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Cold Enjoyment: The Iced Coffee Recipe And Its Variations

Do you have a great thirst for coffee in summer, but would you rather cool off than a classic coffee? Then try a classic iced coffee. You can find the recipe for it here – so you don’t miss out on the delicious coffee taste even on hot days. Don’t feel like the classic? There are also numerous other iced coffee variations.

What is an iced coffee?

One thing right away: “The” iced coffee doesn’t exist. Classically, it is prepared with vanilla ice cream, cream and coffee. However, there are no limits to creativity when preparing an iced coffee. Whether frappé, milkshake, iced coffee only with ice cubes, with almond milk, caramel, brittle, cream or other extras – everything is possible.

How do you make a classic iced coffee?

Admittedly, the classic iced coffee is not exactly low in calories. But for the taste experience, it is definitely worth sinning. How to prepare the classic:

The ingredients (1 portion):

50 grams cream (possibly 1 packet vanilla sugar)
1-2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
200 ml cooled coffee (preferably stronger)

Step 1: Make coffee

Make yourself some coffee. It doesn’t matter whether you use a hand filter, Mokkamaster or a normal filter machine. Just the way you like it best. Then let it cool down well. It is best to bring the coffee to room temperature before you put it in the freezer for about an hour. If you have more time, put it in the fridge for several hours.

Step 2: Whip the cream

When the coffee has cooled, whip the cream until stiff. If you like it sweet, add a packet of vanilla sugar.

Step 3: Mix ingredients

Put the vanilla ice cream in a glass. Then pour the cold coffee over the balls. Finally, top the drink with the whipped cream. If you want, you can top them with pieces of chocolate or whatever you feel like.

The most famous variants of iced coffee

Frappé: The frappé is prepared with instant coffee and chilled milk (and/or cream) and ice cubes. In Greece in particular, it is considered the “national drink”.
Frappuccino: A frappuccino is similar to a frappé, but consists of a classic brewed espresso, milk, cream and mostly shredded ice cubes. The term is a proprietary creation of the American coffee house Starbucks and is made up of the words frappé and cappuccino.
Iced Coffee: Classically, an Iced Coffee consists only of ice-cold coffee with ice cubes. In some cases milk is added.
Affogato: With an affogato, an espresso and a scoop of vanilla ice cream meet. The creation comes from Italy, where it is often served as a dessert.
Cold brew: In contrast to conventional coffee, when preparing a cold brew, coffee powder is infused with cold water. It is then left to stand for 12 to 24 hours before the brew is filtered. As a result, the coffee has four times the caffeine content of regular coffee. It is served with ice cubes and is usually drunk black or with a dash of milk.

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Cold Brew – Cold Coffee Enjoyment for Hot Summer Days

One or the other coffee lover has heard the name of the drink before: cold brew coffee. Its fame and popularity has grown over the years. Especially in the warm summer months, the cold coffee drink regularly finds its way into many households. It is not only refreshing but also offers a great advantage: once prepared, the concentrate can be kept for up to 10 days. Another advantage: you don’t need any expensive accessories to enjoy cold coffee, because a Chemex, a hand filter or a coffee maker or French press are completely sufficient. Those who like to experiment with their coffee have plenty of opportunities to adapt the drink to their individual taste.

What is cold brew coffee and where does it come from?

Anyone who now thinks that cold brew coffee is a completely new invention is wrong. Because the cold coffee originally comes from Japan and is also called “Kyoto coffee”. It was introduced there in the 17th century by Dutch traders who had no way of preparing it with hot water during their travels.

In addition, it is well suited for travel due to its durability. Nevertheless, the way of preparing cold coffee only gained attention again a few years ago and triggered a real hype in some countries. Some coffee chains have already included the trendy coffee drink in their coffee range. In addition to the coffee maker or the French press, the Chemex and the hand filter, there are now also special accessories especially for cold coffee preparation.

Can I also prepare cold brew coffee at home with the French press?

The preparation of this aromatic refreshment is extremely simple and can easily be replicated at home. However, you need one thing above all: sufficient time. If you just want to prepare a coffee for your visit, you should use the filter coffee machine. Because the preparation can take up to 12 hours – sometimes even longer.

To make cold brew coffee you need:

A glass or container with a lid – a French press also works
Freshly ground coffee
Cold water (if you want, you can filter it first)
a filter option (fine sieve, coffee filter, Chemex or stamp of the coffee maker or French press)

And then it can start:

For cold brew coffee, you must first grind the coffee coarsely, preferably a little coarser than when preparing it in a coffee maker or French press. About 150 – 200 g of coffee powder are used for 1 liter of water. The amount of coffee depends on the type of coffee and your personal taste.

