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Vegan or Vegetarian: How to Deal with Questions About Your Lifestyle

As a vegetarian, do you even get all the nutrients? As a vegan, don’t you have to do without a lot? As a vegetarian, can you still…? If such questions sound familiar to you, you can find out here how to deal with them in a relaxed manner.

Your diet is your decision. And if you don’t want to talk about it, you can tell the person you’re talking to in a friendly manner. But: You can use such questions as an opportunity to arouse interest in plant-based nutrition and break down prejudices. A few general tips:

Don’t take questions as criticism. Maybe your counterpart is just curious.
Eating is an emotional issue. You will feel this when the relevant questions trigger something in you. Nevertheless, always remain factual, avoid accusations and do not appear “proselytizing” – this is how your arguments reach your counterpart best.
The principles of so-called non-violent communication help to formulate concerns clearly and precisely and promote a successful exchange.
For the other person, too, your own diet is probably an emotional matter. Therefore, good arguments do not necessarily lead to a change of mind. And even if a person has a positive opinion about sustainable eating, they still may not act on it: this phenomenon, where good intentions and actual action diverge, is known as the attitude behavior gap.

However, if you make good arguments, treat others with respect, and are patient, you may see an increase in interest in your lifestyle over the coming weeks, months, or years. The following sections provide ideas for answers to common questions.

Why do you have to eat veggie schnitzel?!

Not all vegetarians eat veggie schnitzel and not all meat eaters despise tofu sausage. And of course nobody has to eat tofu mince and vegan sausages. You can eat very well vegetarian or vegan without meat-like alternatives. However, if you enjoy the hearty taste or the meaty texture, you don’t have to do without it.

Incidentally, language has a major impact on whether things are perceived as desirable. If you’re trying to convince someone to try a vegetarian product, describe it in a way that gets them interested. If you think it’s “super delicious”, don’t hide it behind a shy “tastes pretty good too”.

It’s still harder for vegans to live healthy, right?

Of course, vegans (and to a certain extent vegetarians too) have to take a close look at nutrients and supplement certain substances such as vitamin B12. Meat eaters tend to be less concerned about their diet, but that too comes with risks:

According to the consumer center, men consume on average almost twice as much meat as recommended. Women are at the highest recommended limit with an average of 600 grams. High meat consumption can have health consequences: For example, scientists at the World Health Organization (WHO) classify processed meat products such as salami, ham or sausages as “carcinogenic”. Unprocessed red meat is considered “probably carcinogenic”. The risk depends heavily on how much of it you eat.

Note: Sensitive groups such as children, pregnant women and the elderly must pay particular attention to their diet. If you are unsure whether a diet is right for you, seek medical advice.

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Lifestyle

Quotes About Coffee

Below I have listed some beautiful quotes about coffee for you.

“The coffee must be hot as hell, black as the devil, pure as an angel and sweet as love.” (Talleyrand)

“If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me coffee.”
(Abraham Lincoln)

“The best way to have a pleasant life is to drink good coffee. If one cannot have one, one should try to be as cheerful and composed as if one had drunk good coffee.”
(Jonathan Swift)

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Food

The Bitter Truth About Tea

Exploitation, poverty, environmental destruction: That is the true price for our tea enjoyment – and others pay it. We show why responsible consumers should spend their money on fair tea instead of cheap tea.

Strictly speaking, “tea” is only the infusion made from the leaves of the tea plant, i.e. black tea, green tea, white tea and oolong. So the following post is about that. Because especially with the tea plant, the cultivation and processing conditions are often criticized.

The reasons are of a geographical and economic nature: Today, tea comes mainly from China, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Vietnam (see FAO) – countries in which social and environmental standards are comparatively low or compliance is rarely monitored. The tea market is dominated by a few large corporations, in particular Unilever, the Tata Group and Associated British Foods. This gives these companies a lot of power, for example to enforce their ideas about prices and production conditions.

