Coffee

If you travel to the Hexagon you may be surprised to see that coffee in France is a little different then what you may be used to drinking. For one thing, it is usually fairly strong – not as strong as an Italian espresso but certainly stronger then the average cup of American Joe.

When you are served coffee in France, don’t expect a large mug full either. The coffee will most likely be served in small, demitasse cups and, given its strength, this may be all you need. Sugar will be offered, but milk frequently is not. Not that a French host will object to you using a little milk – they just don’t think to offer it.

How do they make their coffee at home?

Drip coffee machine. Called a cafetière, these are fairly common, although the trend is definitely towards home espresso machines.

Stovetop espresso brewer. Commonly called a moka pot, you will find these in the housewares section of even small grocery stores in France.

French press. Despite its name, this way of making coffee is not necessarily a French invention. It is however a very popular and economical way to brew a cup of coffee that tastes very close to what you get when you go to a French café.

Electric espresso maker. – Judging by what’s available in the local French supermarket, I’d say these are the fastest growing segment of the coffee machine market in France. (The undeniable charm of George Clooney may have more to do with this then we imagine.)

What sort of coffee do they use?

Judging once again by what’s available in the French supermarket, most French people are not grinding their own beans. If it isn’t packaged in “dosettes” to feed an electric espresso maker, the coffee generally comes vacuum packed in 250 gram units. Almost all of the coffee available like this is fairly finely ground, although there are some packages of whole beans as well.

You can purchase 100 percent Arabica coffee in the supermarket. Although it may be somewhat higher in price, some people think it makes a superior tasting cup of coffee. Most of the coffee drank in France though is a blend of Robusta and Arabica.

Ordering coffee in France

You may not have coffee in a French home, but if you travel to France you will surely have the opportunity to order coffee in a café. You can also order coffee in most any bar (indeed the distinction between a café and a bar is fuzzy at times). Where ever you are, the names of the various coffee drinks stay somewhat the same. (There are regional differences, but for the purposes of this article we’ll stick to the Parisian terms, which should work fairly well anywhere in France).

• Un Café – A demitasse cup of espresso strength coffee.
• Un Double – Twice the amount of the same coffee.
• Un Crème - An espresso strength coffee with cream (or possibly milk – it depends upon the café)
• Une Noissette - Once again this is an espresso, but there is just a hint of cream or milk floating on top.
• Café au Lait - Coffee mixed about half and half with hot milk. Many times the hot milk is served on the side.
• Café Léger or Café Allongé – Regular strength coffee that has been watered down.
• Café Americaine – This is filtered coffee, similar to what you get from a drip machine.

When is coffee drank in France?

In the morning? Certainly. After lunch? Yes again. Even in the evening, you will see French people enjoying a cup of espresso after a meal. I don’t know how they can do it and sleep. I used to think they were all drinking decaf, but many times this isn’t even available in restaurants. I don’t go there, but you may like to. Part of your personal French coffee experience.

Kim Steele, who’s been making France her home for the past 18 years, has created a fun website based on her many and varied experiences. Easy French Food is for anyone interested in French culture and especially French food. Her favorite way to enjoy coffee in France is from a French Press Coffee Pot. Enjoy!

Author: Kim Steele
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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I have a dotty old uncle who lives alone and drinks his coffee right out of the coffee pot. He doesn’t bother to pour his coffee into a cup…maybe washing a coffee cup just makes more work…who knows?

Most people, however, prefer to drink their coffee out of a coffee cup or a coffee mug. It is the civilized thing to do.

When people buy place settings of fine china of just a set of everyday dishes, the thing that determines their choice is the shape and size of the cup. After all, plates, bread plates, soup or cereal bowls, saucers, and other pieces in a place setting or set of dishes are all pretty much the same. They may come in varying sizes and the patterns are different, but still they are all basically the same design. Only the cups are different. The size and shape of the cup and the handles on the cups is most often the determining factor is the selection of dinner ware.

There are different coffee cups for serving different coffees, as well. Most “regular” coffee cups hold between 6 and 8 ounces of coffee. But there are demitasse cups that only hold between 2 and 4 ounces and big coffee mugs that hold up to 20 ounces. Latte coffee cups must be large enough to hold the frothy milk.

