Little info on Kopi Luwak

Kopi Luwak , or civet coffee, is coffee made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) and other related civets, then passed through it's digestive tract. A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness, widely noted as the most expensive coffee in the world. Kopi luwak is produced mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago.

Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee. Luwak is a local name for the Asian palm civet in Sumatra. When coffee plants are put into civet habitats, the civets forage on only the ripest and sweetest berries.

Kopi luwak is a name for many specific cultivars and blends of arabica, robusta, liberica, excelsa or other beans eaten by the civets, therefore the taste can vary greatly. Nonetheless, kopi luwak coffees have a shared aroma profile and flavor characteristics, along with their lack of bitterness. Kopi luwak tastes unlike heavy roasted coffees, since roasting levels range only from cinnamon color to medium, with little or no caramelization of sugars within the beans as happens with heavy roasting. Moreover, kopi luwaks which have very smooth profiles are most often given a lighter roast. Iced kopi luwak brews may bring out some flavors not found in other coffees. Sumatra is the world's largest regional producer of kopi luwak.

Kopi luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, prices range from 100 $ to 600 $ a pound. In U.S. and Southeast Asian coffee houses is sold by the cup.

Cappuccino

   

    A cappuccino is an Italian coffee drink prepared with espresso, hot milk, and steamed-milk foam.

    A cappuccino is traditionally served in a porcelain cup, which has far better heat-retention characteristics than glass or paper. The foam on top of the cappuccino acts as an insulator and helps retain the heat of the liquid, allowing it to stay hot longer. If you like, you can sprinkle powder on top of it (usually: cinnamon, cocoa or chocolate).

    A cappuccino is similar to a latte, the main difference being that the cappuccino is made with much more less steamed (or foam) milk than a latte. Secondly, cappuccinos feature a distinctive layer of foam on top, which is lesser or absent in lattes. 

    The first espresso machines that used to make cappuccino were introduced at the beginning of the 20th century, and were invented by Luigi Bezzera in 1901. The cappuccino was first introduced in Italy, but it's popularity grew with the development of the steam-pressured espresso machines. The cappuccino began to look like the way it looks now since the early 50s.

    Besides a shot of espresso, the most important element in preparing a cappuccino is the texture and temperature of the milk. When a barista steams the milk for a cappuccino, microfoam is created by introducing very tiny bubbles of air into the milk, giving the milk a velvety texture and sweetness. The traditional cappuccino consists of an espresso, on which the barista pours the hot foamed milk, resulting in a 2cm thick milk foam on top.

    Iced cappuccino (or Cappuccino Freddo) is the cold version of a cappuccino in which a bit of iced milk is poured on top of it. This drink is widely available in Italy, where it is not served with ice. 

Breakfast

     

    Since Brazil is considered a symbol of the world's coffee trading, we can assume that the people here are quite accustomed to the caffeine-filled beverage.

    If Brazil represents coffee trading (and a lot more things) then coffee definitely represents everyones breakfast. 

    For example, Brazilians use the term  café-da-manhã (morning coffee) to refer to breakfast. Breakfast differs in Brazil from region to region. Black coffee, cow milk, yogurt and white cheese are quite popular, and so are fruit juices (especially natural fruit juices). The coffee or juice accompanies french bread or sliced bread with jam or butter, grilled sandwiches of ham and cheese called misto-quente, slices of cake such as corn cake, orange cake and carrot cake.

    An interesting fact is that in some Cuban regions, toasted buttered Cuban bread is dunk into coffee (sound tempting, and I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it).

Coffee Cocktails: A-Bomb

    Ingredients:

          1) Bailey's Irish Cream
          2) Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
          3) Tia Maria Coffee Liqueur
          4) Vodka

   Quantities:

          1) 30 ml Bailey's Irish Cream

          2) 30 ml Kahlua Coffee Liqueur

          3) 30 ml Tia Maria Coffee Liqueur

          4) 30 ml Vodka

    Blending:

          Mix all the ingredients over ice. Pour in a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy!

    This cocktail is perfect during the short, hot summer nights. The coffee taste of this drink brings something new and revigorating to your body.

Frappe

    Frappe coffee is a foam-covered, iced coffee drink made from instant coffee. It represents a top caffeine choice especially during the summer. 

