Turkish Coffee Trivia
There is a Turkish proverb that says, “A single cup of coffee is remembered for fourty years”. In the Turkish culture, coffee is always offered at the start of any visit. No true conversations begin until kahve is served. The discussions and the brew are remembered together. No wonder that Turkish coffee is unforgettable.
There is no ritual more important in any culture than marriage. It is a way to improve ones standing and situation in society after all. Every prospective bride is tested by the way she makes coffee. Some brides are known to have substituted salt for the sugar in order to avoid an unwanted marriage.
It was also considered an insult to spill the coffee, even just a little on to the saucer so a reluctant bride would sometimes find a way to spill coffee, not just on the saucer but on the guests. That usually ended the marriage talks.
The foam on Turkish coffee is very important. It is made as the brew sits on the stove without being stirred. A few people will tell you that it is okay to stir after the first two boiling, in fact some will say it is a must but never is it stirred once it is placed on the heat for the last time. In fact, it is said that the host who serves coffee with no foam loses face.
For those of us who’ve always wanted our future read with coffee, Turkish coffee is the brew you must try. It is the remains from this brew or fal that is used to read ones possible fututre or destiny. In fact it is still a favorite pastime in Turkey today, especially among the women.
Make yourself a cup of Turkish coffee or go find a place that makes good Turkish coffee. Enjoy the experience for yourself. Don’t forget to check if there’s someone around who can read fal.
The 4M’s of Espresso
The making of espresso is both a science and an art. Over the years they have found that precision is required to make a great espresso. There are four factors that affect the making of a great shot. They are also called the four M’s.
The first factor is Macinazione or the proper grinding of the beans. Great baristas in fact will only grind beans for an espresso right before using them. 30 seconds after they have been ground, the beans are already too stale for a good espresso. The proper grind is between fine and powdery. The grind has to be uniform in order to insure the best taste. Instant powder will definitely make an awful espresso.
The second factor is Miscela or the coffee blend. Good beans means better tasting coffee. Perfectly logical, right?
The third factor is the Macchina or the espresso machine. Thanks to many inventors, you now have eay to use tools to help you make your espresso. But it will not magically make perfect espresso if you don’t know how to use it properly. The Rancilio Silva is considered the best by most espresso lovers but feel free to shop around til you find the machine that you are comfortable with.
The last factor is Mano or the skill of the barista – that means you. More than half the battle is knowing how to use your equipment properly. You need to know how to properly fill your filter basket. Some espresso lovers will tell you to tamp the ground coffee, others will tell you not to. Like all skills, making the perfect espresso takes practice so that your every espresso shot has that beautiful crema that is the mark of true espresso.
Three Coffee Myths You SHOULDN’T Believe
There are myths about practically everything on this earth. I guess the trick is in knowing which really are myths and which just might be true. In some cases, it doesn’t really matter if they’re myths or not, right?
Of course, when it comes to coffee, you ought to know the difference between myth and truth! Otherwise, you might end up with the short end of the stick. Worse, you might end up with a bad cup of coffee. Yuck. (At the very least, you might end up looking like a fool!)
So let us take a look at three coffee myths which are quite popular. I hope you haven’t fallen prey to any of these!
Myth #1: Dark roasts have higher caffeine content than light roasts.
I think the rationale behind this myth is that dark roasts have stronger flavor. But, come on, use your common sense. Dark roasts are roasted for a longer period of time. That means more is burnt out of them, right? If anything, they may have slightly less caffeine in them! The next time you need more caffeine, don’t settle for one cup of dark roasted coffee. Get two or three cups instead!
Myth #2: We say eXpresso.
Riiight. And do you say “asteriX” as well? There’s this coffee shop in a town an hour away from where I live that’s called Xpresso, but really, it’s eSpresso, not eXpresso.
Myth #3: Coffee is very very acidic.
Well, coffee does contain acids, but the truth of the matter is that it is not that acidic. In fact, the pH of coffee is around 5.0 – 5.1 – beer and other fruit juices are much worse!
There you have three of the most popular myths surrounding our favorite brew. Spread the word!
Coffee And Bikinis
Earlier this year, the talk was about the topless coffee shop in Maine. It did achieve success but its luck turned sour when someone burned it down not long ago. This time, there is another coffee shop running its operations along similar lines, though it is not as controversial as the topless shop.
