By : Mike Singh
Who doesn't enjoy waking up to a fresh pot of brewed coffee? With so many different flavors, it can be hard to figure out which are the best ones out there. It is definitely a subjective matter. You should try different varieties to see what appeals to your tastebuds. Try to make your own choices about the best options in coffee flavors.
According to our research from a variety of sources, here are some other most popular coffee flavors:
* Chocolate. Believe it or not, people love their chocolate. Now, this could be a bit of dark or even white chocolate that is added. It can be sweet or bitter. The smooth texture that it adds to the coffee is always a draw in for many.
* French Vanilla. This creamy blend of vanilla and cream is perfect for a luxury coffee drink. You'll find them in all sorts of types. Being one of the most popular options out there, you can find it quite easily to sample.
* Love That Espresso. Yes, especially if you are from Europe, you know the value of a good cup of coffee. In Italy, ordering a cup of coffee will get you this small cup of very strong, very wonderful flavor.
* Go For The Nut. Hazelnut is another one of the wonderful blends of coffee that coffee drinkers are after. When it comes to tasting like a nut, you won't get much of that here. But, you will get an even taste, one that is not too bitter, yet not too sweet either.
* Amaretto. This type of coffee is sure to give you a little zing. That's because it is made to taste like the Italian liquor. Most times you will find it called Almond Amaretto.
* Dark Roast It Has To Be Here! There is just something amazing about the flavor and after taste of a dark roast coffee. If you haven't had it, try it.
* Kona Anyone? Kona is a very wonderful coffee that is much unlike other flavors out there. It has an underlying hint of citrus that is just enough to make you say, "What is that wonderful coffee flavor?"
There you have it. You might've heard of some of these, and the others must be new to you. You'll never know what you're missing out on till you try the others. Have fun.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Coffee Flavors - Chocolate, French Vanilla, Espresso, Amaretto, Hazelnut, Kona
"Java Kings!" Who Ruled The Coffee World?
By : Don McKay
Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia by a goat herder named Kaldi who while watching his goats noticed that they were acting very bizarre. As he investigated this peculiar behavior he noticed that the goats were dancing from one bush to the next eating cherry colored berries. He started partaking of the berries himself and was soon dancing with his goats. It became an aid for him and fellow goat herders to help them stay alert through out the night as they watched their herd.
Coffee moved north to the Arabia's where it flourished and transcended from raw (green beans) to roasted beans that were grounded and brewed. To gain control over this magical crop Arabians would boil their export beans making them infertile. For almost 600 years from about 1000 A.D. to the 1600's coffee only grew in North Africa the Eastern Mediterranean, and India. This crop was dominated by the nation of Islam for literally centuries. It was when a smuggler named Baba Budan finally opened the coffee market by smuggling live coffee seeds into Europe. This made the coffee empire shift hands in 1615 A.D.
The Turks were at this time known for having a magical drink of black color. A few of their merchants introduced the drink to the Italians. The merchants of Venice introduced coffee to the rest of Europe. In 1616 the Dutch did what was thought to be impossible. They grew what is known as the first coffee plant in Europe. In 1696 they started the first European owned coffee empire in an area called Java, which is now part of Indonesia.
The Dutch soon after their Java conquest moved forward to other areas. Amsterdam, was now growing coffee? This seems to be the case. The Dutch were very prosperous in their coffee conquest. It was in 1714 that King Louis the XIV received his first coffee tree for his royal courtyard the Jard des Plantes. A few years later while on a French expedition to the Caribbean's a Naval Officer petitioned the king for some of the seed from the Jard des Plantes, but his request was denied. Several days later the Naval Officer and a few of his shipmates raided the Jard des Plantes and took a shrub, which later yielded 18 million coffee trees in a fifty-year period.
In 1727 Brazil wanted to have a piece of the coffee empire, but had to find a way to smuggle some seeds from a coffee country. Colonel Palheta was sent to settle a border dispute in France. This smooth talking Officer found the coffee fortress impregnable, so he found a road of lease resistance. That road was none other then the Governor's wife. His plan paid off. At a fair well dinner she presented him with a bush with seedlings. From these seed sprang forth the largest coffee empire ever. By the 1800's Brazil's coffee was no longer a drink for the elite. Everyone was able to partake from this magical drink.
How fortunate we are today that coffee has been made accessible to the Millions who love it. Our history lesson has taught us that coffee was meant to be share the world around. No King can rule the coffee empire!