Tea often means exploitation and poverty

A prerequisite for employees to be able to protect their interests against such powerful corporations is that they can organize themselves. In a study, the Catholic aid organization Misereor writes that on many Asian and African tea plantations, employee representatives such as unions and works councils are being obstructed – in principle not a rare phenomenon in the plantation business. In 2019, however, Oxfam did report trade union activity in the Assam region of India.

Both organizations and a few others also report on diverse and widespread forms of discrimination on tea plantations, abuses of any kind do not seem to be uncommon.

There are hardly any living wages in the tea industry: the wages of plantation workers are often below the national minimum wage. Oxfam and the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation mention wages of less than 2 euros per day in different regions of India.

According to various research, there are usually services on the tea plantations that plantation companies agree with their employees, such as medical care, accommodation and food. But these are often deducted from wages, so that there is hardly any money left to live on. In addition, research by NGOs and journalists consistently shows that the shelter and food provided is inadequate.

All three organizations mentioned denounce the catastrophic nutritional situation of tea plantation workers. This is also a consequence of the practice of withholding wages under various pretexts. Many employees on tea plantations are therefore undernourished or malnourished, and an alarmingly large proportion of their children are physically underdeveloped.

Nobody likes it: poison in tea

On large tea plantations, the tea is harvested all year round. Those responsible spray plenty of pesticides to combat pests and optimize yields. Soil, water, biodiversity and the health of the plantation workers suffer from the chemicals. We consumers in Europe can also taste the rampant use of pesticides: Test institutes regularly find high levels of pesticides in tea samples.

Greenpeace India, for example, found residues of at least one pesticide in 94 percent of the tea samples examined in 2014, and even more than ten different pesticides in 60 percent. However, pesticides in our food are not necessarily harmless: some have been linked to various health problems such as cancer, hormonal imbalances and fertility disorders.

What to do?

So far, so sad. If you don’t want to let the problems surrounding the cultivation of the tea plant spoil your enjoyment of tea, you can definitely do something:

Buy organic tea to reduce the risk of exposure to pesticides. The organic certification prohibits the use of dangerous sprays and fertilizers. With the purchase, you strengthen organic agriculture in the countries of origin and contribute to reducing the use of poison.
Buy fair trade, organic tea. This is the best way to combat exploitative working conditions. However, it is not easy to make a concrete recommendation here, because in addition to the well-known Fairtrade seal, there are a variety of initiatives.

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Food

Palmito: This is What You Should Know About Hearts of Palms

Palmito is a tropical and healthy delicacy. In this guide you will find out exactly what is behind the exotic palm hearts and how healthy and sustainable they really are.

Palmito (also known as hearts of palm) is the edible pith found at the top of the palm tree. This so-called vegetation cone forms the base for the palm fronds. The heart of a mature palm can weigh up to two kilograms. The taste of Palmito is reminiscent of a mixture of asparagus and artichokes.

Palm hearts can be harvested from different types of palm trees, e.g. from Assai, Peach or Babassú palms. All palm trees require a tropical climate and grow primarily on the banks of rivers. In 2019, Ecuador was the largest palmito producer. They were followed by Costa Rica, Peru, Bolivia and Guyana.

Palmito: General characteristics of the hearts of palms

Harvesters have to chop down the palm trees to obtain Palmito. They then remove the leaf sheaths that surround the heart. A sustainable harvest is not possible with most palm varieties. The vegetation cone usually does not grow back and the palm trees cannot continue to live. There are only exceptions for special species, such as the peach palm. Here some hearts can be harvested without damaging the palm tree. It is usually not clear to customers which palm species the Palmito comes from.

Palm trees are often not grown separately and controlled for Palmito. Instead, the hearts are obtained, for example, from dead palm trees after a jungle clearing. On the Atlantic coast of Brazil, people often illegally enter forests and harvest palm hearts.

Nutrients and Uses of Palmito

Palmito is a low-calorie and very low-fat vegetable: It contains just 28 kilocalories per 100 grams. 100 grams of palm hearts contain:

2.5g protein
4.6g carbohydrates
2.4g fiber
0.6g fat
Palmito is also rich in iron: just 200 grams of Palmito cover one to two thirds of your daily needs. Other micronutrients are magnesium, manganese, zinc, vitamin C and folic acid.

