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Parboiled rice is considered a healthy alternative to white rice. But what exactly is parboiled rice? How is it made and what are its pros and cons?

How is parboiled rice different from white rice?

Parboiled rice and white rice are both derived from unpolished brown rice. Brown rice may also be known to you by the names whole grain rice or brown rice. White and parboiled rice differ from brown rice in that they are hulled before sale.

However, the majority of the vitamins and minerals of the rice grain are found in the silver skin of the husk. To ensure that these are not lost when the rice is peeled, the German-British inventor Erich Huzenlaub developed the parboiling process at the beginning of the 20th century.

In the parboiling process, the still raw and unpeeled rice is soaked. The vitamins and minerals are then pressed from the husk into the rice grain with the help of steam under high pressure. The rice is then dried and, like white rice, peeled and polished.

The parboiling process turns the rice slightly yellowish. In addition, the starch contained in the rice grains gelatinizes, making the parboiled rice grainier and less sticky than white rice.

What Are the Benefits of Parboiled Rice?

Parboiled rice is considered to be more nutritionally valuable than white rice because about 80 percent of the vitamins and minerals contained in the silver skin are pressed into the interior of the rice grain during the parboiling process.

In addition, parboiled rice is easier to handle than white rice. You don’t need to wash or soak it before cooking. In addition, parboiled rice forgives too long a cooking time or too much water. Parboiled rice makes it easy to cook fluffy rice with a good bite and without much effort.

In addition, the parboiling process can upgrade low-quality rice. For example, the parboiling process is increasingly being used in African countries in order to be able to sell the inferior rice production there. African consumers often prefer rice imported from abroad because it has fewer breakages and does not stick as much when cooked. The parboiling process gelatinizes the starch grains in the rice, which means that the individual rice grains no longer clump together.

Disadvantages of Parboiled Rice

Only brown rice contains 100 percent of the nutrients in the rice grain. From a nutritional point of view, you should always choose brown rice over parboiled rice. Another benefit of brown rice is the fiber in the husk it contains, which is peeled away in parboiled rice.

In addition, the rice aroma changes as a result of the parboiling process. American researchers discovered that the typical slightly nutty taste is due to the gelatinization of the starch granules during the parboiling process. The more aggressively the vitamins and minerals were pressed into the interior of the rice grain, the more the test persons perceived the typical taste of parboiled rice. Whether you see this as an advantage or disadvantage depends on your personal taste.

You should not prepare creamy dishes such as rice pudding or risotto with parboiled rice, as the starch contained in the grain of rice has already gelatinized and can no longer escape into the cooking water. Parboiled rice also takes longer to cook than white rice.

In the parboiling process, high water vapor pressure must be generated in order to force the nutrients into the rice grain. Therefore, the method consumes a lot of energy. White and brown rice are more environmentally friendly from an ecological point of view.

Tip: For the sake of the environment, always choose rice grown in Europe over rice grown in Southeast Asia. Shorter transport routes protect the environment. Also make sure that your rice comes from a certified organic farm. This is because they do not use any synthetic pesticides during cultivation.

Kala Namak, also known as black salt, smells like rotten eggs – and is still popular in vegan cuisine. We explain what you need to know about the special salt from India.

In this article you will learn what kala namak is, how you can use it in the kitchen and what you should pay attention to when buying it.

Black Salt: Peculiarities of Kala Namak

Kala Namak originally comes from India and is widely used there and in other South Asian countries. Although it’s called black salt, it’s more of a reddish-dark purple color – mainly because of the iron it contains.

But it’s not just the color that makes Kala Namak so unusual: the salt smells like rotten eggs, which is due to the sulfur compounds it contains. This is why Kala Namak cannot convince every nose, but most palates can if used correctly: A little Kala Namak gives dishes the typical egg taste. Therefore, the salt is particularly popular with vegans and egg allergy sufferers.