Over A Cup Of Coffee
I was 15 when I had my 1st cup of coffee and it was a time I will never forget. I was not quite an adult and not quite a child either, so this day was special. My grandma poured the coffee into a big mug and showed me that lifes pleasures are sometimes simple. I have to admit the taste of plain black coffee was not that great, but the acknowledgment to manhood was worth the bitter taste. She showed me the way sugar takes the edge off the taste, and how too much sugar ruined the flavor all together. She also explained that milk & cream were not the same and that creamer was actually smoother than milk.
The days to follow found me experimenting with other coffee ideas. I added whip cream and chocolate sprinkles, and chocolate syrup to give it a chocolate mocha taste. That was just the beginning of my coffee passion. I traveled to Chicago, Illinois and had the greatest tasting cup of coffee at a local diner. I inquired as to the brand of coffee I was drinking and to my surprise it was Folgers. What made this coffee so great? It might have been the victory the Cubs had over the St.Louis Cardnals that day.
On a cold March morning I warmed myself up to a cup of French Roast. The thing that made this coffee so great was on this particular day my son was born and I look forward to his first cup of coffee with me. Hopefully I remember all that Grandma said to me, so that day will be special for him.
It was in Luling, Texas that I remember the freshest coffee I ever had. What made this particular cup so special? I bought my first house and was able to sit on my back pourch and watch the sunrise for the 1st time. As I sit there and reflect on my life it amazes me at what can take place over a cup of coffee.
Can Coffee Be Used As A Fertilizer?
Used coffee grounds have been discarded as trash by millions of people around the world. Is there another use for your used grounds? The answer is "yes," and the more you learn about the used coffee grounds the more sense it makes to use them as a fertilizer. My Grandmother taught me years ago the secret of used coffee grounds. She said that the grounds give your plants more life. I always wondered what she meant by more life. Then as I watched her plants grow I seen some amazing things. Her tomato garden was huge, and much larger than our neighbors. Tomatoes the size of a softball grew in her garden and at a fast pace. When the neighbors would inquire as to her secret she said I have rich soil. She did not lie; because due to those used coffee grounds her soil was rich indeed.
Used coffee grounds are a great fertilizer for gardens because of their high nitrogen content. Of all the mineral nutrients in the soil, nitrogen is generally the most difficult for plants to acquire. The reason plants have difficulty is because of the way they acquire the nitrogen. It is primarily thru their roots, which are buried in the soil. Most plants depend on mineral forms of nitrogen in the soil, and this is where your coffee grounds come into place. Your used grounds give your soil the added nitrogen that your plants need. Coffee grounds also contain potassium, phosphorus, and many other elements that aid in plant development. Many rose gardeners report that used coffee grounds aid in their roses development. Reports also add that when used coffee grounds have made their roses more colorful and larger than normal. In fact, when added to a compost pile used coffee grounds compost very quickly.
Nitrogen is a component of all proteins, and is crucial to life. In several studies, plants that have a nitrogen rich soil grew faster and larger then plants that grew in natural soil. It is clearly wiser to save those used coffee grounds and use them in your gardens or household flowerpots. If you are not using used coffee grounds you are wasting a great resource.
Coffee Tips & TEAzers
By : Don McKay
It is said that change is good, but not for everyone. I like my coffee fresh, hot, and black. Many people are sick of the same old routine, and want to try something different. I want to introduce you to my Coffee Tips & TEAzers. These are a few tips and recipes given to me by various people over the years. I hope you are able to enjoy them as much as I have.
Coffee Tip #1
The only thing that beats a hot cup of coffee in the morning is a FRESH cup of hot coffee. The only way to guarantee fresh Coffee & Tea every time is to vacuum pack your beans, grounds, tea bags, or loose-leaf teas. This prevents the air from making your coffee and teas stale. It will keep your coffee & teas fresher longer.
Coffee Tip #2
If you are board with the traditional way coffee is presented then I have some ideas that will give your coffee some pizzazz. Try flavored syrups there are many different flavors to choose from and you can combine the flavors to make something unique. Try adding some chocolate syrup to your coffee. Then add a splash of half & half creamer. Stir completely until your coffee is a tan color. Then add whip cream and chocolate sprinkles. Presto! You have a hot cup of chocolate mocha!
Coffee Tip #3
This is a unique recipe Cafe Speciale
· 4 teaspoons chocolate syrup
· 1/2 cup heavy cream
· 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
· 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
· 1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 cups extra-strength hot coffee
Put 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup into each of 4 small cups. Combine cream. 1/4-teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Whip. Stir remaining 1/2-teaspoon cinnamon into hot coffee. Pour coffee into cups. Stir to blend with syrup. Top with whipped cream. Makes 4 servings.
