Practically every home wakes up to the wafting scent of freshly brewed coffee. Nobody waxes eloquent about the aroma of tea although there is no dearth of tea drinkers. Coffee holds a very special place in the hearts of coffee lovers. With the deluge of cafes and coffee shops everywhere, the choice of coffee has multiplied and ordering a coffee can in itself be quite a daunting task.
You are probably familiar with the names of the different types of coffee that are given on the menu but not too familiar with what goes into each coffee. People are generally not adventurous when it comes to coffee, they would rather stick to the tried and tested brew all the time. All the different coffees have their own distinctive flavour and texture and if you don’t try out something new each time, you may miss out on a richer and tastier coffee.
The Turkish Coffee and the Espresso are dark black strong coffee with no milk or cream. Café Latte is Espresso with coffee flavoured syrup and milk, while Café au Lait is double strength coffee with heated milk. Irish Coffee is laced with whiskey and topped with whipped cream and the Machiato is Espresso with a dash of aerated milk. Cappuccino is Espresso with a little milk, and spices sprinkled on top. A combination of cocoa, little milk, chocolate syrup and instant coffee produces Café Mocha. Iced Coffee made of Espresso, a dash of whipped cream, and crushed ice finds favour even in the eyes of the most die-hard fan of hot coffee.
There are primarily two types of coffee beans; the Robusta and the Arabica. The Arabica is more expensive and popular because of its rich aroma and flavour. Instant coffee is mostly made with Robusta beans as it costs less. If you are a ‘real’ coffee buff, you will know that the best coffee is the one that is brewed with freshly roasted and ground coffee beans. The way the coffee bean is roasted also affects the final flavour of the coffee. Use freshly roasted bean only after a day after it is roasted to obtain the best flavour. You can store it in an airtight glass jar for two weeks.
Coffee is said to reduce a number of health risks including dementia, Alzheimer’s, incidence of cancer, gall stones, tooth decay, gout, etc. It also protects the liver and heart, and acts as a diuretic and laxative. Coffee is not advised during pregnancy, and is said to have a few adverse effects like staining of teeth, hypertension, and sleep disturbances. According to research, women are seen to benefit more from drinking coffee than men. Moderate intake of coffee is definitely beneficial to health.
Coffee was first cultivated in the Ethiopian highlands as early as the fifteenth century. But it was only the last century that saw coffee cultivated in Australia. Australian coffee cultivation became truly viable only with the introduction of mechanical harvesting in the 1980s. Northern NSW and Queensland are the coffee growing areas in Australia.
Australia produces 200 to 600 tonnes of coffee in a year, and half of this is exported. Although Australian coffee is labeled as entirely organic, increased use of insecticides in coffee plantations, make it a dubious claim.
The most expensive coffee in the world comes from Indonesia and parts of Philippines and East Timor. Kopi Luvak, Motit Coffee, Kafe Laku, and Kape Alamid are some of its more common names. In Vietnam, where the same coffee is reproduced using chemical stimulation, it is called Weasle Coffee. The Asian Palm Civet plays a role in the production of this coffee; it eats the coffee berry with the bean, which passes through the intestines and is passed out undigested in its original shape. These beans are then gathered, washed, dried, and then roasted lightly to produce the least bitter and most aromatic coffee in the world. The price per kilogram of Kopi Luvak is around US $700!
Although making your own steaming mug of coffee has its plus points, it is not always feasible. You will definitely agree that sipping an exotic brew in your favourite cafe, with a good friend or your book for company will give you a more pleasurable experience.
This article is contributed by Coffee Vans Melbourne, Mobile Coffee Melbourne, and Mobile Coffee Vans Melbourne.
