Coffee

Have you ever wondered, as you’re sitting in your favorite coffee shop or perhaps at your own kitchen table, sipping your morning cup of gourmet coffee, where that wonderful drink originated at? If you live in the United States, you can thank a man by the name of Alfred Peet. In 1955, Alfred Peet moved to California from Amsterdam, Holland. To his despair, he couldn’t find a decent cup of coffee anywhere. As the son of an Amsterdam coffee trader, he knew good coffee when he drank it.

In 1966, Peet opened a small coffee store in Berkley, California, and began to sell his dark roasted beans. At the time there was one other North American store selling quality coffee, but they were in Vancouver, Canada. From that time until now, Peet’s has served the gourmet coffee needs in Southern California.

While gourmet coffee didn’t come to the States until 1966, coffee has been around since the 9th century, when Ethiopian shepherds notice that their goats would “dance” and had more energy after eating wild coffee beans. Since Islam prohibits the use of alcohol, coffee provided an alternative to wine. From there it spread to Egypt and Yemen. It wasn’t until it reached Arabia that coffee beans were roasted and brewed to make a drink.

At first, this drink was not well received by the Islamic people. In 1511, it was forbidden by the court at Mecca. The drink was so popular, though, that this was overturned in 1524 by the Ottoman Turkish Sultan Selim. It was also banned for a time in Egypt and Ethiopia, before being accepted as an acceptable Muslim drink. This was largely due to the rulers at the time liking the taste of the beverage, therefore decreeing it acceptable.

By the 15th century, coffee was common throughout the Middle East, Persia, Turkey and North Africa. The word “coffee” came from “caffé” in Italy in the 16th century. Before that it was called, in Arabic, “qahwa”. In Venice traders started buying coffee from Africa and the Middle East, and in 1645 the first European coffee house opened.

The Dutch defied the Saudi Arabians prohibition on exportation of coffee by smuggling seedlings from Aden into Europe in 1616. They were also the first country to import coffee on a large scale. They took plants to Java and Ceylon, where they started exporting to the Netherlands in 1711.

Coffee arrived in the United States during the colonial period. When it was first imported, it was not widely drunk in the United States. It wasn’t until the revolutionary war and the shortage of tea, that Americans began drinking it on a regular basis. After the War of 1812, America’s taste for coffee grew and it became a common drink.

As the consumption of coffee grew, so did the companies cultivating, roasting and grinding. The larger companies used (and still do) a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans for a commercial blend, while gourmet coffee is roasted from the Arabica bean alone. Arabica beans are considered the tastiest of the three types of bean and also the most expensive.

Today, coffee is the life-blood of the third world countries that produce it. Over a hundred million people depend on the growth, production and exportation of this flavorful bean.

The next time you pour yourself a wonderful cup of your favorite gourmet blend, consider the origins and history of the coffee bean and how it came to be in your favorite store. The rich history of gourmet coffee is almost as rich and full-bodied as the drink itself which will surely give you even more of that warm and cozy feeling that only a nice cup of coffee can give!

Katya Coen provides information on gourmet coffee for Coffee Online – the site for coffee lovers.

Author: Katya Coen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In today’s coffee crazed world, everyone wants more coffee. Small coffee cups evolved into huge commuter mugs. Tiny paper cups to go became oversize cardboard vats to go. As the popularity of coffee soars and people can’t get enough of this rich beverage, bulk coffee sales are going through the roof.

In the past, only major corporations purchased in bulk. Over the past couple of decades, customers discovered the benefits of warehouse shopping. With a membership card, everyday people were buying all their basics in bulk and saving a bundle. Many products, including gourmet coffee, are now available in bulk at membership warehouses, local grocery stores and online retailers.

Do you remember the days when the boss sent employees to get office supplies? With the advent of Internet retailers delivering overnight, most companies order online now to save time and money. Are you still sending someone out to get coffee for the office everyday? While a trip for a gourmet latte is irresistible, going out for coffee can also become time-consuming and costly. According to the 2005 Harris Interactive Report, it takes three times longer for a worker to go get coffee outside than it does to get some at the office.

But is it possible to get a rich, delicious cup of coffee in the office? Whether the java tastes good or not, the Mintel Group found 31 percent of coffee drinkers get their favorite beverage at work. The boss can save time and money for everyone by buying wholesale coffee beans for the office. Many officers are setting up sophisticated coffee counters for the employees so they can enjoy their favorite energizing beverage without leaving work.

The boss also benefits from having wholesale coffee delivered to the office. When employees are happy, they work more efficiently. The National Coffee Drinking Trends 2008 report revealed 61 percent of coffee drinkers feel it improves their mental focus and 59 percent said they were more productive.