TEAser#1
The problem with tea bags is that you really don't know how fresh the tea is. With loose-leaf teas you can feel the texture and see the tea more clearly. The smell alone can be deceiving. Some companies have been known to spray their teas with scents that make them smell fresh, but are they really?
TEAser#2
Mango Tea (By The Pitcher)
Fill Pitcher with Ice
Add 5 oz. Monin Mango Tea
Fill with 50 oz. Water
Stir Well
Raspberry Tea (By The Glass)
Fill 12 oz. Glass with Ice
Add 1 oz. Monin Raspberry Tea
Top off with 10 oz. Water
Stir Well
Minted Mango Tea
1 cup chopped refrigerated mango slices
1-cup pineapple juice
8 green tea bags
2 4-inch mint sprigs
4 cups boiling water
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
Ice cubes
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan bring water to boiling. Add tea bags, anise, and cinnamon stick. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and cinnamon stick. Stir in nectar, honey, and lemon juice. Heat through.
2. Pour tea mixture into four heatproof cups, floating a star anise on top of each. Makes 4 servings.
Why Is Coffee Not My Cup Of Tea? Is it Stale?
By : Don McKay
Most everyone that I have talked to that does not like coffee said that it is the bitter taste they don't like. Fresh coffee is never bitter. In fact, fresh coffee is smooth and tasty even undoctored. So what is giving coffee such a bad rap? After some research it a cured to me that the problem is lack of freshness, and coffee that was brewed hours ago. Stale coffee itself is horrible to drink. Stale coffee can leave a bad taste in your mouth, but if you buy coffee that is guaranteed fresh when you brew it then it will taste smooth and refreshing. How does coffee get to the point of being stale? In many cases it is due to poor packaging, but in most cases it is due to over stocking.
Poor packaging is when the product is not properly sealed from the manufacture, or the seal is broken along the way. Most containers are plastic these days, but many still use the steel cans. The difference is the cost plastic is much cheaper to produce. Plastic is not as durable and sometimes is easily damaged. If the seal is broken then the coffee is exposed to the air, which dries out the coffee. This is the main reason coffee gets to the point of being stale. Another problem is over stocking.
When a store over stocks there products the product sits longer on the shelf or in the back and over time the freshness fades away. Many distributors of coffee buy by volume to get the coffee at a cheaper price. The problem is they can sit on that coffee for month, or even years until it is sold. How long can coffee remain fresh in a vacuum-sealed container? It can vary, but the average length is about 6 months. Do you see the problem now? I have worked for a grocery store before and I have seen products stay on the shelves for months. If you were to brew a cup of coffee from beans roasted a year ago then that cup of coffee will be horrible. What about coffee that was brewed 4 hours ago?
In many cases the coffee appears thicker because the water is vaporized over time. The coffee can have a burnt taste that is also bitter. If it is not fresh don't drink it. My wife hates coffee because of her first bad experience, and after I roasted her a fresh batch she admitted that it was really good and not bitter. How fresh is your coffee?
Coffee Or Tea - Which Is Better For You?
By : Lee Dobbins
While the health benefits of drinking green tea have been much publicized, few people realize that drinking coffee can have health benefits as well but recent studies show that coffee may share some of the healthy attributes that green tea has shown.
Like green tea, coffee has antioxidants including quinines, chlorogenic acid and tocopherols as well as essential minerals such as magnesium. All of which help in glucose metabolism and result in those who regularly drink coffee having a reduced risk of diabetes. Both coffee and green tea have been shown to contain compounds which have antibacterial properties that can help prevent tooth decay and may help to fight food poisoning.
Green tea has been shown to have a role in the prevention of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and to help boost your immune system. In addition, green tea may also help you lose weight and is said to help lower blood sugar and cholesterol as well as slow the aging process.
Coffee is said to contain compounds that boost the activity of enzymes which may protect against colon cancer (according to animal studies published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry). Other health benefits of coffee include a reduced risk of developing Parkinsons Disease, help in relieving asthma symptoms, stopping tension headaches, and inhibiting the formation of gallstones.
When it comes to the question of how much coffee or tea you need to benefit the answers can be a bit confusing. While most everyone agrees that the caffeinated should only be taken in small amounts (no more than 3 cups of coffee a day) to avoid the addictive qualities of the caffeine, it's a bit more vague on how much tea is recommended. Some say 10 cups a day, others say you can experience the benefits with 3 cups a day.