Characteristics of Kala Namak:
Colour: dark red, dark violet, black-greyish
Taste: salty, sulphurous, like egg
Odour: sulphurous, like slightly rotten eggs
Origin: India, Pakistan
Trade names: Kala Namak, Black Salt, Black Salt, Rock Salt, Saindhav, (Indian) Sanchal

Kala Namak: Crafting

In the traditional production process of Kala Namak, rock salt from the Himalayan mountains is mixed with charcoal, spices, herbs and the seeds of the harad plant and heated. This process is no longer common for commercial distribution. There are two main ways to make black salt:
Kala Namak with Harad seeds: Rock salt (often from the Himalayas) is boiled with Harad seeds (fruits of the Terminalia chebula plant)
Synthetic black salt: Sodium chloride is mixed with sodium sulfate, sodium hydrogen sulfate and ferrous sulfate and reduced with charcoal
Both versions of Kala Namak are very similar in terms of taste and appearance. The “real” black salt is considered to be of higher quality and is usually a little more expensive.

Kala Namak in the kitchen – recipe ideas and tips

No other vegan food tastes as close to a boiled egg as Kala Namak. That’s why black salt is so popular in vegan diets and it’s hard to imagine life without it.

Kala Namak is therefore suitable for all dishes in which you want to imitate eggs, for example:
vegan scrambled eggs with tofu or chickpea flour – with some turmeric for the yellow color
vegan shakshuka with chickpea flour and oatmeal
Avocado, finely seasoned with black salt – for example on a slice of bread
vegan omelette
vegan egg salad
Poor Knight (French Toast) as a vegan variant
In Indian cuisine, on the other hand, kala namak is used in a completely different way. There it is mainly an ingredient in chutneys, fruit salads, chaats or raitas. But you can also add Kala Namak to fruit juice drinks and long drinks.

In any case, you should only use black salt sparingly – otherwise the peculiar taste will quickly become too much.

The right food and drink can help us to better endure the current temperatures. We show 9 common mistakes that you should avoid.

We have trouble sleeping, feel lethargic, get headaches or can’t concentrate – our bodies react strongly to the hot summer weather. Eating the right diet can help you endure the heat better.

However, we often eat exactly the wrong thing and make our condition even worse. You should pay attention to these things:

1. Heavy eating in the evening

When the temperature is high, we often don’t feel an appetite during the day – and then compensate for this with a barbecue in the evening. But be careful: A high-fat meal in the evening can prevent us from getting a restful sleep at night. Therefore, before going to bed, we should primarily eat light foods, such as rice with vegetables or salad.

2. Drink a cold beer

In order to cool off when the temperatures are high, people like to have a cool beer, especially in the evening. However, alcohol is not a good idea in the heat: it also removes water and valuable minerals from the body – and we are more susceptible to heat stroke, writes the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA).

3. Eat low in salt

You really shouldn’t eat too much salt. However, if we sweat a lot at high temperatures, we also need more salt. So if you are suffering from circulatory problems at the moment, you can consciously add a little more salt to your food.

4. Drink hot coffee

Hot coffee also makes us sweat in a hot summer. The caffeine it contains also has a diuretic effect. Normally, the body can compensate for the loss of fluids well. When it’s hot, however, our body loses a lot of water anyway due to a lot of sweating. You should therefore be a little more careful in summer: drink a little less coffee than usual and let it cool down before you drink it.

5. Leave your groceries at home and transport food to be grilled far away

Bacteria multiply particularly well in the heat and high humidity. Meat, poultry, egg dishes, dairy products and fish are ideal breeding grounds for microorganisms. Anyone who interrupts the cold chain for too long runs the risk of salmonella.

Therefore: groceries belong directly in the fridge. At least salmonella cannot multiply below six degrees. In this way you not only save your health, but also your food from the garbage can.

6. Refresh yourself with lemonade

This doesn’t just apply to heat: those who frequently consume sweetened beverages supply the body with unnecessary calories. Lemonade, for example, can contribute to obesity. Better to use so-called infused water: tap water with a squeeze of lemon juice or a few slices of cucumber. It tastes much better and comes without sugar.

7. Eat fatty meat and sausages

In order for our body not to overheat at high temperatures, it has to work hard. Heavy food, such as high-fat meat, is an additional challenge because it takes a lot of effort to digest – we should therefore particularly avoid such meals when it is hot. In general, it makes more sense to eat little or no meat anyway. This is better for the climate, the animals and the environment.

Opt for fruit instead. This provides vitamins, minerals and water. Melons, tomatoes and cucumbers are particularly suitable as a snack in summer because they have a high liquid content.

