Know Your Coffee

 Ethiopian shepherds noticed goats who ate the fruit of this plant would start “dancing”, leaping and running.Coffee was first eaten.  Crushed berries with mixed with fat to form ‘energy balls’.  The rise of Islam greatly contributed to coffee’s popularity since alcohol was forbidden but coffee was allowed. 

All the coffee in the world grows in the coffee belt centered on the equator between the tropic of cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.  Hawaii is the only state to grow coffee.

 In 1675, the King of England banned coffee houses claiming people met there to conspire against him.

 70% of the world consumes Arabica coffee beans which is mild and aromatic.   30% consumes Robusta which is more bitter-tasting and contains 50% more caffeine than Arabica.Coffee grows on trees which can reach 30 feet tall.  Most commercian trees are trimmed to keep them at about 10 feet tall for easy bean picking.  The bean is actually a seed inside a bright red berry.   Coffee is pick, dried and stripped down to a green bean.   Coffee is often shipped green then roasted at 500 degrees.  After a few minutes, the bean will make a popping sound and double in size.  After a couple more minutes, the bean will pop again and this signals the bean is done.

Coffee is the second most traded commodity on earth.  Oil is the first.  Clearly, we like dark, drippy things. 

George Washington invented instant coffee.  Not that George.  A Belgian living in Guatamala named George Washington invented instant coffee in 1906. 

Espresso is not a bean, blend or type of roast.  It is the method for preparing coffee: shooting pressurized water through finely ground coffee beans. 

The Coffee Term – Americano comes from WWII during which American GIs would order espresso with hot water to dilute the brew. 

How caffeine works:   In the brain, there is a chemical calls Adenosine which likes to attach only to certain receptors.  When that happens, you get drowsy.  Caffeine is consumed and moves to the brain and jumps into the Adenosine receptors so the Adenosine cannot.  All this Adenosine floating around unattached startles the Pituitary Gland which thinks something is going on and releases adrenaline into the bloodstream. Caffeine also bumps up the dopamine levels.  Adrenaline and dopamine produce the caffeine high.

 Coffee Terms

Caffé Americano – espresso diluted with hot water to brewed strength 

Caffé  Latte – with steamed milk and a dollop of froth 

Caffé Mocha – with steamed milk and chocolate syrup 

Caffé  Romano – with lemon peel 

Cappuccnino – with steamed milk, topped with lots of froth 

Cortadito – Cubano topped with steamed milk and froth 

Cubano – double shot with caramelized sugar 

Espresso Breve – with cream or half/half 

Espresso Con Panna – topped with whipped cream 

Espresso Machiato – marked with a small amount of froth 

Mochaccino – with steamed milk, lots of froth and chocolate syrup 

Mocha- cortaditio – Cortadito with chocolate syrup or mexican chocolate syrup which has cinnamon

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