You can use Palmito raw or cooked in the kitchen. They have an aromatic, nutty taste and are suitable, for example, as an ingredient for salads, soups and wok dishes. You can also simply serve them raw with a light vinaigrette as a starter. Since they are slightly sweet, you can also use them pureed for cakes and desserts.

How sustainable are hearts of palm?

In Europe you can almost exclusively buy canned palmito in well-stocked grocery stores. As a rule, no more detailed information can be found about the growing conditions. It is also extremely difficult to get organic or FairTrade quality palm hearts. Even in online shops there is hardly any choice. Due to the lack of seals and transparency regarding social and ecological aspects in cultivation and trade, you should only use palm hearts in moderation, if at all. Because there is definitely criticism:

The environmental protection organization WWF is trying to introduce palmito in Argentina as an alternative to soy monocultures. To this end, the organization works with various small farmers. In Ecuador, however, the organization World Rainforest Movement criticizes that cultivation has led to a loss of biodiversity and more soil erosion and water pollution.
Another disadvantage is Palmito’s poor eco-balance: since they are imported from Central and South America, Palmito have to travel long distances to Germany. This causes a lot of CO2 emissions.

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Food

Whole Grain: What You Should Know About It

Whole grain is considered to be particularly healthy and is found in many products: bread, rolls, spaghetti and many other products are also available in whole grain versions. We show why whole grain is so much healthier and what makes the difference.

Cereal grains consist of three parts: the germ, the endosperm containing the starchy endosperm and the outer shell. Whether a product consists of wholemeal flour or not depends on the processing of the grain:

For whole grain products, all three parts are ground and only the hard shell (husk) is removed.
In the case of non-whole grain flours (so-called refined flours, recognizable by the flour type), the germ and surface layers are separated.
Food can therefore be produced from grains that have been processed to different extents. “Wholemeal bread must contain at least 90 percent wholemeal flour or wholemeal meal in the flour,” explains the consumer advice center.

The type designation on flour indicates how many milligrams of minerals are contained in 100 grams of flour. Spelled flour type 630 therefore contains 630 milligrams of minerals. Since wholemeal flour contains all parts of the grain, there is no type designation for this wholemeal wheat, rye and spelled flour.

Whole Grain: Why It’s So Healthy

Products made from whole grains – i.e. the whole grain – are considered to be particularly healthy. Because there are many valuable ingredients in the seedling and in the outer layers. As a result, according to Stiftung Warentest, wholemeal pasta with a comparable energy content contains significantly more of the following substances:

fiber
potassium
magnesium
calcium
phosphorus
iron
zinc
Vitamin A
vitamin E
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B6
folic acid
The background is that these substances are mainly found in the surface layers and in the germ and not in the endosperm. The latter contains almost only starch and is used to make white flour. Starch is actually a sugar. So if you mainly eat white flour products, you take in more sugar and increase the risk of obesity and related diseases.

Whole grains are high in fiber and minerals

There are numerous studies showing health benefits of whole grains over highly processed flours. According to the UGB, a 2016 study showed that whole grain products are associated with a lower risk of various diseases. These include cardiovascular diseases, cancer and death as a result of respiratory diseases, infectious diseases or diabetes.

In addition, two studies that the medical journal picks up show that whole grain products can help you lose weight: Whole grain can save calories, which the authors attribute to the high amount of dietary fiber. Because dietary fiber itself has no calories, but binds water and swells up in the stomach as a result. This stimulates digestion and at the same time creates a feeling of satiety. According to the consumer center, whole grains contain about ten percent dietary fiber. The fiber also ensures that digestion takes place more slowly. “As a result, the blood fats only increase slowly and the large intestine is strengthened,” says the NDR. Fiber also helps keep cholesterol levels at normal levels.

But be careful: Just because whole grains contain more calorie-free dietary fibers does not mean that whole grain products contain fewer calories per se. In mixed products such as some muesli or bread rolls, many other ingredients can provide a higher calorie intake. For example, chocolate and dried foods like raisins can add a lot of calories to whole grains.