Put the ground coffee in the jar, pour in the cold water, stir once and then close the lid. Now let the whole thing steep at room temperature for 8 – 12 hours without stirring again.

If you use a French press for the cold brew, you can now press down the press plunger. Even if the coffee powder is now held on the ground, there will still be particles in the coffee. It is therefore advisable to filter the coffee concentrate again with a hand filter, a chemex or otherwise. If you do not use a coffee maker but a glass, you can now also filter the coffee concentrate.

Now you can put one part of the concentrate in a glass and dilute it with one or two parts of water. Try out your personal cold brew recipe and test how strong or mild you would like to enjoy your coffee. You can add ice cubes. You can put the remaining concentrate in the fridge and use it within the next few days.

Special features of cold brew coffee

During the entire process, the coffee is not heated and does not come into contact with heat. The preparation takes place exclusively at room temperature.
The coffee concentrate can be stored in the refrigerator for approx. 14 days. If you would like to enjoy a refreshing cold drink, you can always take small amounts.
Depending on taste, the concentrate can be diluted with water. In addition, ice cubes, ice cream or other ingredients can be added. There are no limits to the fantasies.
No special accessories are required for the preparation. A glass with a lid or a French press and a filter option are sufficient.
The preparation can take up to 24 hours, depending on your own taste.
Compared to conventional coffee, cold brew coffee has less acid and is therefore a stomach-friendly alternative to filter coffee.

Cold Brew Coffee vs. Ice Brew Coffee

Ice brew coffee is normal coffee that, unlike cold brew coffee, is boiled and cooled down with the help of ice cubes during the brewing process. A portafilter machine or a simple filter is best suited for the preparation. Through contact with the ice, the coffee is immediately cooled down again and the bitter substances are also removed from the drink. The Ice Brew coffee tastes wonderfully fruity and summery like a fresh and hot brewed coffee. Ice brew coffee can be refined with vanilla ice cream, especially on hot summer days. Our tip: Because of the melt water, divide the amount of water into 50% liquid and 50% ice when preparing. It tastes perfect!

Conclusion: it is worth trying out the trend

If you have a French press at home, you should definitely try the trend drink cold brew, but you can also do without it. Simply pull a freshly ground coffee from the coffee machine and off you go.

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International coffee enjoyment: this is how the specialty is drunk in different countries

Coffee is a popular drink around the world: Whether coffee from the espresso maker, coffee from the French press, coffee from the capsule machine, hand-brewed, with or without milk, schnapps, cream, ice cubes, warm, cold or something in between – all over the world they cultivate Coffee drinkers their own coffee rituals, drinking habits and preparation methods. Different coffee specialties have developed in the countries of the world, which are now internationally popular. We present some of them to you!

But coffee is more than just a hot pick-me-up. Internationally, coffee drinkers connect very differently. Find out what coffee lovers associate with their favorite pick-me-up and what a good cup of coffee really means to you.

International coffee specialties – Country 1: Italy

Italy is the home of espresso – internationally, the southern European country is also associated with delicious coffee specialties. For the Italians themselves, only coffee from the espresso maker is good coffee. There is hardly a coffee specialty that is not based on coffee from the espresso maker.

Simple caffè, caffè lungo, caffè macchiato or cappuccino are just a few of the variants that people like to drink frequently. In fact, Italy is the country with the most cafés in the world; unlike in other countries, the coffee from the espresso maker is not drunk in company or over a longer period of time, but rather quickly and while standing. That’s why the Italians also expect their coffee to be at the right drinking temperature straight from the espresso maker.

International coffee specialties – Country 2: Austria

In Austria, the espresso coffee machine is a guarantee for coffee drinks that provide warmth and energy. The Austrians have a long coffee tradition and attach great importance to the beloved little black dress. This is clearly shown in the many typical coffee houses that are internationally known.

Coffee machines are also popular, as Austrians love all kinds of coffee specialities. Just like the Germans, they associate warmth with the hot drink. What makes them different is that they see coffee as a source of energy. They really appreciate the waking effect.

International coffee specialties – Country 3: Switzerland

The Swiss are internationally known and valued for their high quality of life and excellent cuisine. For the Swiss, the love of coffee is simply part of it and therefore also associated with love. This is even more important to the Swiss than the positive quality as an energy supplier. Enjoying coffee is a matter of the heart for the Swiss.

