Gourmet Coffee Chatter

Coffee has sometimes been maligned as a dubious choice health-wise. That attitude is changing.

None other than the Harvard Medical School is reporting potential preventative benefits for coffee coffee drinkers for:

• Colon and Rectal Cancer
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Heart Disease

They are even reporting increased life span for coffee drinkers, especially women coffee drinkers.

Another study from the National Cancer Institute reports that chronic Hepatitis C sufferers can reduce the progression of liver damage by almost 53% by drinking 3 or more cups of coffee a day.

If you’re concerned about the caffeine gourmet coffee is recommended. The Arabica bean has almost half the caffeine of the Robusta bean. Arabica beans are used almost exclusively in gourmet coffee, while most commercial grade coffees use Robusta beans. And you get the added benefit of a better tasting coffee with gourmet coffee.

Caffeine only constitutes about 2% of coffee. There are also over 1,000 different vitamins, minerals and amino acids. There’s even some fiber in there that may help prevent the absorption of cholesterol.

A cautionary note: Pregnant women should be careful as coffee drinking has been associated with miscarriages. For the rest of us, remember moderation.

So drink up – it’s a healthy choice.

So far I’ve been talking about how flavoring is applied to flavored coffee, either by flavoring oil or by syrup. The final issue is dietetic in nature – sugar (and calories) or no sugar.

Flavoring oils have the clear advantage here, imparting scent and flavoring without any sweetening agent. Flavored coffees prepared with flavoring oils are suitable for both diabetics and dieters. Flavoring oils usually add less than five calories to the coffee.

Flavored syrups are another story. There are definitely sugars and calories added here, as much as 100 calories and 24 grams of sugar per fluid ounce. Your usage will determine the final calorie count.

The good news for diabetics and dieters is that sugar free syrups are available. For example, Monin, a major manufacturer of coffee syrups, offers a small line of sugar free syrups, boasting zero sugars and zero calories. They use Splenda as a sweetening agent. Other examples abound.

For some however sugar free solutions just don’t work. Personally, I can taste aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. I don’t enjoy the taste. If you’re like that then moderation is the rule.

Drink up and enjoy the flavors.

One of the popular niches in the gourmet coffee world is flavored coffee. Coffee is a bitter drink and a small population of hardy few drink it “black.” For some it’s added creamer or sugar, for others it’s flavoring, that takes the edge off and adds to the gourmet coffee experience.

Coffee flavoring is done right after the roasting process when the coffee beans are most porous. Flavor oils are added to the coffee prior to grinding so they can saturate the bean and provide an even flavor experience over all the beans.

Once ground and brewed the flavoring is then spread evenly from cup to cup providing a consistent drinking experience.

While natural flavor oils are available most flavored coffees use artificial flavoring oils as they usually provide a better saturation of the roasted coffee.

Just like coffee blending, this is another way that roast masters practice the art of bringing you great gourmet coffee. The palate of available flavors allow for taste combinations that the coffee alone may not offer.

The purists may never go there, but you can enjoy a world of amazing gourmet flavored coffees.

Drink up and good health.

Ah, autumn is here. The exhilarating bite in the air, Friday night football games, cocoa over an evening fire. These espresso coffee recipes should satisfy some of the chocolate cravings of the season. Enjoy.

Black & White Mocha

Yield: 1 – 12 oz. drink

1/2 ounce Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce
1 ounce Ghirardelli Classic White Chocolate Sauce
2 ounces brewed espresso coffee
8 ounces steamed milk

Combine sauces and espresso in 12 oz. mug. Stir until well combined. Pour steamed milk into mug; stir to combine. Top with froth from steamed milk. Sprinkle with Ghirardelli Cocoa or drizzle with Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce and/or Classic White Chocolate Sauce. Sprinkle with toasted chopped hazelnuts, if desired.

For Iced Black and White Mocha: Use cold milk in place of steamed milk. Combine all ingredients and pour over one cup of ice into a 16-oz. glass. Garnish with whipped cream and drizzle with Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce and/or Classic White Chocolate Sauce.
Serving/Yield: 1 – 16 oz.

Yield: 1 – 12 oz. drink

1/2 ounce Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce
1/2 ounce Ghirardelli Classic White Chocolate Sauce
1/2 ounce raspberry syrup
2 ounces brewed espresso coffee
8 ounces steamed milk

Combine sauces, syrup and espresso in 12-oz. mug. Stir until well combined. Pour steamed milk into mug; stir to combine. Top with froth from steamed milk. Garnish with Ghirardelli Cocoa or drizzle with Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce.

For Iced Chocolate Raspberry Cappuccino: Use cold milk in place of steamed milk. Combine all ingredients and pour over one cup of ice into a 16-oz. glass. Garnish with whipped cream and drizzle with Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce, and/or raspberry syrup.
Serving/Yield: 1 – 16 oz.

One need only imagine the scene from “Young Frankenstein.” The body parts are selected and assembled, missing only the brain. Each part chosen with care for highest quality.

Then because of a minor slip you get the brain of “Abbey Normal” and not the brain of an Einstein. All the other hard work is for nought as the new part corrupts the whole body.