Coffee cups can be purchased separately, or as part of a set of dishes or a piece in a place setting of china. Coffee cups don’t all have handles either. There are double-walled cups without handles that are used to serve espresso or cappuccino.

The thickness of the wall of the coffee cup is the determining factor of how long coffee will stay hot in a coffee cup. Remember those old thick-walled white cups of roadside coffee house fame? Coffee would stay hot in those things all the way through the eating of a meal and beyond. On the other hand, coffee in a delicate fine china cup will only stay hot a very few minutes.

CoFFee provides detailed information on Coffee, Coffee Makers, Gourmet Coffee, Coffee Shops, Coffee Beans, Coffee Cup and more.
For more information visit as on http://coffee.explore-me.com

Author: Miodrag Trajkovic
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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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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Greek coffee (“Ellinikos Kafes”) is one of the simplest ways to make coffee. It is also known as Turkish coffee. Coffee has a very old history…

It traveled to Turkey from Yemen and from Turkey it became known in Greece. It became so popular that people started calling it “Greek coffee” instead of Turkish (or Arabic) coffee.

Differences

Usually Greek coffee gets roasted lighter than traditional Turkish coffee.

Another difference is that Greeks rarely add spices to their coffee.

How to make Greek coffee

The basic ingredient needed for a delicious Greek coffee is fresh roasted coffee, ground to an extra fine coffee powder (finer than espresso). You can also grind you own coffee beans using a traditional Greek coffee grinder or a modern high quality burr grinder.

Like Turkish coffee in order to make Greek coffee you basically bring a mixture of water and ground coffee almost to boil. Although Turkish people boil their coffee usually 3-4 times Greeks prefer boiling it 1-3 times.

The blends used to make Greek coffee have usually a high percentage of Brazilian coffees, and also some Robusta or a “secret” ingredient to add some more flavour (Colombian coffee, Ethiopia Harrar or Yemen Mocha).

In order to make Greek coffee we need a coffee pot known as briki in Greece. This special Greek coffee pot has a characteristic narrow top which facilitates the correct slow brewing of Turkish coffee and the forming of the famous “kaimaki”, which is basically the crema-froth on top of the coffee.

Traditionally these pots were made of copper or brass, but nowadays they are mass produced using stainless steel which is more durable. (I still prefer the brass ibriks for lots of reasons…). Use the proper size coffee pot to make better coffee and better froth. If you are going to make two demitasse cups of coffee use a 2-cups size coffee pot. If you use a much larger sized pot, crema forming will be much harder.

For one cup of coffee, fill the coffee pot with one demitasse cup of cold water, 1-2 teaspoons of Greek coffee, sugar to taste, and then put the pot on low fire. It is very important to use low fire and cold water to extract more flavor from the coffee. Use a gas stove-top or preferably a traditional tabletop burner.

Once the mixture comes almost to a boil and the foam covers the top, pour it into a demitasse cup slowly. You must do this slowly in order to retain the crema layer (froth) on top. If you fail to remove the coffee pot from fire on time, the coffee mixture will foam up quickly and it will get spilled everywhere! Be careful to not let this happen!

Small tip if you want to make two cups or more

There is an old trick used to maximize the froth on top of every demitasse cup, which basically involves taking the froth with a teaspoon from the coffee pot and then adding it to each demitasse cup, before pouring the coffee.

Serving

Traditionally the coffee is served using decorative discs, in small demitasse cups made of fine porcelain.

You can also pair Greek coffee with a nice desert like cookies (“koulourakia”), “halva” or “baklava”.

Things to notice

Some people bring the coffee to boil only once. Other people prefer twice and there are also some people who argue that bringing the coffee to boil three times is the absolute minimum.

Another point of argument is the stirring. Some people stir coffee, water and sugar only in the beginning and some other stir continuously till the end to make more froth.

Personal opinion

I prefer to stir the coffee continuously till the end and I also let it foam up twice.

“Why?” you may ask. It is just my taste! You can experiment and find what you like best.

What’s most important is the freshness and the quality of your Greek coffee.

Karolos Tsiligirian is the author of the “Fresh Coffee Encyclopedia” and the owner of FreshCoffeeShop.com & CoffeeEbooks.com

Author: Karolos Tsiligirian
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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