List of whole grain products

There are many foods that are whole grain:

whole wheat flour
wholemeal spelled flour
wholemeal rye flour
pasta and spaghetti
brown rice
Whole Wheat Bulgur
oatmeal
Amaranth (=whole grain)
Quinoa (=whole grain)
Bulgur (=whole grain)
Millet (=whole grain)
Bread, rolls, toast
Cookies
By the way: Whole grain products are usually a little darker because the outer shell of the grain grains is also darker in colour. Nevertheless, you should take a good look at the list of ingredients of the products, because companies often color their products dark with syrup to make them appear healthier. This is sometimes the case with pumpernickel, for example. Also read: Colored bread: is dark bread automatically healthier?

Whole Grain Nutritional Values

The nutritional values of whole grain differ only slightly depending on the type of grain. Here are the nutritional values of whole wheat:

Energy (kcal): 338 kcal
Fat: 2g
carbohydrates 61 g
Egg white (protein): 13.5 g
Fiber: 11 g

Here are the nutritional values for whole rye grain:

Energy (kcal): 337 kcal
Fat: 1.5g
carbohydrates 63.1 g
Egg white (protein): 10.8 g
Fiber: 14.1 g

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health

Concerned About Blood Pressure When Drinking Coffee?

An increase in blood pressure with occasional coffee consumption is already known. But what about regular coffee drinkers?

How many cups of coffee per day are allowed?

Coffee is known to have many different effects on the body. Consuming coffee regularly in moderation can also have a positive impact on your health. But what about blood pressure? It is known that coffee can significantly increase blood pressure. However, this state of affairs does not last long. But if you regularly have a cup of coffee, you have to reckon with other consequences in terms of blood pressure.

Effects of coffee on blood pressure

If you drink a cup of coffee or black or green tea, you will get an increase in blood pressure for a short period of time – about 20 to 30 minutes. This high blood pressure is triggered by the caffeine or theobromine contained in the beverages in large quantities. The increased blood pressure caused by the consumption of caffeinated coffee increases individually, but on average it is around 10 to 20 mmHg. However, since the blood pressure drops back to its standard value quite quickly, this increase is not of concern. But those who consume coffee more than just occasionally have other effects on blood pressure. In a study, researchers from Switzerland found out that high coffee consumption permanently lowers blood pressure. Higher coffee consumption thus has the opposite effect on blood pressure than coffee consumption over longer periods of time. This effect can be compared to jogging. Because here, too, blood pressure rises sharply during running. With regular exercise, it has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system in the long term. Constant coffee consumption can also reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. A team led by Murielle Bochud from the University Hospital in Lausanne wrote in a specialist journal that a cup of coffee a day can lower blood pressure by up to nine millimeters of mercury.
In the analysis, more than 16,000 people were compared with the amount of coffee consumed in terms of their blood pressure and genetic make-up. The researchers found that certain genes largely determine how much caffeinated beverages each individual consumes. These are variations of the gene CYP1A2. Because the gene is relevant for caffeine breakdown in the liver. Depending on how efficient the variation in the gene you’ve inherited is, you’ll consume more or less caffeine accordingly. At the same time, the person who consumes more coffee also tends to have lower blood pressure, on average. The limit is about four to five cups of coffee or tea a day. It is best to spread these out over two or three times. However, anyone who suffers from cardiac arrhythmias should observe whether the consumption of caffeinated beverages may intensify these disorders.

Permanently low blood pressure due to coffee consumption

Thus, in addition to its many other positive properties, coffee also has an effect on blood pressure in different areas of the body. For those who only drink coffee occasionally, coffee only increases blood pressure for a short time. But if you want to permanently achieve a positive change in blood pressure through coffee consumption, you should have a cup of coffee at least once a day. Heart patients should not only observe the connection between coffee and blood pressure, but also pay attention to cardiac arrhythmias.