    The spray-dried instant coffee contains nearly no oil, just tiny particles (coffee solids), some molecules responsible for flavor and taste, and of course caffeine. The absence of oil (or the significantly lower oil content compared to traditionally brewed coffee) makes the system more stable and the bubbles do not collapse with the same ease as in crema. Soon after the foam is created, a process of thickening takes place where water molecules are constantly pushed out of the frothy mixture. Higher viscosity will retard the phenomenon, and that is the reason that the addition of sugar will create a better foam. The phenomenon continues until bubbles come very close together and the foam almost solidifies. This process can take between 2 minutes to 10 minutes and depends strongly on the agitation process during mixing. As the bubbles come closer and closer, they start to merge and create bigger bubbles. Hand-mixers create smaller and more uniformly sized bubbles. The smaller the bubbles, the more the foam lasts in time. The best frappe coffees are said to be the ones with smaller bubbles and a foam of 30 to 50 millimeters in thickness. 

    Frappe variations (determined by the amount of sugar and coffee used):

•  glykós (sweet)
• métrios (medium)
• skétos (plain)

    All varieties my be served with evaporated milk. Of course, in many restaurants, a globe of ice cream is added to the mix instead of milk. In addition, you will find recipes in which some types of liqueurs are added. 

Caffeine

    Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the beans, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants.It is most commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the bean of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush.

    In humans, caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, having the effect of temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks, enjoy great popularity. Caffeine is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance, but unlike other substances, it is legal and as far as the human body is concerned, it is not that dangerous (in limited quantities of course). Some statistics show that in North America, 90% of adults drink coffee daily. Global consumption of caffeine has been estimated at 120,000 tonnes per year (a lot if you ask me) making it the world's most known, consumed and popular psychoactive substance. Caffeine is a central nervous system and metabolic stimulant, and it is used for medical purposes (to reduce physical fatigue and restore mental alertness) as well as for recreational purposes. 

    The precise amount of caffeine necessary to produce effects varies from individual to individual depending on body size and degree of tolerance to caffeine. It takes about an hour for caffeine to begin affecting the body, and a mild doze will ware off in about 3 to 4 hours. Caffeine DOES NOT replace the need for sleep; it only gives the sensation of mental alertness but this sensation wears off. 

    !!!!! In large amounts, and especially over extended periods of time, caffeine can lead to a condition known as caffeinism. Caffeinism usually combines caffeine dependency with a wide range of unpleasant physical and mental conditions including nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching (hyperreflexia), insomnia, headaches, respiratory alkalosis, and heart palpitations. !!!!!

    Some scientific facts:

          - IUPAC name: 1,3,7-trimethyl- 1H-purine- 2,6(3H,7H)-dione

          - Molecular formula: C8H10N4O2

          - Molar mass: 194.19 g/mol

          - Density: 1.23 g/cm3, solid

          - Melting point: 227–228 °C

          - Boiling point: 178 °C

Espresso

Caffè espresso, or just espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee. In vast contrast to other coffee brewing methods, espresso often has a thicker consistency, a higher concentration of dissolved solids, and crema (foam) . As a result of the pressurized brewing process, all of the flavors and chemicals in a typical cup of coffee are very concentrated. For this reason, espresso is the base for other drinks, such as lattes, cappuccino, macchiato, mochas, and americanos.

The first espresso machines appeared in the beginning of the 20th century. To produce coffee, they used steam pressure.

Preparation of espresso requires an espresso machine. The act of producing a shot of espresso is often termed "pulling" a shot, originating from lever espresso machines which require pulling down a handle attached to a spring-loaded piston, forcing hot water through the coffee at high pressure.

Espresso is the most popular coffee-based beverage in many parts of the world, though the espresso phenomenon is quite recent. With the rise of various coffee chains in the 1990s, espresso-based drinks rose in popularity in the United States, with the city of Seattle viewed as one of the origins of modern interest.

In addition to the Italian espresso, coffee chains offer various types of mixtures; adding syrups, cream, milk foam, spices, making a lot more complex drink than the simple espresso. Espresso has become increasingly popular in recent years, in regions where coffee has traditionally been prepared in other ways.

Furthermore, espresso is frequently served blended with milk and hot water. Notable milk-based espresso drinks, in order of size, include: macchiato, cappuccino, flat white, and latte, while espresso and water drinks especially include the Americano and long black.

