Gourmet Coffee Chatter

The weather in Brazil makes it one of the few countries able to successfully use the dry (natural) method of processing its beans. This means that the coffees are dried prior to being removed from the cherry.

When coffee is dried inside the fruit the sweetness of the fruit will carry over into the perfect cup of coffee. Using the dry method, coffee will be heavy, sweet, and complex.

This drying method is very complicated, with longer drying times and the risk of fermentation, but it also showcases the reason Brazil is a world leader in this area.

Named after the port which Brazil’s famous coffees pass through, Santos yields a low acidic, light-bodied brew. You will experience a pleasant aroma and a mild, smooth flavor in this light roast premium South American coffee.

Santos is a Single origin coffee that makes a perfect dinner or after dinner drink.

Until next time – happy brewing.

The steeping process for gourmet tea is called infusion. What does that mean?

During the drying process the tea leaf curls in on itself. In the cup as the hot water is poured over the curled leaves begin to unfold exposing the leaf and infusing the flavor of the tea into the water. This is the main reason that brewing with loose leaf tea is recommended. In a tea bag the leaves have insufficient room to fully unfurl.

With a good gourmet tea you may get several infusions or steepings. Each infusion may in fact bring out a new quality of the tea the previous cup hadn’t revealed.

Until next time – happy infusing.

Gourmet tea starts as a plant (most likely either Camellia sinensis sinensis or Camellia sinensis assamica) and ends up in your cup as white, green, yellow, oolong or black. But how does it get there?

A tea’s end type is determined by the processing it undergoes. Leaves of Camellia sinensis soon begin to wilt and oxidize, if not dried quickly after picking. During drying, the leaves turn progressively darker as their chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. This process, enzymatic oxidation, is called fermentation in the tea industry, although it is not a true fermentation. The flavor of a tea is referred to as it’s “liquor” because of this.

The next step in processing is to stop oxidation at a predetermined stage by heating, which deactivates the enzymes responsible. With black tea, this step is executed simultaneously with drying.

A process called “Bruising” is used on some teas by throwing the leaves in baskets so only the edges of the leaves are opened to air.

Careful moisture and temperature control during manufacture and packaging prevent fungi growth that can contaminate the tea, rendering the tea unfit for consumption.

So here’s the breakdown:

• White tea: Wilted and unoxidized
• Yellow tea: Unwilted and unoxidized, but allowed to yellow
• Green tea: Unwilted and unoxidized
• Oolong: Wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized
• Black tea: Wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized

Now you know. Until next time – happy infusing.

What does Christmas remind you of?  Hot cocoa in a cup with marshmallows floating on top. You are expectant as you are handed a steaming cup of hot cocoa. You hold it under your nose for a while to fully savor the inviting aroma of the chocolate. It feels steamy and hot and you don’t want to burn your tongue, so you hold it a little while longer. You even blow on it a little to hasten its cooling.

The first sip is tentative. And then you swallow a mouthful and feel the warmth of the liquid going down your throat.  What a feeling! You forget about the chilly winter outside.  Instead you experience a fond remembrance of family, tradition and love. You just sit there, taking sip after sip until the drink turns cold and you hung your head in slumber.

Ahh, the aroma and taste of a good cup of tea.. Tea brewing is not in itself a difficult task, but a few tips might help improve the quality of your next cup.

• Store the tea properly in an airtight and waterproof container. This prevents the tea acquiring flavors from the environment around it and contamination by water.
• Start with fresh water each time. Previously boiled water has been de-aerated and will produce a substandard tea.
• If using a pot, preheat it to prevent heat loss when the tea is brewing.
• Pour the water right at the point of boiling, under boiling and over boiling the water can produce substandard tea.
• While most teas require boiling water for the infusion, some have more specific temperature requirements. Have a thermometer on hand for these teas.
• Time it. Infusion time can vary from tea to tea but a safe region is generally 3 – 5 minutes. Over brewing produces the bitter notes one tastes.

Until next time – happy brewing.

College campuses across the nation are a great place to spend an afternoon. This is true not only for the interesting architecture and buzzing student life but also for the general atmosphere. Especially if the college has a liberal bent, there is invariably a group of students protesting on a communal lawn or staging some sort of demonstration designed to make others aware of a social ill.

Regardless of whether these demonstrations actually change anybody’s mind, there is no doubt that they do raise awareness about particular issues that the group deems important. For example, one continued bone of contention among college students is the perpetuation of free trade products on the college campus. That’s why there have been many instances where fair trade certified organic coffee booths have been established right in the middle of campus. These booths often give the coffee away for free in order to let people know the high standards of quality that this coffee is held to.

Looking for that special coffee treat for Valentine’s Day? This recipe just might be the ticket.

St. Valentine’s Day Coffee Drink

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of kona coffee.
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tbsp strawberry syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla creamer
• fresh strawberries
• powdered sugar

Instructions:

• Brew the 2 cups of water with the 1/4-cup of Kona Coffee
• Pour into a glass
• Add strawberry syrup and vanilla creamer. Stir
• Garnish with fresh strawberries coated with powdered sugar
• Serve

Source: www.holidaycoffeerecipes.com

Additional Tip: Put some melted chocolate on the side for dipping the strawberries and feeding them to each other.

Happy Valentine’s Day!