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Food

Agar Agar: What You Need to Know About the Vegetable Gelling Agent

Agar Agar is not only a real alternative to conventional gelling agents for vegans and vegetarians. We explain how to use the purely plant-based gelling agent and how it is made.

Agar Agar gelling agent – what is it?

Agar Agar are carbohydrates found in the cell walls of blue and red algae. Agar Agar is made from dried seaweed. The powder is made from them. Agar agar has been at home in Japanese cuisine since the 17th century. For example as a thickening agent in soups or as a gelling agent in sweets and ice cream.

Unlike gelatin, which contains bones, cartilage and connective tissue from cattle and pigs, it is purely vegetable. You can buy agar agar either in a jar or in small paper packets, similar to baking powder. Most drugstores, health food stores and health food stores have the vegetable gelling agent in their range.

Agar Agar: The Japanese gelatin

Agar agar is mainly produced in East Asia, i.e. in Japan, China and Korea. But it is also made in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The name “agar agar” comes from Indonesia and Malaysia, but is also the proper name there for the food mixed with the algae gelatine.

The problem with the East Asian origin: Before the vegetable gelling agent ends up in our kitchen, it has already traveled a long way. Importing creates additional CO2 emissions. Therefore, you should use agar agar with care.

Also, the algae that make up agar agar are mostly grown in aquaculture. The growing demand for algae consumes a lot of water. Pests can also spread more easily in these algae farms, since the nets with the algae are very close together. Many organic manufacturers therefore pay attention to high water and algae quality. Their aquacultures are mostly located away from towns and villages, so that the drinking water is not contaminated. When buying agar agar, you should therefore pay attention to the corresponding organic seal.

How to use agar agar

You can easily use agar agar for sweet and savory dishes – just like conventional gelatine.

You only have to be careful with the amount and read the package information very carefully. Because agar agar cannot be dosed one-to-one like gelatine.
Agar agar only dissolves in boiling liquids and only solidifies when it cools.
The gelling power of the plant product is six to ten times stronger than that of conventional gelling agents.
However, agar agar reacts differently to each liquid. Acid and fat in particular can weaken the binding capacity. Fruits such as plums and apricots, on the other hand, increase the gelling power.
Tip: If you prefer to be on the safe side, you should do a gelling test.

Place a plate in the freezer for a few minutes.
After you have boiled the liquid with agar agar according to the instructions on the package, put a few spoonfuls of the mixture on the chilled plate.
If it’s still too runny after two to three minutes, you’ll need to add a little more agar-agar powder. If the mass is too firm, more liquid is needed.

How healthy is agar agar?

Since agar agar is a product made from seaweed, it has a high protein content. Other ingredients are:

B vitamins
beta-carotene
vitamin k
Agar agar consists mainly of slow-digesting carbohydrates and protein. You should be careful not to consume too much agar agar. In large quantities, the vegetable gelling agent can have a laxative effect.

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Cooking Tips

The Fine Difference: About the Coffee Varieties Arabica and Robusta

Altogether, over 100 types of coffee are known, but only two of them are really relevant for the coffee drinker: Arabica and Robusta. But what is the difference between these two types?

Arabica or Robusta? Arabica is often sold to us as “the better coffee”. But is there something to it?

Until the discovery of Robusta at the end of the 19th century, Arabica was the only decisive plant in commercial coffee cultivation, but it has its pitfalls. The Arabica plant is very susceptible to diseases such as coffee rust, which affects the leaves and ultimately causes the entire plant to die. In addition, it is only suitable for certain climatic conditions. The Arabica plant only grows at certain altitudes, which ideally have temperatures of 18 to 22 degrees. In addition, too much wind, humidity and heat cause problems for the Arabica. The Robusta, on the other hand, lives up to its name: It is insensitive to diseases such as coffee rust and tolerates more heat and moisture.

The outside of the bean (appearance)

At first glance, it seems difficult to tell Arabica and Robusta beans apart, as the two beans look very similar. Here are a few features to guide you. The Arabica bean has an elongated, oval shape and is larger than the Robusta bean. Where this has a small, rounded shape. Another distinguishing feature, which is more popular than found common enough to be identified as a feature, is the indentation in the middle. In the case of the Arabica bean, this is S-shaped, whereas in the case of the Robusta bean, it is often wider and straight.