So it is not surprising that this love is the mother of invention: Coffee from the capsule machine is very popular in European countries and internationally – and who invented it? Guessed correctly. A Swiss food company was the first to come up with the idea of ​​producing, portioning and packaging coffee for a capsule machine. In addition, the Swiss like to drink their coffee refined with cream, which is also known among connoisseurs as café mélange. But other coffee specialties are also popular in the country: Kafi Luz or Kafi GT – variants with herbal schnapps or liqueurs.

International coffee specialties – Country 4: Denmark

The Danes like it uncomplicated: coffee from the French press is the second most popular way of preparing coffee for the northerners. The “Stempelkande Kaffe” is portioned with a teaspoon of coffee in a cup of water.

For many Danes, the daily consumption of three to four cups of coffee from the French press is part of “hygge” – a term for a positive attitude to life, cosiness and well-being. The internationally popular coffee to go is not very common in Denmark. Instead, in cafés or restaurants, the coffee is served directly in a French press or in a thermos flask, from which you can help yourself.

International Coffee Specialties – Country 5: Poland

In Poland, the espresso coffee machine is used for a hot drink that arouses passion. Filter coffee machines are particularly common in this country. Many also appreciate the espresso coffee machine to prepare a strong espresso.

If you ask people in Poland about their associations with coffee, you will mostly hear passion as the answer. Coffee and espresso wake up tired spirits. The association with home is also very widespread. Wherever Poles enjoy a coffee, they feel at home and welcome.

International specialty coffees – Country 6: USA

The USA is internationally the country with the most coffee imports. Your constant thirst for the black gold is quenched with a wide variety of coffee specialties. The coffee is often drunk heavily: if you order a Black Eye, Bulls Eye, Red Eye or Dead Eye (depending on the region), you will usually receive two espressos in combination with black filter coffee.

Another popular variant, “Iced Coffee” is not the same as the German version “Eis Kaffee” – in the USA the glass is filled to the top with ice cubes instead of ice cream.

International coffee specialties – Country 7: Germany

In Germany, in addition to convenient preparation options such as coffee from the capsule machine, handmade coffees are also in vogue again: coffee from the French press, the hand filter or coffee from the espresso maker is finding more and more fans. The coffee does not necessarily have to be hot:

In some processes, the coffee is produced as a “cold brew” and the coffee also stays cold with one of the typical German coffee specialties: the iced coffee is consumed with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. The country’s coffee drinkers associate warmth, love, peace, joy and security with their favorite drink. The hot drink replaces the hustle and bustle of everyday life with relaxation and enjoyment, and Germans prefer to enjoy their coffee with their partner or alone.

International coffee specialties – Country 8: Czech Republic

In this country, coffee is highly valued and drunk a lot. For people, coffee means rest. It brings serenity to the stressful everyday life and creates a welcome moment to pause and calm down. Community is very important to coffee drinkers in the Czech Republic: they prefer to drink coffee together than alone.

International coffee specialties – Country 9: Eritrea

The Eritreans have a very special relationship with coffee, which is only common in a few international countries. They celebrate coffee in a traditional coffee ceremony, which takes place up to three times a day. Coffee is considered a true delicacy in Eritrea, which should be prepared with the utmost respect.

Part of the ceremony is therefore to freshly roast the coffee beans yourself. When dark enough, the roasted beans are placed on a rush mat and passed around to all the participants in the coffee ceremony, who fan the aroma with their hands. The coffee is then ground and poured into a special clay vessel called a jebena, into which cold water is then poured. Finally, along with some spices, the mixture is heated on the stove for 15 to 30 minutes and then cooled again so that the coffee does not boil over. When it is ready, Eritreans stick a tuft of horsehair into the spout of the vessel to separate the liquid from the remaining coffee grounds when pouring the coffee specialty.

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10 Great Spaghetti Recipes for The Finest Pasta Enjoyment

Spaghetti or Spaghettini is best known when accompanied by a spicy Bolognese sauce. But the long cords can do much more than that. For example, have you ever tried waffles with the delicious pasta or prepared the pasta in the oven? If not, you should make up for it quickly! We provide you with these and other inspirations for delicious spaghetti dishes here.

