections of the various Barbie dolls and the matching outfits and accessories.
If you knew someone who is absolutely into coffee, wouldn’t it be great to help him or her build his collection? Think about it! These would be practical gifts that they could not only look at but enjoy. And if they get a great brew using your gift, woohoo!
You don’t even need to go very far for gift ideas. Thanks to the many coffee shops spread all over the city, you can take a look around right there and find great ideas and have a cup for yourself while you’re at it. And if the coffee shops don’t have it (heaven forbid!) then go on over to a gourmet coffee shop and ask for suggestions on where to find the equipment you want. It can’t be that hard to find a good coffeemaker, a great coffee grinder or a really handy coffee press.
You don’t even need to look for anything fancy. You can keep it simple, like getting him or her a really good coffee mug. One that can make him laugh just looking at it and warm him with thoughts of you guys. One that at the same time keeps tha coffee’s temperature perfect til he or she drinks it.
Of course you can always go get a coffee mug mouse for him or her. Just don’t forget to remind them to move slowly when it has coffee in it. Oh, and no matter what, try not to get coffee on the keyboard or laptop.
Other Than The Drink
Coffee is a wonderful beverage. It has great aroma and warms the body (when taken hot, of course). Its rich taste is absolutely delicious. So who said it had to stay in a cup?
Coffee is also great flavoring and is used in many recipes. This is much appreciated by those of our community who love the flavor of coffee but don’t want to drink it regularly. Instead, they eat it.
Who says you can’t have coffee and eat it too? Okay, maybe not such a good line but true. Coffee cake is something to try. Just like the drink, it comes in many varieties. There are many recipes available to make this online such as on recipegoldmine.com. You can make a simple, very basic coffee cake or try out some cinnamon nut coffee cake. There are even some that call Kahlua just for a change.
Who hasn’t had coffee flavored ice cream? Growing up, that was a favorite dessert. A lot of the kids loved a flavor called Super Mocha. As we grew older and began to experiment, we discovered Coffee Crumble. Mmmmm…absolutely delicious! There’s nothing like it.
If you want to make coffee ice cream at home for yourself, you can do that too. The components aren’t too expensive. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, that’s ok. You can use two different sized cans of coffee that can fit inside each other with about a 1 inch space all around between them for the ice and salt. Your family can have fun kicking the can around and make your dessert at the same time.
Decaf Please
If you love coffee, there is nothing like waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Not to sound overeffusive but the aroma of coffee is so distinct, so delicious. It tickles your senses awake even before you take a single sip from your cup. The coffee then slides down your throat and warms your inside. The caffeine now starts playing pinball inside you until your whole body is alive, alert and awake.
That is absolutely great for those who love that jolt of energy. Unfortunately, not everyone is a fan of caffeine. Some of us love the taste of coffee but dislike the can’t sleep effect. The solution created for this group of coffee lovers: decaffeinated coffee.
“That vile brew! That’s not coffee” is a commonly heard comment about decafs. The poor maligned decaf. Coffee drinkers complain of its weak taste, or that it is too bitter. The sad truth, it’s not the fault of the beans. You just need to learn the perfect way to brew decaf so that its full potential is awakened.
The first and most important rule in making coffee is making sure that your coffeemaker is thoroughly clean. Any residue from your previous batch will spoil the flavor of your latest brew. The last thing you want is the bitter taste of the old coffee mixing and spoiling your new batch.
Next comes the fun part. You get too experiment on the proper proportion of water and coffee to match your taste. This can’t be dictated. Taste is individual. As soon as you find your perfect proportion, note that down.
Don’t let your brew sit too long. 15 minutes on a warmer and decaf begins to turn bitter. By making smaller amounts, you won’t have to let your brew sit too long. It will be better, not bitter.