8. Avoid spicy foods

Chili, garlic, paprika, pepper – hot spices make us sweat. Especially chili makes us sweat on the skin. In fact, the pod cools the body down. It works like this: The pungency molecule capsaicin it contains signals to the brain that there is a heat source in the mouth. This so-called phantom heat triggers a cooling reaction in the body.

When it is hot, however, we benefit from another property of spicy foods: they often contain ingredients that inhibit bacterial growth. You should therefore not do without spicy food in the heat.

9. Drinking (ice) cold drinks

Drinking a lot is important, the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends around 1.5 liters of water. In high heat, the body needs a lot of fluids.

However, cold drinks should only be taken in sips, as these drinks have a cooling effect. If you drink too much cold water quickly, you risk stomach ache – and rob the body of additional energy because it has to warm up cold liquids in order to be able to process them. It is therefore best to drink lukewarm beverages when it is hot.

Sumac is a spice that enhances many dishes in the eastern Mediterranean. We explain how the spice tastes and how you can use it.

Sumac is a spice made from the red fruits of the sumac plant: These are dried and then crushed or ground. The sumac plant grows wild in the Mediterranean region and parts of western and central Asia, where sumac has long been a popular spice.

In this country you can buy sumac mainly in Arabic and Asian grocery stores and delicatessens. You can recognize high-quality sumac spice by the fact that it contains no added salt. It also makes sense to pay attention to organic quality, since conventionally produced spices are often contaminated with harmful substances. It is best to store sumac in a dry, dark and airtight container.

Sumac: This is how you can use the spice

Sumac is considered by some to be a substitute for vinegar or lemon juice – because the spice tastes sour. However, the acidity is not as intense and is accompanied by fruity and slightly tart aromas.

You can use sumac to refine many dishes, for example salads such as the Fattoush bread salad, dips, sauces and stews. Basically, the spice fits into Arabic and Middle Eastern dishes with a sour note. In Turkey, sumac mixed with salt is found on many dining tables. In addition, sumac is part of the spice mixture zatar

Tip: The best way to enjoy zatar is to dip a piece of flatbread in olive oil and then in the spice.

Peeling chestnuts is not always easy. Here we show you a few tricks on how to quickly free the fruit of the sweet chestnut from its hard shell.

The chestnut is a further bred form of the chestnut and a little sweeter than this. Nevertheless, there is no difference in how you peel chestnuts or chestnuts. So you can use these tips for other sweet chestnuts as well.

Tip: Only use fresh chestnuts. You can recognize them by the fact that their shell is shiny and they feel heavy. If they seem hollow to you, they’ve already dried up. If you collect chestnuts, it is best to only use the largest fruits. Make sure they are intact.

Roast the chestnuts in the oven

You can prepare chestnuts in different ways. If you roast them in the oven, the typical chestnut flavor comes out particularly well. In addition, the sweet and nutty fruits are much easier to separate from their skin. How to prepare the chestnuts for peeling:

If you have enough time: Put the chestnuts in water for one to two hours, then the skin will give way more easily.
Score the chestnuts crosswise on one side. This is particularly easy with a serrated knife. Basically, it doesn’t matter which side you cut into. With a cut on the round side, however, you can arrange them better on a tray or grid.
Place an ovenproof bowl of water on the bottom of the oven, this will keep the chestnuts particularly juicy.
You don’t need to preheat the oven. Set it to 200 degrees top/bottom heat or 175 degrees convection and roast the chestnuts in it for about 20 minutes. How long they take depends on the variety and size. When they’ve all risen along the cut side and you can see the yellow flesh, they’re done.
Take the chestnuts out of the oven.
You should now be able to easily remove the fruit from the shell. The hotter they are, the easier it is to peel the chestnuts. In order not to burn yourself, you should still let them cool down briefly.

Tip: If the furry skin of the chestnuts doesn’t come off completely, rub it off with a clean kitchen towel.

Boil chestnuts before peeling

If you only boil chestnuts and don’t roast them, the flesh will remain soft. This makes it easier for you to puree them and, for example, to make homemade chestnut puree or chestnut soup. However, it is then also more difficult to separate the furry skin from the chestnuts.