Welcome to the world of the roastmaster. The master chefs of the gourmet coffee world who blend different gourmet coffees into delectable taste treats for us.

The reasons for blending coffee are multiple.

While Single Origin gourmet coffees can and do stand on their own, they can also have minor flaws. Blending several together can sometimes cancel out or diminish the bitter aftertaste of a coffee. The net result is a more satisfying coffee overall.

Gourmet coffee is a crop. Once picked it has a shelf life. The quality and quantity of any crop of any given coffee will vary. Blended coffees allow coffees of varying qualities to be blended together in a product that is greater than the sum of its parts. Since it is not possible to just buy all the beans you need for a whole year at a time, blending allows the variances in the different crops to be accounted for while still maintaining the general overall quality of the gourmet coffee year round.

Great chefs like to experiment. So do roastmasters. They’re looking for that combination that produces a taste sensation never experienced before.

Bottom line, the goal is to produce a coffee that is better or different than its component parts.

So next time you enjoy that fine French Roast Coffee think of the roastmaster whose expertise made it possible. His fine palate and understanding of the potential in those gourmet coffee beans should be toasted.

There are a few phrases you will hear associated with gourmet coffee: varietal coffee, single origin coffee, and specialty coffee.

Varietal coffee is properly understood as a botanical distinction between the different subspecies of the coffee plant. It is not an indicator of region for different varieties of the coffee plant are grown in many different parts of the world. Though over 30 species of the coffee plant exist, almost all of the commercial coffee production comes either Arabica or Robusta coffee beans. Arabica is considered the superior of the two beans and only Arabica beans are considered gourmet coffee. Robusta beans usually end up in mass produced coffees or freeze dried coffees.

Single origin coffees are defined as unblended gourmet coffees from a single country, region and crop. They usually take their name from the region, country or estate from which they are grown. While blue mountain is a Arabica varietal it is probably best known as a single origin coffee originating in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Kona coffee is also another well known single origin coffee.

Specialty Coffee is a distinction coined in 1974 by Erna Knutsen of Knutsen Coffee Ltd. Specialty coffees are distinguished as coffees grown in special geographic microclimates producing beans with unique flavor profiles. While very close in definition to single origin, specialty coffees are the domain of the Specialty Coffee Association of America which has a 100 point scale to grade coffee beans. To qualify as specialty the coffee bean must rank an 80 or higher. Specialty Coffee is therefore a trade organization distinction.

The common theme here is of an unblended coffee with a distinct flavor profile that provides as close to a flawless cup as possible. There are over 100 single origin coffees each carrying some attribute of the growing region or the farming practices of that region. This coffee might carry a hint of chocolate, another coffee might have a hint of citrus. This coffee is mild, while another has a bolder taste.

Even so, single origin coffees, can have their drawbacks. This one might have too much acidity or be too bitter. That’s why we’ll talk about blended coffees next time.

In the meantime whether your favorite is a Java “Dutch Estate” or a Brazil Santos, there’s a grinder waiting, and a pot to be brewed. Until next time.

Last time I talked about a working definition of gourmet coffee. It all starts with a superior coffee bean. But who sets the standards?

Lots of people it turns out, depending on the standard you want to discuss.

Some have the weight of governmental power. Usually the standards here involve numbers of defects in the bean versus gram weights of the bean being exported.

The International Coffee Organization, for example, is a multi-governmental organization composed of signatory “coffee importing” and “coffee exporting” countries, 77 as of March 2008. Their goal is to stabilize the international coffee market through the improvement of the quality of exported coffee beans. By setting export standards they protect the economic health of the farmers and protect the consumer from substandard coffee products.

The governments of coffee producing countries also set internal standards. Kenya for example, has it’s own quality standard for gourmet coffee beans produced within Kenya. This standard which combines a character designation (AA, PB, E, TT, C & T) and a numeric Standard value (1-10) to determine the quality of the bean. A Kenya AA with a Standard 1 rating is the best you can get here.

Regional authorities also have their own rating standards.

Then there are the trade organizations. The most prominent ones here are those that govern Fair Trade and Oranic coffee standards. Names like Organic Trade Association, Fairtrade Labelling Organization International, World Fair Trade Organization, Network of European Worldshops, and European Fair Trade Association begin to crop up. The standards here revolve around how the coffee was grown and economic empowerment for the regional farmers.

Other organizations such as the Specialty Coffee Association of America are devoted to the improvement of the quality of gourmet specialty coffees, sometimes called varietals or single
origin coffees. (More on this in the next blog.)

Next there are the standard setters for those who prepare the coffee bean, governmental and trade organizations that certify gourmet coffee roasters meet strict preparation standards. The concerns here are often related to sanitation and food safety.

And let’s not forget the Baristas. Yes, there are guilds for baristas, to elevate the status of these dedicated professionals and train them to standards of excellence in preparing your cup of coffee.

So you see, there’s a lot of eyes watching out for every phase of the preparation of your cup of gourmet coffee. Now get that grinder going. With all this talk of coffee you must be thirsty by now.