Bikini Espresso has opened in Torrance, California and it does not take smarts to realize that their highlight involves bikini clad servers and baristas. They have only been open for several days but it seems that the people in the neighborhood think that they have a hit in their hands.
Barista Chelsea Turnbo says that they are having a lot of fun and that their clientele has been varied. While more men queue up for drinks, they also get women – even old ladies!
Perhaps the fact that they are quite near to the beach adds to the accepting spirit of the customers. Then again, customers are saying that while the bikini clad baristas are the unique feature of the coffee shop, the coffee isn’t all that bad. In fact, they say that the coffee is quite good.
Still, the coffee isn’t so good that the critics have been silenced. There are still those who don’t favor the idea. It is no surprise, I think. I think that it is not that much of a big deal, though. I mean, you see people in bikinis every time. What might be more interesting is to actually work in the shop, don’t ya think? Not that I would even be considered for the position!
Look Cool In Wearable Coffee
Coffee grounds have been used for so many things in the past few years. Ever since it became the “in” thing to be conscious about the environment and our impact on it, every little thing has been scrutinized to see how it can be re-used. Coffee grounds were not exempt. Even Starbucks and other coffee shops came up with their programs to help get rid of their used coffee grounds and have them used for a good purpose.
But I never thought that I would live to see a clothing line based on material made from coffee grounds! This is the brainchild of Jason Chen, the general manager of Singtex Industrial Company, a Taiwanese company. Chen was having a cup of coffee at – you guessed it – Starbucks when the idea came to him.
Now, Singtex gathers used coffee grounds to use in their line of sportswear. So how do they do this?
I have no idea how fabric is made, but according to The Guardian, the process is much like how they turn bamboo into a viscose-like substance:
The resultant fabric is soft, light, flexible and breathable and can also be used to produce an outer shell that is water resistant. It’s impregnated with ‘activated’ carbon, derived from coconut, which makes it UV-resistant, wicks water away, keeps the wearer cool and binds to sweat to eliminate unpleasant odours.
I don’t know how they do it but it sounds good to me! Even better, they say that you only need about one cup of coffee grounds to make several T-shirts! Amazing, isn’t it?
On A Starbucks Quest
And I thought I was addicted to coffee! Have you heard of this guy from California who is on a quest to visit every Starbucks store in the world? Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr., who now goes by the name Winter, started his quest way back in 1997. I was actually a bit surprised to hear that because it is only now that I came across his story.
Anyway, to date, Winter has visited around 9,100 Starbucks store in various countries. He is currently in the United Kingdom, where he is hell bent on visiting 400 locations spread all over England, Scotland, and Wales. His activities have even created a new word:
Starbuck – also Starbucking; to purposely visit Starbucks branches.
After his Great Britain “tour,” Winter is set to go Starbucking in other parts of Europe – Spain, Germany, and Portugal. So what does this coffee addict (or maybe Starbucks addict?) do when he visits a Starbucks? He says that in each branch that he visits, he orders a cup of regular brewed coffee, takes a picture, and then of course, documents it. He has a web site, aptly named Starbucks Everywhere, where he posts his pictures and writes about his endeavors.
I paid it a visit and I think that he could use some help in web site design, seriously. You can’t complain about the content, though. I love his entry on the Stone House Square (photo shown above), which, according to Winter, is the prettiest store in all of Maryland.
Anyhow, if you want to follow his adventures, visit his web site and join in the fun!
Coffee Cup For Weightless Environments
Who on earth would need such a cup??? No one! That is why this cup was designed for people who go to space; astronauts, I think that’s what they’re called.
Seriously, though, news has it that astronaut David Pettit got tired of having to sip his coffee from an aluminum bag. Apparently, drinking coffee that way takes away from the whole experience of enjoying a cup of joe. The result of this frustration is a very good thing (at least for those who have plans of going to outer space) – the On-Orbit Coffee Cup. I don’t think I can really explain how it works except that it takes advantage of the principle of surface tension. That is how far I can go without making a fool out of myself by trying to be all scientific and technical. Take a look at the illustration below from Dvice. I think that in this case, pictures are much better than words.
Got that? Even if you didn’t really understand the science behind the cup, it would still be cool to have one of these, don’t you think? I just wonder if it could still be used here on earth, where gravity actually exists?