Pasta with tomatoes and zucchini

We know pasta with a number of different sauces: Classic and simple are pasta carbonara, spaghettini Aglio e olio (with lots of garlic!), spaghetti alla puttanesca, or simple pasta salad. The noodles are boiled in salted water according to the instructions on the packet and then mixed with the respective sauce. Our first delicious spaghetti creation with Mediterranean vegetables spreads a holiday mood, don’t you think? Fresh thyme and aromatic Parmesan make the enjoyment perfect.

Red mullet fillet on spaghetti

Anyone who only ever serves fish with rice or potatoes is missing out on the best: the tender red mullet fillet and the delicious pasta form a successful combination! The slight kick of spiciness from the chili gives the dish the finishing touch.

Spaghetti with carrots, feta cheese, and sesame

This delicious veggie dish impresses with its contrasts: fruity seasoned carrots and spicy feta cheese form a great taste contrast. The whole thing is perfected with fresh parsley and aromatic sesame. By the way: Instead of feta cheese, you can also use halloumi – it tastes at least as good.

Spaghetti with wild garlic and almond pesto

Pesto is one of the classic pasta sauces – and for good reason: the delicious herb sauce can be varied wonderfully and is quick to make. Why not try this spring-like variant with aromatic wild garlic and crunchy almonds!

Pasta with olives and tomatoes

“Vegan and delicious” – that could be the motto for this dish. The delicacy of spaghetti, olives, tomatoes, and capers is on the table in just 30 minutes.

Spaghetti Shrimp Parcels

These small packages are really something special: because the delicious pasta is tied up with shrimp, tomato sauce, and fresh parsley and prepared in the oven. Practical: This variant is super easy to prepare and then only has to be baked shortly before consumption. With a few extra shrimp, a delicious shrimp salad can be served as a side dish.

Pasta with nut and broccoli sauce

You have to try this delicious pasta with creamy vegetable sauce yourself – it’s definitely worth it! Crunchy nuts and aromatic broccoli complete the quick treat.

Pasta with colorful vegetable sauce

Asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, spring onions, and a slight spiciness from the chili – this pasta clearly stands for healthy enjoyment! If you prefer to enjoy the dish vegan, simply leave out the parmesan.

Spaghetti with meatballs and tomato sauce

Not only do Susi and the Tramp like this spaghetti variant – we also like the spicy meatballs in combination with aromatic tomato sauce and al dente pasta!

Spaghetti waffles with powdered sugar and berry compote

We also have the right spaghetti recipe for those with a sweet tooth: together with eggs, milk, flour, and sugar, the noodles become crispy waffles. Serve with a fruity compote – delicious!

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Coffee Enjoyment in Abundance: How Many Cups of Coffee a Day Are Still Healthy – and When Does it Become Dangerous?

Coffee is one of the most popular hot drinks. The average person drinks three cups a day in this country. But is that still healthy?

From how many cups is coffee harmful?

The caffeine contained in coffee boosts bodily functions, increases hand rank, expands the bronchi and promotes concentration. Whether caffeine can kill is also easy to answer – yes, it can. A quantity of several grams becomes dangerous. The stimulant affects everyone differently. Not only in terms of the effect, but also in terms of how long it takes the body to break down the caffeine. While it takes some people just a few hours for caffeine to be metabolized, for others the process takes much longer.

When it comes to blood pressure, high blood pressure patients have nothing to fear, Professor Wolfram Delius assures the pharmacy umschau. Coffee increases heart rate, but to a manageable extent. With regular consumption, this effect is even weaker. The thesis that coffee is a “water stealer” has also been refuted. The diuretic effect cannot be denied, but it is due to the large amounts of water that you consume when drinking coffee. Nevertheless, Delius emphasizes that it is better not to drink coffee before measuring your blood pressure. Although studies always say that coffee should support heart function, the professor points to the lack of data. Under certain circumstances, those affected can feel cardiac arrhythmias more strongly after drinking coffee. What is certain, however, is that coffee lowers the risk of diabetes. “This is shown by large observational studies,” says Dr. Young Hee Lee-Barkey, Senior Physician at the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW in Bad Oeynhausen.

Can coffee even prolong life?

nutritionist dr. Anna Flögel, who researched at the German Institute for Human Nutrition in Potsdam, emphasizes “If you live unhealthily, for example because you smoke or drink alcohol frequently, coffee does not make you healthier.” Researchers have now discovered the maximum amount of coffee you should drink per day before it becomes unhealthy: with too much coffee, the risk of a heart attack increases significantly. While men consume an average of 3.6 cups per day, women only drink 3.2 cups of coffee. Researchers at the University of South Australia have investigated whether these amounts are dangerous to health.

