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.
Of Flavored Coffee
I went to Coffee Bean the other day to meet up with some friends, something which I hadn’t done in a while, and I was surprised at the fact that I got a bit confused as to what to order. I usually get something basic – brewed or a latte – but then I saw flavored coffees. I still got my usual – a latte – but it got me curious about how they make the flavored coffees, so I did some research.
Obviously, in many coffee shops, they add the flavor after brewing the coffee. The most common way is to add shots of syrup, depending on the flavor that you want. You can have vanilla, strawberry, hazelnut, and so on. Alternatively, you can flavor your own coffee by using natural products such as cinnamon sticks or its powdered form; same thing with nuts and other flavors that you may fancy.
But did you know that some people add flavor to the coffee before brewing it? Check out the coffee beans at the grocery store and you will find various packaging of flavored coffee beans.
What they do is to add the chemicals to the beans. The flavoring can take the form of either powder or liquid. These chemicals are usually added to the beans right after they come out of the roasting drum.
You ought to know, also, that purists simply abhor adding flavor to the beans while or after roasting. Some even hate the addition of flavors after brewing! While I am not particularly fond of flavored coffee, I am not really against it either. How about you?
Photo courtesy of http://blog.promoindie.net/
No Electricity Coffee Maker
My gut reaction when I saw the initial description of this novel coffee maker was “WOW!” For one, it would be a perfect gadget for when you go camping or if the power ever goes out (both are very real possibilities in the Philippines; and it is the season for Philippine travel). Another reason, which is more altruistic, is that using less electricity means that you are cutting your carbon footprint down. That’s always a good thing, right?
Then again, when I took a closer look at the specs of this baby, I had second thoughts. Guess how long it will take you to brew coffee using the Hourglass coffee maker? Well, at least 12 hours! Now I am not the most impatient person in the world, but having to wait 12 hours for my cup of coffee is way too long.
The concept behind brewing coffee using the Hourglass is nothing new. The basic idea is to brew coffee using cold water and time (lots of the latter). Some coffee shops actually offer coffee brewed in this manner. Cold-brewed coffee has an intense flavor, making it perfect for those who like their coffee strong. More so, you can also store the extracted coffee in your fridge for up to two weeks. This means that you do not actually have to wait 12 hours each time you want a cup of joe.
Another advantage is that this brewing method is supposed to decrease acidity by around 70%. With this bit of information, I think that I just might give the Hourglass a try. Not all coffeeholics are excited by the Hourglass but it should at least prove to be a good conversation piece.
Why Should I Get A French Press?
For now, I have one compelling reason to get one. You see, I went on vacation about three weeks ago and once again, I was reminded of one of my pet peeves: the hotel didn’t have brewed coffee. Can you believe that? I had no choice, so for the next 6 days, I was drinking instant coffee.
Then it hit me. I should just get a French press and bring it with me every time I go on vacation! You see, I like going to “exotic” locations where brewed coffee is not a daily need. I had already considered taking a small drip machine before but I would probably have problems at the airport. Perhaps a French press would be easier to lug around.
Aside from that fact though, what other reasons are there for me to get a French press?
The answer lies in the flavor of the drink that is made from a French press. Anyone who drinks drip coffee machine every day and then suddenly tries a brew made with a French press will know this: coffee made from the latter is definitely stronger and has more flavor. So, aside from being able to make coffee in a relatively simpler way, you also get to produce a more flavorful brew.
I think I am convinced. I shall take a look around when I get the chance and find me a good French press. Suggestions anyone? (Oh, and please don’t tell me to go to Starbucks to get one.)
Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephencarlile/487699768/sizes/s/
Is Grinding Your Own Beans Worth It?
I think that this question has been asked so many times that it has gotten quite old. However, the fact that people keep asking it over and over again means that it is not that clear to many how grinding your own coffee beans can make a difference in the quality of your coffee.
To be honest with you, I was one of those people who kept asking this question. I normally use my good old drip coffee machine. It is just really more convenient (prep time and clean up time) than using my espresso machine (which, by the way, is in storage – yeah I know, sacrilege!). When I did get a grinder (Krups) and tried grinding my own beans, however, I discovered what I had been missing out on.
It is hard to explain, really. All that I can say is that when you buy freshly roasted whole beans and then you grind a small amount to brew, the flavor is just so wonderful! Naturally, the quality of the drink would depend on the kind of beans that you get but given the same kind, freshly ground beans are the best.
Another thing about grinding your own beans and preserving the flavor of the coffee is that you can store the whole beans for a longer period of time than you could store coffee grounds. I have noticed that even if you store coffee grounds in a sealed container, the freshness deteriorates much more quickly than if you stored the whole beans.
So to answer that question – yes, grinding your own coffee beans is definitely worth the extra effort that you have to put into measuring out the beans, grinding them, and then cleaning out the grinder. It’s a small price to pay, really.
Locust Bean Coffee: A Healthier Alternative?