Prepare the chestnuts as described in steps 1 and 2 above.
Put them in a pot of salted water and bring to the boil.
Boil the chestnuts in the water for 10 minutes, until all of the chestnuts have risen in the scored areas.
Drain them in a colander.
The same applies here: the hotter they are, the easier it is to peel the chestnuts. As you can see, the right tactic depends on how you want to consume or process the chestnuts later.

Also delicious raw

Although raw chestnuts are more difficult to peel than roasted or boiled ones, you can still eat sweet chestnuts raw. Soaking them for a few hours beforehand will help get them out of their shells and skin off.

Chestnuts and chestnuts are rich in protein, valuable vegetable oils and contain vitamins C, E and all B vitamins. They are gluten-free foods and offer a nutrient-dense alternative to grains for people with gluten intolerance.

After extensive viewing, coffee turns out to be extremely versatile and tastefully.

The taste of the coffee depends on many factors and always scores with an individual note. But what exactly does the coffee taste change?

With more than 800 different flavors, coffee impresses our flavors every day and can convince with an aromatic and sometimes bitter or even fruity taste. Nowadays we have an almost endless many types of coffee. By using various coffee beans and various types of preparation

Coffee is a worldwide pleasure drink, which, in addition to its invigorating effect, is drunk primarily because of its sometimes strong and soothing taste. The aromatic variety ranges from fruity berries, to a chocolate note. Neither artificial flavors or other synthetic additives are used. The various coffee beans alone can represent thousands of flavors. There are also other influencing factors such as the individual preparation and the use of additives such as milk and sugar. For example, a filter coffee can taste very different from a coffee from a fully automatic coffee machine. But even if you always prepare your coffee in the same machine, there are also differences here. The perfect coffee enjoyment is therefore not so easy to reach. So if you want to use the same coffee taste every day, you should take some tips and tricks to heart.

How does the individual bean influence the coffee taste?

Depending on the species, a coffee plant takes several months to complete maturation. Most of the cultivation areas are in the so -called coffee belt. This is an amalgamation of all attachments that are located near the equator. The optimal climatic conditions for fast and lively growth in the coffee plant prevail here. Daily sunshine, a constant amount of rain, fertile soil and profitable earth as well as a warm summer temperature make the coffee beans thrive optimally. The final fruit grade of the coffee depends on the variety and the cultivation area. The coffee farmers differ greatly depending on the region. Some can benefit from volcanic and fertile ground and use the coffee plants without the use of pesticides and other chemicals. Others use some aids to protect their plants from pests and guarantee faster growth. Since coffee is a popular product worldwide, thousands of tons of it are produced every year and shipped to Europe or anotherwohin. The transport therefore takes a long distance and sometimes also changes the taste of our coffee. It is important that the coffee beans are stored safely. Air, light and warmth are the worst enemies of the harvested coffee bean and take their flavors piece by piece.

The coffee bean in which more or less bitter substances and a strong fruit grade are stuck depends on the type of coffee. The two biggest species are the Arabica and the Robusta. Almost every coffee in the world consists of one of these beans. The Arabica Bean contains more acid than the Robusta. This ensures a stronger taste. Coffee beans that come from African countries are also more fruity than beans from other countries. The associated strong aroma profile ensures a fruity, delicious coffee taste. Therefore, it is important to look at the country of origin when buying coffee beans. Often, simply trying to discover your favorite coffee. Whether bitter, sweet fruity or sour – coffee can convince with all possible aroma properties. This diversity is probably one of the main reasons why coffee is so popular worldwide and ensures annual billions of bills.

Changes in taste through individual preparation

The preparation of coffee has a big influence on its ultimate taste. However, the result depends not only on the coffee machine, but also on the individual steps of the preparation. Meal, water temperature, the ratio between coffee and water, the warmth of the cup and much more – the coffee taste can be influenced in many ways.

First of all, the choice of coffee bean plays an important role. It should be ensured here that the roasting of the beans is no longer than three months ago. Otherwise there can be a strong loss of aroma. Fully automatic machines and other coffee machines have a container in which the beans are kept for grinding. This should be as dry as possible and protected from sunshine. When using coffee, this should also be as fresh as possible and be used up quickly. As the next step, you should take a closer look at your water. In many domestic apartments, very calcareous water comes from the lines. Clear and lime -free water, on the other hand, can improve the taste surprisingly. You should possibly descalate calcareous water beforehand.