There are still many myths and theories surrounding the popular hot drink. One side warns against too much coffee, the other side even claims that it has a healing effect. According to recent studies, drinking coffee could reduce the relative risk of death. In addition, filter coffee is said to help against high cholesterol levels, and in one German city people with liver disease are even asked to consume up to six cups of coffee a day. The “University of South Australia” has examined more closely whether coffee is really harmful”. The researchers used values ​​from the British Biobank: data from a total of 347,077 people aged between 37 and 73 were recorded and evaluated.

Global coffee consumption: three billion cups a day

“Around three billion cups of coffee are drunk every day worldwide. Knowing the limits of what is good and what is bad is essential,” says Professor Elina Hyppönen. She is Director of the Australian Center for Precision Health at the University of South Australia Cancer Research Centre. She also says, “As with many things in life, it’s all about balance; if you overdo it, your body will pay for it.”

Risk of heart disease increases with too much coffee

The study found that drinking more than six cups of coffee increases the risk of heart disease by up to 22 percent. More precisely: The study found that too much caffeine can lead to increased blood pressure. This is considered a precursor to serious heart disease. A certain dose can therefore also have negative consequences for health. The study was the first to provide a recommendation for the maximum amount of coffee you should drink per day.
As with most things, the same applies to coffee: as long as you don’t overdo it, drinking it every day is not harmful to your health.

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Coffee Enjoyment in Abundance: How Many Cups of Coffee a Day are Still Healthy – and When Does it Become Dangerous?

Coffee is one of the most popular hot drinks. The average person drinks three cups a day in this country. But is that still healthy?

From how many cups is coffee harmful?

The caffeine contained in coffee boosts bodily functions, increases hand rank, expands the bronchi and promotes concentration. Whether caffeine can kill is also easy to answer – yes, it can. A quantity of several grams becomes dangerous. The stimulant affects everyone differently. Not only in terms of the effect, but also in terms of how long it takes the body to break down the caffeine. While it takes some people just a few hours for caffeine to be metabolized, for others the process takes much longer.

When it comes to blood pressure, high blood pressure patients have nothing to fear, Professor Wolfram Delius assures the pharmacy umschau. Coffee increases heart rate, but to a manageable extent. With regular consumption, this effect is even weaker. The thesis that coffee is a “water stealer” has also been refuted. The diuretic effect cannot be dismissed out of hand, but is due to the large amounts of water that you support when drinking coffee, the professor refers to the lack of data. Under certain circumstances, those affected can feel cardiac arrhythmias more strongly after drinking coffee. What is certain, however, is that coffee lowers the risk of diabetes. “This is shown by large observational studies,” says Dr. Young Hee Lee-Barkey, Senior Physician at the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW in Bad Oeynhausen.

Can coffee even prolong life?

nutritionist dr. Anna Flögel, who researched at the German Institute for Human Nutrition in Potsdam, emphasizes “If you live unhealthily, for example because you smoke or drink alcohol frequently, coffee does not make you healthier.” Researchers have now discovered the maximum amount of coffee you should drink per day before it becomes unhealthy: too much coffee increases the risk of a heart attack. While men consume an average of 3.6 cups per day, women only drink 3.2 cups of coffee. Researchers at the University of South Australia have investigated whether these amounts are dangerous to health.

There are still many myths and theories surrounding the popular hot drink. One side warns against too much coffee, the other side even claims that it has a healing effect. According to recent studies, drinking coffee could reduce the relative risk of death. In addition, filter coffee is said to help against high cholesterol levels, and in one German city people with liver disease are even asked to consume up to six cups of coffee a day. The “University of South Australia” has examined more closely whether coffee is really harmful”

Global coffee consumption: three billion cups a day

“Around three billion cups of coffee are drunk every day worldwide. Knowing the limits of what is good and what is bad is essential,” says Professor Elina Hyppönen. She is Director of the Australian Center for Precision Health at the University of South Australia Cancer Research Centre. She also says, “As with many things in life, it’s all about balance; if you overdo it, your body will pay for it.”

Risk of heart disease increases with too much coffee

The study found that drinking more than six cups of coffee increases the risk of heart disease by up to 22 percent. More precisely: The study found that too much caffeine can lead to increased blood pressure. This is considered a precursor to serious heart disease. A certain dose can therefore also have negative consequences for health. The study was the first to provide a recommendation for the maximum amount of coffee you should drink per day.

As with most things, the same applies to coffee: as long as you don’t overdo it, drinking it every day is not harmful to your health.