Besides increased mental focus and productivity, coffee offers the additional benefit of antioxidants. Harmful effects, such as cell damage and accelerated aging, are caused by free radicals. Antioxidants fight free radicals to keep your cells healthier and combat the risk of cancer and heart disease. When you enjoy your next cup of coffee, you can feel good about it, too.

This gourmet pleasure is not exclusively for companies and offices. Research also revealed 83 percent of coffee aficionados grab a cup at home. You can buy your own coffee equipment for roasting, grinding and brewing and get bulk coffee beans at online retailers. All the supplies are delivered to your door and you can create your own comforting coffee bar right at home.

With bulk coffee sales you can purchase wholesale coffee beans for your office and home from IntelligentsiaCoffee.com. While cafs, restaurants and delis still buy most of the bulk coffee beans Intelligentsia Coffee also caters to individuals and small groups.

Author: Alice Lane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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There is something so relaxing and lazy about sitting at a table having an aromatic cup of coffee. It is hard to stop at one cup that is for certain. However, coffee isn’t what it used to be. Since gourmet coffee has hit the shelves it is not longer just something to you do just to perk you up in the morning, it something you drink to enjoy the taste and irresistible flavor of these incredibly made coffees.

People who do not drink coffee often wonder what is so great about gourmet coffee. They ask whether it is made a certain way or it is the taste that lures you in. In fact, it is both reasons. Gourmet coffee is made from very high quality ‘Arabica’ coffee beans that are hand picked and thoroughly checked over to makes sure they are superior. Unlike commercial coffees that are machine graded, people that are experienced in gourmet coffee beans will be able to see if there is any dirt, leaves, or anything else in the beans that will spoil the taste.

The gourmet coffee beans are then treated with special oils after the roasting process which is what gives it the special flavor that is so tempting to drink. It is a blend of natural oils that are used for the coffee bean treatment. These oils are able to sustain a healthy shelf life without ever spoiling or losing it’s characteristic flavors once mixed with the blend of your favorite type of gourmet coffee. The oils and the flavors neutralize each other so you get a very smooth taste without any overpowering blend.

Gourmet coffee is then roasted in a way that customizes the coffee for your taste. Using a light roast, you will contain the natural aroma without the overcooked taste that you find in many of the traditional coffees. Arabic coffee beans are ground perfect fineness to give you the best taste that you can have in a full bodied cup of coffee. There are gourmet coffees that use a more coarser grind to give a completely different taste. It is up to your personal preference as to which level of fineness gives you the best cup of coffee.

Finer grinds are similar to those found in espresso which has a great rich taste, but most gourmet coffee lovers will lean towards the coarse ground coffee powder. That gives the grinds time to mix with the hot water and really pull out the flavor completely, especially when made with drip type filters. What makes Arabica gourmet coffee so great is that the Arabica coffee beans are never stored in a warehouse so after harvesting, roasting, and grinding they go very quickly to the store in which you buy them.

What makes gourmet coffee so great is the way the taste makes you feel. There is no burnt flavor or heavy after taste. It is just pure delight when you drink in the fragrant, warm, and rich taste of gourmet coffee.

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Author: Ivan A Cuxeva
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Coffee is the 2nd most consumed commodity on the planet behind water and ironically it takes water to make coffee, so in essence coffee pretty much is consumed as much as water! Not only that, but coffee is also the 2nd most traded commodity behind oil, and we all know how vitally important oil is to the world… And to think coffee is number 2 is amazing!

Does that mean that coffee, the black stuff that we drink is actually more valuable than precious metals like Silver, Gold and Platinum? You be the judge however none of those metals is traded more than coffee so you tell me! What I will tell you is that coffee being a universally accepted beverage and has been for years exclusively reserved for the elite as a business.

When you consider that in America over 255 million people wake up every day and drink 2-4 cups of coffee every day like clockwork, and they do it habitually without regard to anything else! In Canada nearly 90% of the entire country drinks coffee daily so there is next to no one not drinking coffee in that country!

What is it with coffee that people are so enamored with it they must have it multiples time in the day and they must have it every day! That to me friends is an addiction and funny enough it’s one that most people gladly share with their friends, family and loved ones. Everyone you know drinks coffee it seems and everyone you don’t drinks coffee.

The key ingredient in coffee that creates the addictive nature of the beverage is the caffeine! The c word. Caffeine is super addictive and that is evident when you consider the statistics I shared with you above. People simply must have their fix and they need it multiple times a day. In fact, coffee is so addictive that nearly all doctors recommend that their patients not drink it however the patients can’t stop. In many cases the doctor has a coffee pot in the waiting room and he/she too is an avid coffee drinker.