Hygiene is a very important topic for coffee taste. If this is to be flawless and not falsified, the coffee machines used must be freed from any dirt or any residues. With daily use, oils and coffee residues quickly accumulate in the coffee machine. Coffee grinders, cups or jugs should also be properly clean. For this reason, many parts of modern fully automatic coffee machines can also be removed and cleaned separately. With the help of automatic cleaning programs, coffee machines can also be freed from residues quickly and easily. Over time, limestone can also accumulate. Deskalker tablets help here, which can be placed in the machines.

If you want to achieve a constant coffee taste, then you have to do so in addition to the roasting, grinding degree, the water used and the cleanliness of all machine elements. So you cannot falsify the coffee taste at least when preparing.

Coffee taste: acidity and fruit

The human tongue has different flavors. For example, whether the coffee is sweet, sour, salty or bitter, we taste very easy to try. However, a bitter note is not easy to see, since the other three flavors can often predominate and be better noticed. Of course, you can also perceive the aromas of coffee through the smell. However, the human ability for this differs from person to person. So a drink smells a little different for one of us than for the other. On the other hand, the spirits differ entirely when it comes to fruity coffee. Where many aromatic raspberry flavor love, others rely on a strong apple or lemon taste.

If we look at the differences between a coffee with a lot of fruit and a lot of acid, we can explain them well in an example with an apple. Many combine an aromatic, tasty apple with a fruity taste. However, if a lot of acid is used, we tend to speak of an acid apple. It is the same with coffee. Here it has to be taken into account that the acid does not predominate and the coffee taste remains pleasant. An aromatic fruit grade ultimately makes up every coffee.

Attention coffee lovers: On October 1st, the annual Coffee Day will be celebrated again. Read our article where he comes from and why we celebrate him.

What is coffee day?

According to the German Coffee Association, the undisputed favorite drink of the Germans is not beer or mineral water, but coffee. On average, every German drinks around 166 liters a year. The association has therefore been dedicating a day of honor to the caffeinated drink since 2006, initially on September 29, and since 2016 (through the merger with “International Coffee Day) on October 1.

Why is Coffee Day celebrated?

Celebrating not just the popularity of coffee, but the diversity of coffee beans and the millions of people—farmers, roasters, baristas, and more—who work hard to make and serve the beverage we love.

Coffee lovers therefore organize all sorts of events and campaigns in honor of the coffee bean. For example, there are guided tours in roasting plants to give an insight into the production process, or new coffee trends and preparation methods are presented.
There are also events where coffee is used in other forms, such as in wellness applications.

World coffee day: International Coffee Day

The fascination for the day of coffee is not only in Germany but worldwide – since 2016 the German holiday has been combined with the “International Coffee Day” on October 1st. Its inventor is unknown, but a similar event is said to have taken place for the first time in Japan in 1983 or in China in 1997. International Coffee Day was officially proclaimed for the first time in 2015 via the International Coffee Organization (ICO) as part of Expo 2015 in Italy.

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks worldwide

Outside of Europe, millions of cups of coffee are drunk every day, especially in Asia and Oceania, North and South America and Africa. Incidentally, the original coffee plant comes from Ethiopia, where many coffee beans are still produced today and exported to us in Europe. Other major export countries are Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico. Coffee Day is therefore a reason for people from all over the world to celebrate. But not just to celebrate the drink itself. Also because it means that attention can be drawn, for example, to the working conditions of the coffee farmers.

You can refine both sweet and savory dishes with peanut butter. Here you can find out how healthy the creamy paste is and what you should pay attention to when buying and using it.

Peanut butter is often confused with peanut butter. In fact, the nut butter does not contain any additives and consists of pure peanuts. Only the salty versions contain some salt. Peanut butter, on the other hand, has a much more spreadable consistency. This is because it contains hard fats, mostly palm fat, as well as sugar and possibly other additives.

With peanut butter you therefore fall back on the healthier version. We will explain to you which nutrients the nut butter provides you with and how you can use it.