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Slow Food: Good Reasons For Conscious Enjoyment

Slow food – the opposite of fast food – stands for the conscious enjoyment of food. The movement wants to promote a vibrant and sustainable culture of food.

Slow Food as a movement

In 1986, Carlo Petrini founded an association in Bra, northern Italy, which promotes a culture of culinary delights and a “moderate pace of life”. One of the triggers for this was the opening of a McDonalds branch on a baroque free bridge.

Three years later, in 1989, the international association Slow Food was founded and another three years later, in 1992 Slow Food Deutschland e.V. The mission is based on this philosophy:

“Three times a day, at every meal, we make decisions with far-reaching consequences. Our food is inextricably linked to politics, economy, society, culture, knowledge, agriculture, health and the environment”.

The central principles that apply to foods with a Slow Food character are derived from this: “buono, pulito e giusto” – good, clean and fair.

4 good reasons for Slow Food

1. Enjoy food

Enjoyment is the top priority at Slow Food: everyone should have a right to it. It’s about curbing blind consumption and creating awareness of the products that end up on our plates.

At the same time, this is a rejection of the to-go culture, which not only has little to do with enjoyment, but also produces vast amounts of unnecessary waste. When we are able to actively enjoy food, we also learn to appreciate its value. One of the central theses of Slow Food: “The shared meal is the basis of human coexistence”.

2. Health

Not only our mind is happy about conscious nutrition, but also the body. Food should be nutritious and healthy. Finished products and fast food often contain a lot of additives such as preservatives and flavor enhancers. The substances can be harmful to health, especially in large quantities. If you cook fresh yourself, you can do without such artificial ingredients – and get better quality and healthier meals.

3. Sustainability

The aim of Slow Food is to shape human nutrition in such a way that it can continue to exist in the future. A sustainable supply respects people, animals and nature.

4. Common Good

Social inequality is also a consequence of the consumption-oriented food system. Justice can only exist if everyone involved along the production chain works under fair conditions. In our current economic system, workers are systematically exploited for food production, especially in countries of the Global South, but also in Europe.

To change that, the Slow Food association founded the Terra Madre network. The network represents food producers worldwide who offer an alternative to industrial agriculture.

Food is political

Nutrition is an issue that affects everyone around the world. Without being fundamentalist, the Slow Food movement offers an alternative to unbridled consumption. Through enjoyment and awareness of our diet, we can create alternatives that not only benefit ourselves, but also the environment and community.

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Cooking Tips

Iced Coffee: Cool Caffeine Enjoyment With Numerous Variants

So much for cold coffee – iced coffee is a classic that makes a comeback every summer. As Caffè freddo, it is traditionally served in Italy as an often sweetened espresso lengthened with ice-cold water, as a café frappé in Greece and in Cyprus as cold frothed coffee with pieces of ice. And even if people like to use ready-mixed powder bags these days – a home-made iced coffee is a pleasure that is well worth the little effort!

Our favorite iced coffee: Nutella iced coffee

Similar, but alcohol-free and a bit sweeter, is “Nutella Iced Coffee”. Here the glass is first garnished with chocolate and caramel sauce, then cold coffee or espresso (depending on your taste) is filled with vanilla ice cream. Then stir in a spoonful of Nutella, decorate with cream and grated chocolate and enjoy.

Viennese Iced Coffee & Co

The variation of the frozen cappuccino is also enjoying increasing popularity. To prepare it, you need a blender with a cup of espresso, about three quarters of a cup of milk, a teaspoon of brown sugar and 60 grams of ice cubes. After mixing the ingredients, let stand briefly and then pour into a glass. Of course you can also use sugar syrup instead of cane sugar here or use other syrup variations as you like. Another specialty is Viennese iced coffee. Here the vanilla ice cream is poured directly into the still warm coffee, then milk and sugar are added and the whole thing is carefully stirred. This sweet mixture then goes into the freezer for two hours. Before serving, briefly whip the melange again and serve with a little cream if desired. For a fruity variation on cold coffee, take two tablespoons of freshly brewed or instant coffee, stir in a tablespoon of sugar and allow the drink to cool. Add 100 milliliters of orange juice and the coffee to about 250 grams of whipped cream. Mix well and add 320 grams of vanilla ice cream, finish with coffee beans and, if desired, additional whipped cream. If you prefer something stronger, you can take a chilled double espresso as the basis and refine it with one or two scoops of ice cream and some frothed milk.