Most important: taste

The Arabica beans often taste fruity, aromatic and less bitter. Remain sweet in the taste range. To put it bluntly, the beans of the Robusta coffees have something “mouldy”. They taste earthy or nutty, and have notes of wood or leather in their taste. In general, they are also stronger and have more bitter substances. This is why Robusta beans are more dominant in terms of taste in a bean mixture than their bean partner Arabica.

Acid & caffeine: Key ingredients

Raw Robusta beans have nearly double the caffeine and chlorogenic acid content compared to the raw Arabica bean variety. When the roasting begins, however, many things change in the bean types. While the percentage of caffeine hardly decreases, the proportion of chlorogenic acid decreases over time and depending on the roasting process. However, the acid does not disappear completely. It is partially converted into aromatic substances, from where the bean gets its certain intensity. Overall, this results in the Arabica bean having a light, mild and floral flavor and a defined acidity. The Robusta bean, on the other hand, has a much more distinctive, earthy and nutty taste. To explain: Chlorogenic acid is an ester of caffeic acid and is also found in nettles, valerian and St. John’s wort. It is debatable whether it is predominantly positive or negative for the human organism.

About the plant: Cultivation and harvest of the bean varieties

The Arabica plant reaches a height of approx. 2 to 5 meters in cultivated cultivation and needs a temperature of 15 to 20 degrees and an annual rainfall of between 1200 and 2200mm for good growth. This bean can be optimally grown at an altitude of 600 m and up to approx. 2300 m. It usually takes 7 years from cultivation to the first harvest. Well-known growing areas of the Arabica bean are South America, Africa, Australia and Indonesia. The Robusta plant grows to a height of up to 7 meters in the cultivated area. Ideal climatic conditions are: 2200 – 3000mm of precipitation, 18 to 36 degrees temperature, and a cultivation height of up to approx. 600 metres. Central growing areas are Vietnam, India, Africa and Indonesia. The great advantage of the Robusta bean becomes apparent during the harvest: Since the ripe cherries simply get stuck on the branches, they are much easier to harvest than the falling (and then quickly rotting) Arabica beans.

The beans in world trade

Robusta is significantly more economical than the Arabica bean due to the cultivation height and the easier harvest. This also explains the difference in price: Robusta coffee costs only a fraction of Arabica coffee. Nevertheless (or perhaps because of this) only 25% of the coffee grown worldwide is Robusta. The Robusta bean is used in many mass roasts and in various instant coffees. Although there are high-quality Robusta bean varieties that are grown in India, Ecuador and Brazil, these tend to go under due to a lack of market presence.

Roasting – what makes the bean tasty

The time to maturity increases the higher the corresponding coffee bean is grown. When roasting, the degree of browning can be adjusted individually – the longer the bean is roasted, the stronger the bean tastes. It is roasted at a temperature between 180 and 220 degrees. In the process, amino acids and sugars are reassembled, resulting in the formation of an estimated 1,000 aromas or chemical compounds. The longer a bean is roasted, the less acid and the more bitter substances it contains.

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Food

Yellow Beets: Everything about Taste, Cultivation and Use

Less well known than its red counterpart, the yellow beet is gaining in popularity. Here you can find out how red and yellow beets differ, what is important when planting yellow beets and how to use them in the kitchen.

In addition to the beetroot, you will increasingly find yellow or white beets at the weekly market or in the vegetable displays of some supermarkets. Beetroot is often less conspicuous because of its less intense color – but it is a healthy, tasty and regional winter vegetable that you can use in many ways in the kitchen. We will explain what makes them different from beetroot, how you can plant and harvest them yourself and which dishes they are suitable for.

Yellow beetroot and beetroot: That’s the difference

Both the beetroot and the yellow beet originally came from the wild beet (Beta vulgaris). Today’s beet is a cultivated form of this plant. Other types of vegetables that go back to the wild beet are, for example, the sugar beet or Swiss chard.