Peanut butter: macronutrients

Peanut butter is about half fat. For example, 100 grams of peanut butter contains 49 grams of fat. At first glance, this doesn’t seem healthy. However, the majority of these are unsaturated fatty acids. Our body needs this, for example, to produce hormones, to maintain a healthy immune system or to utilize certain vitamins. By the way, saturated fats are not bad per se. It only becomes critical if we consume too much of it.

With only about eight percent carbohydrate content, peanut butter is also one of the low-carbohydrate foods. You can also use the nut butter as a vegetable protein source: it provides 26 grams of protein per 100 grams.

As a high-fat food, peanut butter also contains a relatively large number of calories: that’s around 590 kilocalories per 100 grams. However, if consumed in moderation, you can use it as part of a balanced and healthy diet.

Peanut butter: vitamins, minerals & Co

Peanut butter not only provides healthy fatty acids, but is also rich in various micronutrients. Specifically, it provides you with:

Vitamin E: This vitamin acts as a component of the cell membrane and is therefore essential for the structure of our body cells. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. That means it fights free radicals and is important for a healthy immune system.
some B vitamins: peanuts are particularly rich in vitamins B1, B3, B5 and B7. These play a central role in metabolic processes in particular.
Potassium: The mineral is important, among other things, for a balanced acid-base balance and growth processes. It also enables healthy heart function and regulates blood pressure.
Magnesium: This nutrient is particularly important for our bone and skeletal structure.
Iron: As a trace element, iron enables the transport of oxygen and is therefore essential for cell formation.
Zinc: As a component of enzymes and protein, zinc is particularly important for wound healing and cell growth.

Tips for buying and using

When buying peanut butter, you usually have the choice between “fine” and “crunchy”. In the crunchy variant, the mush is not completely pureed, but still contains individual pieces of nuts. In both cases, opt for organic nut butter if possible. In this way you avoid chemical-synthetic pesticides that are harmful to your health and the environment.

Alternatively, you can also make peanut butter yourself. To do this, simply puree organic peanuts using a food processor or a high-performance blender until a creamy paste is formed.

You can use peanut butter for numerous dishes that you want to give a creamy consistency and the typical nutty taste. For example, it is suitable as an ingredient for:

homemade porridge
smoothie
pie fillings
muffins and cookies
savory dips, sauces and dressing
soups
spreads

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.

Eating beans raw is not a good idea, although many other vegetables are fine to eat raw. Uncooked, legumes contain phasin, which has many undesirable side effects.

That’s why you shouldn’t eat beans raw

Raw fruit or vegetable sticks are considered a healthy snack. Unlike carrots or cucumbers, however, it is better not to use raw beans. It is also not advisable to try a piece of uncooked bean when preparing it.

This is because raw beans contain phasin, according to the Bavarian consumer advice center. This is a mixture of lectins, a toxic protein compound. It consists of the amino acids glutamic acid, aspartic acid, serine, alanine, tyrosine, lysine and arginine. Phasin is found in raw vegetables, especially kidney beans and other legumes such as red and white kidney beans.

Phasin is toxic to humans because it causes red blood cells to stick together. Above a certain dose, the consumption of green beans leads to vomiting, diarrhea, stomach and intestinal problems or headaches. According to the Bavarian consumer center, five to six beans are enough for children to show symptoms. With red kidney beans, adults can experience side effects after eating four to five seeds, while with kidney beans it has to be a good handful. Symptoms of poisoning usually appear two to three hours after consumption.

In the worst case, fatal poisoning is also possible. However, this requires a very large amount of beans.

You should keep this in mind when eating beans

So that you can enjoy your beans without side effects, we have a few tips for you below:

Boil the beans for at least 10 minutes. According to the Bavarian consumer advice center, the phasin is destroyed and you run no risk of poisoning yourself.
Discard the bean water after soaking, as it contains phasin. You can reuse the cooking water: Use bean water: 5 surprising ways.
Be careful with sprouting beans or legumes. Sprouting reduces the phasin content, but you should still blanch or boil them briefly. Due to the lower phasin content, blanching would also suffice here.
Keep small children away from uncooked beans. They are more prone to side effects due to their light weight and don’t yet know that uncooked beans are not good for them.