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Coffee Enjoyment – How Much of The Quard is Healthy?

None of us want to do without coffee. But how much coffee is healthy and what kind of damage occurs with excessive consumption?

Many myths rank about the effect of coffee on our health. Reason enough to take a closer look

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. With us in Germany, too, every German citizen drinks an average of around 149 liters of coffee a year. With such a high consumption, the questions quickly arise how much coffee is healthy and whether any health problems can arise. To do this, the coffee must be checked for its ingredients and their effects have to be looked at more closely. Since most of us drink several cups of coffee during the day, the result should be more than interesting.

The favorite drink of par excellence: the coffee! With over 800 aroma fabrics in just one coffee bean, it convinces with a real variety of flavors and great properties. In addition to the coffee acid and numerous bitter substances, there are unmistakable beverage variations, which give every coffee lover unique moments of pleasure. It is not surprising that most of us reach for the first cup of coffee in the morning. The person contained in the coffee quickly displaces any morning tiredness and keeps us fit for the rest of the day. Above all, the well -known afternoon depth is combated with the help of the guard. In addition to classic black coffee, many also drink milk creations such as a latte macchiato or cappuccino. The selection is almost infinite – but how much coffee is healthy for us? As so often, many factors play a role here. In addition to the ingredients and coffee variation, it is mainly important to the mass of the coffee we recorded.

Coffee: sick maker or power donor?

Whether coffee is healthy or unhealthy, the spirits often differ. It is clear that it is a popular drink worldwide, which is taken several times a day by many people. The ingredients of the pleasure drink are very versatile. With more than 800 aroma substances, acids, caffeine (alkaloids), minerals, protein and much more, coffee provides our body plenty of input. Most of these ingredients are absolutely harmless to us and also convince with valuable nutrients. It only becomes problematic with an increased supply of caffeine or with too many bitter substances. But how much coffee is healthy in the end? In particular, we take a closer look at the caffeine content.

For most, caffeine is the must-have in coffee. It ensures that after a short time we feel awake and cheer, can think and work more efficiently and help us through daily morning fatigue as well as the afternoon depth. Unfortunately, it is the caffeine that can harm our body. Medical studies set a limit of 400 milligrams of caffeine a day. As long as this value is not exceeded, the guard is absolutely harmless to us. Converted into coffee, this corresponds to about four cups of filter coffee. Around 71.3 percent of all Germans move within this limit and remain below the four cups mentioned.

So the question is less how much coffee, but much more how much caffeine is healthy. Since we also take other foods and drinks in addition to the daily coffee, we have to keep an eye on the caffeine intake throughout the day. In addition to filter coffee, for example, a cup of espresso with 50-60 mg caffeine, a 0.33 liter dose of cola with 10 mg caffeine, a dark chocolate with up to 115 mg caffeine and a 250 ml energy drink with 80 mg caffeine. In addition, you have to take a closer look at all kinds of coffee creations. Not every coffee contains the same amount of caffeine. If additives are used, they can bring an extra caffeine into play.

If you do not exceed the daily maximum dose of 400 milligrams of caffeine, you don’t need to worry about health consequences. With a larger intake, over a longer period of time, however, there is getting used to in the brain. The consequences can be insomnia and concentration disorders. Coffee and the associated caffeine are completely harmless in moderation. Anyone who does not exaggerate it with daily consumption can calmly indulge in the enjoyable taste of the coffee bean and does not have to worry about any health risks. If the desire for coffee gets a little larger, it is advisable to grab for decaffeinated coffee – this is usually offered in all shops and cafés and offers a great alternative to caffeinated coffee.

Attention risk groups!

The border of 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is usually a good clue for all coffee lovers. However, there are some risk groups that react a little more to coffee and have to hold back accordingly. Especially people with high blood pressure or those who suffer from insomnia must be careful with daily caffeine. Even pregnant women can have problems with excessive coffee consumption. Their organism is directly connected to that of their babies and passes on the caffeine unfiltered. Incidentally, this also happens when breastfeeding small children! Nobody has to do without coffee. A few cups of the pleasure drink per week are perfectly fine and should not cause health problems.

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Food

Enjoyment with a Clear Conscience: Fair Trade Tea

Traditional tea has a bitter aftertaste: pesticide pollution and exploitation on the plantations. If you shop responsibly, you can do something about it. However, there is not one all-round good alternative – there are many different initiatives.