Hot Coffee: Getting The Delicious Taste You Want
Coffee is everywhere in our society. Many people love the rich delicious flavor of a nice hot cup of coffee as soon as they wake in the morning. In fact, many people prefer to set their coffee makers so that the first thing they will sense when they wake is the fragrant aroma of fresh brewed coffee.
When it comes to keeping coffee hot, there are some steps that you can take to ensure that each cup of coffee is deliciously fresh, aromatic, and refreshing. First, you should make sure that you always brew your coffee fresh when you want some. For some people it may mean choosing a small coffee maker that only brews a cup at a time.
You'll also find that you should use the freshest and purest water for your coffee. Since coffee uses mostly 90 percent water, make sure that you use high quality water. If you use tap water, you can filter it or use special coffee filters that will help remove any impurities before brewing.
You will need to make sure that you measure your coffee grounds according to the amount of brewed coffee you desire. You can purchase coffee according to its strength as well as adjust the amount of coffee grinds that you measure to make the coffee the strength you desire. However, it should be noted that everyone prefers a different strength to his or her coffee, and what may be the perfect cup of coffee to you, may be too strong or too weak to someone else. A standard cup of coffee is basically six ounces of water and two tablespoons of coffee grinds. By using this basic formula, you can determine how many tablespoons you need to brew a perfect pot.
To ensure that your coffee remains hot, choose your choice of coffee mug or thermos carefully. Make sure that it is well insulated. Glass and stainless steel will not affect the taste of the coffee and are recommended as suitable thermos materials. Also, you will find that coffee that has been percolated or brewed in an automatic coffee maker will retain the best flavor.
Coffee that has been brewed in a French Press may not taste as well if it has been kept in a thermos. This in part due to the remaining sediment that exists in the coffee, it will continue to heat and cause the coffee to lose its flavor. The same is true of Espresso coffee. By brewing your coffee fresh and storing it in the proper thermos, you will continue to enjoy fresh hot coffee.
Tips For Choosing A Great Coffee Maker
By : Adrian Adams
The right coffee maker can turn a cup of coffee into a sensuous work of art. There's nothing that can match the aroma or the taste of a perfect cup of coffee. With coffee makers available in so many different styles and sizes, finding the right one can be daunting task for the inexperienced as well as the coffee connoisseur. To make it a little easier for you here are a few tips for choosing a coffee maker that's just right for you!
Size matters - Size is most important when choosing a coffee maker. How big a coffee maker you choose should depend on your coffee drinking life-style. If you usually need just a single cup of coffee at a time, then you should opt for a single-cup coffee maker that will brew you a fresh cup of coffee every time you feel the need to recharge.
On the other hand, you will need a coffee maker with a larger carafe if you have a host of people, all clamoring for a cuppa at the same time.
Programmable coffee maker - Do you like to wake up and smell the coffee? - If you do, then you should consider buying a programmable coffee maker. Set it to start a few minutes before you wake up and you can literally wake up and smell the coffee.
Drip coffee makers - These coffee makers are very popular as they can be used to process almost all types of coffee beans including very fine and very coarse. Drip coffee makers come in a wide range of sizes from the gigantic ones capable of brewing 12 cups for a large family to the smaller-sized, 4-cup coffee makers.
Espresso machine - You most definitely need one of these coffee makers if you are looking to get a big kick from your tiny cup of espresso. This machine works by pumping 1.5 ounces of water through coffee grounds that are highly packed. This produces a shot of rich, dark and significantly concentrated coffee that is perfect for a quick pick-me-up.
French Press coffee maker - This one-cup coffee maker is sure to take you back to the cafes of Paris. Hot water, forced through ultra-fine coffee grounds, maximizes the flavor and oil extraction from the coffee, giving you that ultimate, full-bodied cup of coffee that every coffee aficionado dreams of.
Some of the other features you should look for when selecting a coffee maker include a built-in grinder for that delicious aroma of freshly ground coffee, a removable drip tray for easy cleaning and an automatic shut-off feature that can help prevent your house burning down if you accidentally leave it on and go off on vacation.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Is Diet Soda Good for Your Diet?
By : Kathryn Lively
When you think of nutrition and eating healthy, most likely you are more concerned about the food you eat than the beverages you drink. You may think having a diet drink could not do any harm at lunch or dinner, but if you indulge too much it could add up to trouble in the long run.