From a botanical point of view, the yellow beet is just a variant of the beetroot – it is not a separate variety. The dye betaxanthin is responsible for their yellow colour, while the strong red of beetroot comes from the dye betanin.

Apart from the colour, yellow and beetroot differ only slightly. Their nutrient content is similar: Both types provide various B vitamins in particular, as well as iron and folic acid. Both betaxanthin and betanine belong to the betalain family, which have antioxidant effects.

Basically, the yellow beetroot is a little milder and sweeter in taste than the red variety. For people who are bothered by the slightly earthy taste of beetroot, the yellow version can therefore be a more pleasant alternative.

Planting yellow beets: you should pay attention to this

If you want to plant yellow beetroot in your own garden, you should choose a sunny and deep location: The beets develop so-called taproots that reach far into the ground. In addition, humus-rich soil is recommended for good growth. Apart from that, the yellow beet is relatively undemanding. Only very heavy soils (clay soils) can cause problems.

It is best to buy the seed for the yellow beet in organic quality – you can get tips and information on the advantages of organic seed in our overview. Between May and July you can sow the yellow beet seeds directly into the bed.

How to plant yellow beets:

Make seeding rows 4 inches apart and place the seeds 8 to 10 inches apart in the bed.
After sowing, cover them with soil about an inch or two deep.
After about two to three weeks, the seeds should start to germinate. If you then find that the plants are too close together, you may need to separate them – for the beets to grow well, they need enough space. In this case, loosen the soil around a plant with a toothpick, carefully remove it, and replant it in a suitable spot.
You should also water the plants regularly during growth: always keep the soil slightly moist, but avoid waterlogging. Apart from watering, the yellow beet does not need any additional care.
By the way: The yellow beet is well suited for mixed cultures. It’s best to choose plants that grow low so they don’t take away the sunlight from the yellow beets. You can plant kohlrabi, radishes or chives in the same bed, for example. Be careful not to plant yellow beets in a spot where you have previously grown goosefoot or foxtail plants. These include, for example, spinach, chard or sugar beets. With such a crop rotation, the yellow beets are susceptible to diseases and the soil loses nutrients, because these plants have very similar requirements.

Harvesting and storing yellow beets

You can harvest the yellow beets from September right into the winter months. It usually takes about three months between sowing and harvesting. You should get the yellow beetroot out of the ground before the onset of frost at the latest – they can cope with temperatures down to zero degrees Celsius, but they don’t tolerate sub-zero temperatures.

How to harvest yellow beets:

To harvest, use a small shovel or special digging fork to loosen the soil around the beets.
Then you can easily pull them out.
When there is plenty of excess soil on the beets, roughly pat them off. If you intend to store your harvest, you should leave a little soil on it – this increases its shelf life. While you can gently twist off the root of the beetroot about an inch below the beet, you should not remove the leaves.
A sand-filled box in the basement or a storage pit (earth heap) in the garden is best suited for storing yellow beets. With cool temperatures of around zero to one degree Celsius, the beets last all winter. If you don’t have a basement or a storage pit, you can also preserve the yellow beets by boiling them down. You can do this in the same way as with beetroot.

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Cooking Tips

Top 10 Most Interesting Facts About Coffee

Coffee is lifestyle and enjoyment. For anyone who wants to learn a little more about their favorite drink, we’ve rounded up 10 fun facts about coffee.

Did you know?

When it comes to facts about coffee, pretty much everyone has something to contribute, because hardly any other drink has so many stories, myths and – facts – about it. We have picked out the 10 most exciting facts and don’t want to withhold them from you any longer:

1. Coffee was “discovered” by goats

You heard me right: according to legend, coffee was actually “discovered” by goats. In fact, it was a goatherd named Kaldi in 9th-century Ethiopia. He watches his goats and sees how the goats perk up after eating cherries from a coffee tree. So what could be more obvious for Kaldi than to taste the red cherries himself? Admittedly, the story was first written down in the 16th century, but it’s nice and somehow sounds believable.