Coffee this, coffee that…one moment we read that coffee is bad for your health. The next moment we read the exact opposite – that it is actually good. There really is no definitive information on this topic. But what I do know is that people have not stopped trying to look for alternatives to coffee. Why exactly I would want to find an alternative to coffee, I really do not know but for those of you who are looking for another – similar – drink, then check this out: locust bean coffee.
I don’t really feel like drinking anything that comes from an insect but what the heck, it won’t hurt to take a look right? Yeah, my ignorance just shone through right there – locust bean is NOT an insect! I just overlooked the word BEAN right after locust. Sorry guys, when I see locust, I remember the story in the Bible wherein God sent locusts to eat all the stuff in Egypt.
Anyway, locust bean is supposed to be good for you. It keeps your cholesterol levels down. It also promotes bone growth. Oh yeah, and it is supposed to be an aphrodisiac…now you got me interested! 
So what’s the relation between the locust bean and coffee? It is now being used as instant coffee! Now I have turned you off, haven’t I? I know that some of you ONLY drink brewed coffee and I totally understand that – I am the same. There are times when you just can’t have brewed, though. And if you are thinking of stocking up on some of that instant stuff, maybe the insect locust bean coffee would do?
DIY Brewing
Talking to a colleague the other day, I realized that I have been taking making my own coffee for granted. I have always thought that it was a simple, brainless thing. I guess it’s because I have been brewing my own joe for the longest time. This friend of mine, however, has only recently started to get her act together in making her coffee. Her reason? Going to Starbucks on a regular basis is just too expensive. I think that this is a trend – gone are the days when a Starbucks a day was affordable.
So anyway, I thought I’d share the same things I told my friend about brewing your own pot of coffee. Here are some of the most important points.
Get it right from the outset – start with excellent beans.
The beans make up the essence of your drink. Get sucky beans and you’ll get sucky coffee. I do not like buying beans from the supermarket because there is no telling how long they have been there. Experts say that beans that are roasted 2 to 10 days before brewing are the best. I have to be practical, though. I cannot go get beans every 10 days so I have to make do with several weeks’ worth of whole beans.
Next up – get a grinder.
I know, it is a pain in the butt. Who the heck wants to measure out whole coffee beans into the grinder, press the button, and then transfer the grounds into the coffee machine – all within 5 minutes of waking up? But hey, you can really taste the difference.
Last, find out the grounds-water proportion that suits you best.
I have to be honest and say that I do not know the exact measurements that I use but it should be roundabouts 2 or 3 tablespoons of grounds for every cup.
That’s it – that’s all I do for my daily cup of joe made from the basic drip coffee machine.
Topless Coffee Shop???
And I thought that I had heard of everything! A small motel in Maine is reported to be asking for a permit to operate a topless coffee shop on Route 3, known for its high volume of traffic. The town – lucky or unlucky, depending on your point of view – is called Vassalboro. It’s a small rural town (I could have guessed by the name) and I suppose that this proposal is raising quite a few eyebrows. The Associated Press has this story:
A one-time motel in a small central Maine town could soon be offering an eye-opening way to start the day — topless coffee shop waitresses. The Vassalboro Planning Board on Tuesday will consider a business permit request for a topless coffee shop on busy Route 3.
The one-story building has also been the home to several other business ventures, most recently Mac Daddy’s Pub at the Fat Cat Grille, which closed three or four years ago.
Neighbors have mixed opinions. Some say Vassalboro is a rural town and that a topless coffee shop would bring the wrong crowd. But others say they’d like to see a business make a go of it there.
They are still waiting for the board to meet so there is nothing definite yet. For the life of me, though, I cannot understand why I would want to go to a topless coffee shop. Maybe it’s because I am a woman and not a man? You tell me! Would the idea of having a topless coffee shop appeal to you?
Drip Brewing with a Paper Filter
Drip brew is a method for brewing coffee which involves pouring water over coffee contained in a filter. Water seeps through the coffee, absorbing its oils and essences, solely under gravity then passes through the bottom of the filter. The used coffee grounds are retained in the filter with the liquid falling (dripping) into a collecting vessel such as a carafe or pot.
Paper filters are commonly used for drip brew all over the world. One benefit of paper filters is that the used grounds and the filter may be disposed of together, without a need to clean the filter. However, metal filters are also common, especially in India. These are made of thin perforated metal sheets that restrain the grounds but allow the coffee to pass, thus eliminating the need to have to purchase separate filters which sometimes cannot be found in some parts of the world.
Drip brewing is the most popular method of coffee brewing, owing to the overwhelming popularity of the automatic drip brewing coffee machine. There are, however, several manual drip-brewing devices on the market, offering a little more control over brewing parameters than automatic machines. There also exist small, portable, single serving drip brew makers that only hold the paper filter and rest on top of a cup. Hot water is poured in and drips directly into the cup.
Brewing with a paper filter produces clear, light-bodied coffee, which is free of sediments, but lacking in some of coffee’s oils and essences, which are trapped in the paper filter.