But it's a diet drink...
Perhaps you have seen on television or film a sketch where a person orders a fattening, fast food meal with a diet soda to even everything out. A diet soda has zero calories compared to as many as 300 per serving of regular soda, so you are actually doing yourself a good service, right?
Not exactly. Regular sodas are highly caloric because they contain sugar, whereas diet sodas are manufactured with artificial sweeteners - one of the most popular being aspartame. The validity of aspartame as a health risk has been debated for many years - some claim the sweetener may contribute to increasing toxicity levels and risk of various illnesses, while other dismiss such charges.
What we do know for certain is that aspartame contains phenylalanine, an essential amino acid that does occur naturally in certain dairy foods and green vegetables. On the other hand, one byproduct of aspertame is formaldehyde!
When you shop for "diet" foods it is always a good idea to check for this ingredient on the labels so you know exactly what you are eating and how much.
Too much caffeine?
Just because a diet soda is free of calories, doesn't mean it is devoid of other questionable ingredients. For example, not all calorie-free, sugar-free sodas are caffeine free, check the labels! Did you know, for example, that there is more caffeine in one can of Diet Coke than in regular Coca-Cola? There are almost 46 milligrams of caffeine in this diet soda, and while it's not as much as coffee (which can top 200 milligrams), the tendancy to want to drink more diet soda can contribute to a caffeine overload. You will have energy yes, but will be driven on empty calories and sweeteners instead of something nutritious. You may lose sleep, and suffer incredible headaches through caffeine withdrawal. Caffeine is highly addictive as well, and could lead you on a cycle that is difficult to break without some good will power.
Water, the best "diet" drink
A good percentage of our bodies are water, so it would make sense to constantly replenish your body with the very same substance. Imagine, if you replaced a glass a water for every soda you drink, think of all the calories you save, the less toxins in your body, and the greater improvement to your health. It's the best diet drink there is.
Eight glasses a day...no doubt you've heard it from everybody - your parents, your doctor, talk show professionals. The road to wellness is actually a river of pure, clean water, and while to drink sixty-four ounces daily seems like an impossible task, it is actually one of the simplest steps you can take to starting a sound weight loss program. After all, our bodies are approximately sixty percent water, so it is only natural that we constantly replenish ourselves in order to feel good.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Natural Weight Loss with Raw Foods
by Lambert Klein
Now is the time to think about your weight and health. Is a raw food diet right for you? Well if you want to keep the weight off and remain healthy then it just could be.
Many believe that a raw vegan diet is the natural diet for humans. It seems like people on raw food diets can eat almost as much as they want and still maintain a healthy weight.
Cavemen didn't eat cooked foods until after they learned how to use fire. Then they slowly started to incorperate it into their diets. Once they begin using fire they slowly incorporated cooked foods into their diet.
This appears to make sense. Raw foods contain all the natural enzymes that assist you to completely digest your food without putting excessive strain on your body. Cooked foods have most if not all of the enzymes destroyed. You have to try your best to cut back on processed food. Stay with the healthier fresh fruits and vegetables.
We are all aware of the hormones, preservatives and other unhealthy additives that are in our foods today. This is a significant reason to try to eat organic foods as well.
People on raw food diets seem to be healthier, happier and hardly catch a cold. You do have to make sure you have enough vit-b12 though. Have this checked and take a supplement if necessary.
One healthy food that may be particularly good in helping with weight loss is parsnips. They are high in fiber which makes you feel fuller. Parsnips can lower cholesterol and keep your blood sugar even.
If you definitely want to lose weight and keep it off, then you need to follow a healthy lifestyle. You must get enough exercise and eat healthier. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. The only caveman you will see on an elevator or escalator are those on the silly Geico commercials.
Make sure you include healthy oils and fats that contains omega 3. Stay away from the unhealthy ones. Avocados also contain healthy oils.
Try your best to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Slowly start to cut out the cooked foods and meats. Continue on this path and you will start to feel great and wonder why you haven't started this long ago.
After the cavemen discovered fire they had to chase their dinner. Sometimes their "dinner" would chase them. Before they ate meat they had to thoroughly search for other food. I suppose they exercised a bit more than we do today.
We can exercise more by going for walks, swimming, jogging and enjoying sports. Maybe those cavemen aren't receiving all the credit they deserve after all.
You can learn more about natural weight loss at
http://www.1thinkhealthy.com/weightloss-cures-book.html
Article Source: ArticleBazaar.net