But more importantly than just the caffeine are the potentially negative effects from too much consumption of it. For instance, people with high blood pressure and cholesterol issues are told to stay away because of the high acidic content of coffee and the exacerbating effect it has on blood pressure and other similar ailments. Coffee also dehydrates the body of precious liquids so it is strongly recommended that you drink no less than (11) cups of water for every cup of coffee you drink!

Even decaffeinated coffee has been found to not be all that’s been cracked up to be. You see the key question here is how do they remove the caffeine from the coffee? It has been a common practice to use an acid based product to remove the caffeine but my question to you is would you like some extra caffeine or acid with your coffee. Give me the caffeine and you keep the acid!

And last but not least are the caffeine crash or jitters so commonly associated with drinking coffee. When you consider that most began drinking coffee to get that extra lift, its kind of sad that you go up temporarily only to come down even harder when its all over. And for those of you that have the jitters it simply your body’s way of telling you that it is way too amped up and needs to relax for a minute!

So with all of that going on in your favorite cup of Joe there is no secret as to why you must consume the beverage daily without regard to anything else! There is no way you couldn’t get addicted to a product with all of those things simultaneously going on inside your body once the product has been consumed!

Not long ago, a good friend introduced me to a better tasting brand of coffee that has literally changed my life! I am now no longer concerned with my caffeine intake from coffee or any of the other potentially harmful side effects all associated with coffee. In fact, since drinking this new coffee, I have seen things like my energy level go higher without any crashes or jitters and coincidentally my wife who drinks the Gourmet Mocha has lost 7 pounds in her first 8 days of drinking this new coffee! For us this coffee has truly been amazing and we are simply sharing the word with our fellow joe drinkers! Change your coffee, change your life, make the switch now!

Coffee Lovers Unite

Author: Tyron Mcdaniel
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

Twenty-nine million American adults drink gourmet coffee beverages every day. Though specialty coffee shops like Starbuck’s can be found just about anywhere, Cuban coffee, known for its strong taste, is only found in areas of the United States where there is a large Cuban American population. Sought after by coffee connoisseurs, it is the finest and most sought-after coffee in the world. Often compared to espresso, it is actually a rich blend of Cuban, Spanish and Italian coffee traditions.

Cuban coffee is roughly double the strength of regular American coffee. It is usually served in small cups called “tacitas,” which are smaller than demitasse cups, at the end of a meal. It is a mud-thick java brew with a tantalizing flavor and aroma made sweet by the amount of sugar that is used. The secret to “Cafe Cubano” or”cafecito,” as it is known in Cuba, is the finely ground, dark roasted coffee beans.

Coffee was brought to the eastern region of Cuba by French immigrants in the mid 18th century. By the early 1800′s it became a bigger import than sugar. Cuba’s natural humid climate, fertile soil and two centuries of cultivation techniques, have made it the ideal setting for growing coffee beans. The coffee beans are grown high in the shady jungles of the Sierra Maestra Mountains. The cultivation of the beans is labor intensive and its planting, growing, harvesting, and processing procedures have been perfected every step of the way. Large beans are used and are left out to try in the sun instead of using mechanical dryers. No pesticides are used so the coffee is 100% organic.

Cuban coffee beans have a superior reputation in Asia and Europe with Japan and France accounting for 70-80 percent of the exports. Other importers of Cuban coffee include Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Embargo on Cuban goods has created a challenge for those i America who would like to enjoy this distinctive coffee. However Cuban American grocery stores and cafeterias sell their version of Cuban coffee. There are a number of Cuban coffee companies like Tu Cafe and Cafe Llave with Cafe Pilon being the top seller, that market “authentic Cuban coffee.” The beans for these brands are grown in Brazil,Colombia or other parts of Central and South America.

There is no secret recipe or process for making Cuban coffee. All that is needed is freshly ground dark roasted coffee beans, sugar and a “cafetera,” a unique italian double chamber coffee pot. Water is placed in the lower chamber and the ground coffee goes into a perforated holder. The top is screwed on and the pot is heated. The brewed coffee rises into the upper chamber. The coffee is poured into a “tacita” and sugar is added.

Drinking “Cafe Cubano” remains a prominent social and cultural activity within Cuba and in Cuban American communities. The rest of the world is slowly catching up to enjoy this particular style of coffee. One can find “authentic” Cuban coffees in many supermarkets and the specialty brewers are sold everywhere. So if you want a true coffee experience try Cuban coffee.

Cuba has always been a major player in world events both politically and socially. It is hard to believe that an island nation that has been politically ostracized from the rest of the world for more than fifty years, can still create such an impact. The Cuban coffee thing is just part of the whole Cuban experience. In my blog My Cuban Thing I write about my observations as a Cuban kid who grew up American.

Author: Mario Del Sol
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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