A few espresso-based drinks:

• Affogato: espresso served over gelato. Vanilla is the traditional flavor, but a wide variety of flavors can be used.
• Americano: a mixture of espresso and hot water, with the water poured over the espresso. This mix was created in order to dilute the strong taste of espresso.
• Antoccino: a shot of espresso with steamed milk at about the same quantity.
• Bicerin: made from layers of espresso, chocolate and whole milk.
• Carajillo: espresso with a shot of brandy. Popular in Spain during the winter:)
• Cappuccino: Traditionally, one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk, and one-third microfoam.
• Corretto: coffee with a shot of liquor, usually grappa or brandy.
• Con hielo: Espresso immediately poured over two ice cubes, preferred in Madrid during Summer.
• Doppio: double shot of espresso.
• Flat white: a coffee drink made of one-third espresso and two thirds steamed milk with little or no foam.
• Guillermo: one or to shots of espresso poured over slices of lime.
  

Coffee Tree

    The coffee tree is a shrub with a straight trunk that can survive for as long as 70 years. Production of coffee is profitable from the 5th year onwards. Coffee has been classified as a member of the Rubiaceous family. From about 60 different species of coffee trees, only 2 dominate the world trade:

• Coffea arabica (or more simply, Arabica)
• Coffea canephora  

    Below are some details about the most well-known species of coffee trees:

          1) Coffeea arabica takes about seven years to mature fully. The altitude at which it's usually cultivated is about 1300 - 1500 m, but plantations exist as low as sea level and as high as 2800 m. The plant can tolerate low temperatures but not frost. This type of tree prefers to be grow in light shade. 2 to 4 years after planting, Coffea arabica produces small, white and highly fragrant flowers. The flowers last for only a few days, leaving behind only the thick, dark, green leaves. The berries then begin to appear. Inferior coffee results from picking them too early or too late, so many are picked by hand to be able to better select them, as they do not all ripen at the same time. The trees are difficult to cultivate and each tree can produce anywhere from 0.5–5 kg of dried beans, depending on the tree's individual character and the climate that season.

          2) Coffea canephora (Robusta) is a species of coffee which has its origins in central and western subsaharan Africa. The plant has a shallow root system and grows as a robust tree or shrub to about 10 metres. It flowers irregularly, taking about 10 – 11 months for cherries to ripen, producing oval shaped beans. As it is less susceptible to pests and disease, Robusta needs much less herbicides or pesticides than Arabica. That is possibly due to the higher caffeine content.

          3) Coffea Liberica is a species of coffee that originated in Liberia, West Africa. The coffee tree grows up to 9 metres in height, producing cherries that are larger than the cherries found on Arabica trees.The town of Lipa (now Lipa City) became the best producer of Liberica in the 1880s but soon collapsed when the Coffee rust disease came out, almost killing all coffee plants which has threatened the varietal with extinction. Today the provinces of Batangas and Cavite are the producers of Liberica in the Philippines.

    Coffee grows on varied soils - volcanic, siliceous clay, alluvial and peat and sand. Like the vine, soil gives a particular character to the same botanical species and different "Vintages" arise. Soil must be deep (roots are 1 to 2 meters) and acid (pH 4.5 to 6).

Coffee History

    Botanical evidence indicates that the history of the coffee bean began on the plateaus of central Ethiopia and somehow must have been brought to Yemen where it was cultivated since the 6th century. However no direct evidence has been found indicating where in Africa coffee grew or who among the natives might have used it as a stimulant or even known about it, earlier than the 17th century. From Ethiopia, coffee was said to have spread to Egypt and Yemen. The earliest evidence of coffee drinking or knowledge of the coffee tree dates back to the 15th century, in the Sufi monasteries in Yemen. By the 16th century, it had reached the rest of the Middle East, Persia, Turkey, and northern Africa. Coffee then spread to Italy, and to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia, and to the Americas.

      Coffee was noted in Ottoman Aleppo by the German physician botanist Leonhard Rauwolf, the first European to mention it, as chaube, in 1573; Rauwolf was closely followed by descriptions from other European travellers. Venetian merchants introduced coffee-drinking to the wealthy in Venice, charging them heavily for the beverage. The first European coffee house (apart from those in the Ottoman Empire, mentioned above) was opened in Venice in 1645.

      The first coffee plantation in Brazil occurred in 1727 when Lt. Col. Francisco de Melo Palheta smuggled seeds, still essentially from the germ plasm originally taken from Yemen to Batavia. By the 1800s, Brazil's harvests would turn coffee from an elite indulgence to a drink for the masses. The success of coffee in 17th-century Europe was paralleled with the spread of the habit of tobacco smoking all over the continent during the course of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). For many decades in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Brazil was the biggest producer of coffee.