2. Black Ivory Coffee – the most exclusive coffee in the world

For a long time, the famous Kopi Luwak, also known as cat coffee, was considered the most expensive and exclusive coffee in the world. The Kopi Luwak gets its special taste from the “manufacturing process”: It is created by giving the Indonesian civets coffee cherries to eat. These are digested by her and excreted again. The indigestible coffee beans are now selected from the legacies of the civets. The very complex manufacturing process makes the cat coffee extremely expensive.

3. Mild, light roast coffee beans contain more caffeine than dark beans

Contrary to popular belief, light, mild coffee roasts typically contain more caffeine than dark, hearty roasts. Why it is like that? The longer the coffee is roasted, the more caffeine is released from the bean under the heat. Basically, it’s like cooking with wine. The longer you let it simmer, the less alcohol you will later have in your food.

4. Espresso is not a bean

There is no special espresso bean. Espresso is just the name for a certain type of preparation. Dark roasted coffee beans are used and ground very finely. Hot water is then pressed through the ground coffee at high pressure. If you do it right, you get a concentrated coffee with a dense, brown crema. Due to the long roasting, espresso contains less caffeine than e.g. B. normal filter coffee.

5. Coffee is a cherry

That’s right – red cherries grow on coffee trees or bushes. The actual coffee bean is the seed inside the cherry. If the coffee bean wasn’t so desirable and flavorful, you might be able to buy the whole fruit of the coffee cherry in a fruit store, as it’s a delicious tart-sweet cherry that tastes a bit like honey, peach, and watermelon.

6. Coffee was forbidden

In the course of history, coffee has been temporarily banned several times in different cultures. The governor of Mecca closed all the coffee houses in 1511 because he saw them as places of moral decay. Only after a thirty-year dispute between the scholars was the ban lifted by the Sultan of Cairo. In 1675, the English King Charles II tried to ban coffee and coffee houses. He encounters great resistance from the population and triggers a rebellion, so that he ultimately cannot implement his plan. The Prussian King Frederick the Great finally banned the import of coffee in 1677. He feared that the rapidly growing coffee consumption at the time could displace traditional domestic products such as malt or barley. State propaganda tried to stigmatize coffee as a despicable fad and a superfluous luxury.

7. George Washington invented instant coffee

You read that right, but not the first American president, but his Anglo-Belgian namesake, George Constant Louis Washington, who invented instant coffee.
Washington, who emigrated to New York in 1897, was not the actual inventor, but he was the first to develop a process around 1908 to produce instant coffee on an industrial scale. He was commercially very successful. During World War I, the US Army bought the “G. Washington Coffee Refining Company” from their total production volume of instant coffee. This ensured that the soldiers at the front in Europe did not have to do without their “Cup of George”.
The Japanese-born scientist Satori Kato from Chicago is considered to be the inventor of the first instant coffee. However, he never succeeded in further developing his process, patented in 1901, into a commercially successful product.

8. There are over fifty different types of coffee

Normally we consumers only know two types of coffee: Arabica and Robusta, because only these are normally used for coffee production and together they represent practically 100% of the world market. In fact, over fifty different types of coffee are known. So, if you ever get the very rare opportunity to taste a coffee that isn’t made from the usual varieties, please do so!

9. Over 500 billion cups

Around half a trillion cups of coffee are drunk worldwide every year. With a world population of almost seven billion, that’s an unbelievable 71 cups for every citizen of the world – including small children!

Incidentally, the Finns are at the forefront when it comes to coffee consumption: Every Finn drinks 1305 cups a year of the 3.6 cups a day! In contrast, German coffee consumption is still moderate at just under two cups a day. However, coffee is also the most popular drink in Germany, ahead of beer and mineral water!

10. Second most traded commodity in the world

After oil, coffee is the most important commodity in the world. The coffee beans are grown in 80 countries around the world on a total area of around 11 million hectares. Around 25 million people work in the cultivation, processing or distribution of coffee. Around 55 million sacks of green coffee, each weighing 60 kilograms, are produced every year.

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