Coffee Exhibit At The Burke Museum
The best thing to do with coffee is to drink it, right? So what’s the next best thing? I dunno, but going to an exhibit all about coffee sounds pretty good to me and this is what’s in store for coffee lovers at The Burke Museum.
This museum is also known as The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and is found at the University of Washington in Seattle. It has been the Washington State Museum since 1899. This year, they have something new to offer visitors. From the 24th of January to the 7th of June 2009, they will be holding an exhibit all about our favorite bean, or drink, if you wish.
Dubbed Coffee: The World In Your Cup, the exhibit aims to welcome everyone to the wonderful world of coffee – from the beans to the brew. This is what the museum has to say about the exhibit:
Coffee: The World in Your Cup presents the story of one of the world’s most widely traded commodities and how it has affected cultures, economies, and environments across the globe. Coffee explores the environmental and social impacts of the coffee industry and recommends ways for consumers to make socially and environmentally responsible coffee purchases at the grocery store or in a coffee shop. Learn about the impacts of caffeine, the world’s most commonly-used drug, on your body, discover coffee’s early controversial reputation as a “revolutionary drink,” and consider the culture that surrounds coffee in the twenty-first century. Photos, maps, text, selected artifacts, audiovisual presentations, and hands-on demonstrations help visitors explore the fascinating world behind the coffee we drink.
There is plenty of time to go and visit. For further information, visit the museum’s web site or call them at 206- 543-7907.
Pevonia Green Coffee Cellulite Wrap
I’m good with coffee, no matter which way you present it to me. I do really prefer to be drinking coffee or eating something with its flavor, though. In the recent years, however, more and more applications of coffee have been emerging and one of these is the cellulite wrap offered by Pevonia, a spa consultancy and treatment service in the UK.
I actually heard about their coffee cellulite wrap from The Independent:
In theory: The health-conscious know that caffeinated drinks such as coffee are one of the main culprits responsible for the dreaded orange-peel. Applied topically, however, coffee has had the beauty world abuzz with its dimple-destroying ability. The latest salon superfood is green coffee, which skincare company Pevonia has used as the main ingredient in this body wrap that it claims stimulates the breakdown of fat while firming, slimming and smoothing skin tone and texture.
In practice: Therapist Roxanne cheerily buffed Dr F with a gentle exfoliator before applying a cellulite-busting serum and smothering her in green goo. Dr F was then wrapped in clingfilm and foil and given a soothing head massage while she gently marinated for 20 minutes. The cream is cold on application but heats up alarmingly after a few seconds (busting those pesky fat cells?) so prepare to sweat during this treatment.
In my book, anything with heat should be good for fat burning. Then again, I have been wrong about slimming down so many times! 
Seriously, though, I suppose that this treatment can help for short term purposes but I do not know if it will help in the long run. More so, the cost of a treatment would probably inhibit long term reliance on it for getting rid of cellulite. What say you?
Photo courtesy of Pevonia
World’s Largest Irish Coffee
Yesterday, the baristas at the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco attempted to make the world’s largest Irish coffee. As can be expected, they want to set a world record. So what went into this gigantic drink?
Let’s see – 10 liters of whiskey (almost 10 liters, that is), 10 gallons of coffee, a gallon of heavy cream, and over 4 pounds of sugar. This concoction was served in a giant glass, which is 3 feet tall. Its capacity is 12 gallons. Naturally, this glass was specially made for the event, with a tap at the bottom to make for easier serving.
The Mercury News has this report:
“We took the same ration that we’d put in a 6-ounce glass and converted it to a 12-gallon glass,” Carden said.
The drink was initially going to be 15 gallons, but the cafe chose a 12-gallon glass to help keep the proportions and shape of the glass in line with the traditional Irish coffee they serve.
“It looks like a giant replica,” said cafe manager Larry Silva.
The unveiling of the Irish coffee happened around 1 p.m. today and it took about 20 minutes for four bartenders to pour the ingredients in the glass.
“Everybody went wild,” Carden said of the crowd when the drink was revealed.
Attendees of the cafe’s 56th Irish coffee anniversary celebration were given drinks from the huge glass, which had a tap at the bottom.
Bartenders added cream to the top of each individual glass served.
Guinness needs time to review the materials supporting the record setting attempt but I sure hope they get it.