If you don’t just want to drink tea (black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong) but want to enjoy it with a clear conscience, you should follow two pieces of advice: Buy organic tea, because the pesticide load there is significantly lower. Also make sure that you really only buy fairly traded tea, because that way you can also counteract the problematic working conditions.

The problem: making a clear recommendation for “fair trade” tea is not that easy. In addition to the well-known and widespread Fairtrade seal, there is an almost unmanageable variety of initiatives. We present a small selection.

Fairtrade: higher wages, fairer conditions

The Fairtrade seal stands for better working conditions in the production countries. An important tool is the Fairtrade premium: it is paid to the local workers’ cooperative or workers’ representation and used for charitable purposes. Fairtrade prohibits discrimination, forced and child labor and requires occupational safety measures and formal employment relationships. Genetic engineering is excluded, the use of pesticides is severely restricted. There is an extra premium for organic cultivation.

The price that producers receive for their tea depends on the quality, origin and processing methods. Due to the included Fairtrade surcharge, however, it is generally slightly higher than without certification.

According to Fairtrade, the wages of the workers must be at least as high as the standard industry wages or statutory minimum wages, whichever is higher. If these are below living wages, there must be continuous wage increases. However, what is considered to be “living wage” has not yet been clearly defined. “There is currently no uniform living wage calculation system, but we are aiming for it,” says Verena Albert from the policy department of the fair trade company GEPA (see below).

Fairtrade does not guarantee physical traceability for tea. This means: If you buy 100 grams of tea with the Fairtrade seal, the pack does not necessarily have to contain 100 grams of Fairtrade tea, it can also contain conventional tea. The only thing that is certain is that the tea manufacturer bought 100 grams of Fairtrade tea – this is guaranteed by the umbrella organization FLO (Fair Labor Organisation).

Buying: Fairtrade products are available almost everywhere: in supermarkets, discounters, organic shops and supermarkets, health food stores, world shops, drugstores and in many online shops.

GEPA: stricter rules, better traceability

At GEPA, the standards go beyond those of Fairtrade. The company also does public relations and lobbying for fair trade and is a member of FLO and WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization).

A long-term trading partner of GEPA is the Indian tea producer TPI. The company pays its employees above minimum wage for every kilo of tea they pick and also invests in a pension fund for them. Unlike many other plantation operations, TPI employs workers year-round, providing them with education, health care, and electricity.

The price that GEPA pays the producers is based on their calculations; they receive a fair trade surcharge per kilo. After all, around 80 percent of all goods at GEPA come from organic cultivation. Many of the teas bear the seal of the Naturland cultivation association.

GEPA guarantees that there will be no balancing of quantities for tea. For consumers, this means that GEPA tea packs actually contain 100 percent tea from certified tea gardens. “Physical traceability is very important to us. It helps to promote not only fair trade in the minds of the people here, but above all the local producers,” says Verena Albert from GEPA.

El Puente: special support for disadvantaged groups

The non-profit El Puente focuses on trading with self-governing smallholder cooperatives and family businesses. Unlike Fairtrade International and GEPA, El Puente provides producers with up to 100 percent interest-free pre-financing of production.

The company works according to the standards of the WFTO: It makes the special support of disadvantaged groups in the producer countries a central criterion. Wages must correspond to the respective statutory minimum wages or the wages customary in the industry, whichever is higher. Living wages are also “desired” here.

According to their own statements, about 80 percent of the food range is certified organic. El Puente gets its tea from cooperatives in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Rwanda.

Buying: The products can only be found in world shops or online so far.

Direct Trade

Initiatives such as the Tea Alternative and the Tea Campaign buy certified organic tea directly from plantations in India, ship it to Germany and sell it directly to consumers in bulk. The tea alternative offers only one type of tea (Assam), the tea campaign two (Darjeeling and Assam); both support the respective region to a special degree. They can offer their products relatively inexpensively by bypassing middlemen, certifiers and complicated marketing structures.

The plantations from which the two direct traders get their tea are mostly FLO-certified. During visits to India, the companies regularly convince themselves that the workers are treated fairly. “The advantage is that I know exactly where the tea comes from and who benefits from it,” says Thomas Zimmermann from the tea alternative. “When I’m there, I look behind practically every machine.” Both initiatives support charitable projects in India with part of their proceeds.

Conclusion: Enjoying fair tea is possible

We believe: every step counts. And that’s why the most important thing is that you do something at all to counteract exploitation and environmental destruction on the tea plantations. The alternatives presented may not be perfect, but they are relatively easy to put into practice for every tea fan and just as useful as they are worthy of support.

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