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Decaffeinated Coffee: You Should Know That

Coffee in the morning serves as a classic “wake-up” for most people. But if you can’t tolerate the caffeine in your favorite hot drink, decaffeinated coffee can help so that nobody has to forego coffee enjoyment.

Beginning of the 20th century: A man from Bremen invents decaffeinated coffee

Ludwig Roselius, the founder of the well-known coffee brand “Kaffee HAG” produced decaffeinated coffee for the first time in 1903. The reason was extremely sad: his father had died shortly before and Roselius attributed this not least to his father’s immense coffee and caffeine consumption. However, the first decaffeinated coffee was not necessarily good for your health. Because after the coffee beans had swollen in salt water, Roselius removed the caffeine from them with the help of benzene. However, benzene is a substance that is now considered carcinogenic, so the so-called Roselius method is no longer used today.

The Swiss water process: A process without chemicals

The Swiss water process works without any harmful chemicals, but has other disadvantages. This process works on the principle of saturation: First, the coffee beans are placed in water until all soluble components have passed into the water. This water mixture is then passed through a special filter to separate the caffeine dissolved in the water from the rest. The decaffeinated water will now continue to be used. In the next step, coffee beans are again added to the water, which now contains all coffee components apart from the caffeine, and allowed to swell in it. Now the principle of saturation comes into play: Since the water contains all the components of the bean, just not the caffeine, only the caffeine can be released into the water. So the caffeine is removed from the beans by the water and they are decaffeinated in this way. However, this method is very time-consuming and also extremely wasteful, since you need a lot of coffee beans to saturate the water, which you then simply throw away. This method is therefore rarely used today.

Decaffeinated coffee thanks to solvents

One of today’s most popular methods of decaffeinating coffee relies on solvents. Here, too, the first step is to let the coffee beans swell to make them ready for the solvents. If these are then used, patience is required: the coffee beans usually have to be treated with solvents for at least ten hours in order to release their caffeine. But the use of solvents is not without controversy. To date, it has not been conclusively clarified whether the substances used are dangerous to health or not. Indeed, there seems to be evidence that at least one solvent, dichloromethane, is potentially carcinogenic.

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Healthy Inca Grain? 9 Things You Need to Know About Quinoa

Suddenly everyone is eating quinoa, organic stores sell it, veggie burgers are based on it. Utopia took a closer look at the hype grain and discovered a lot of positive things about Andean millet – but also a downside.

In the Andes region of South America, quinoa has been considered a nutrient- and energy-rich staple food for about 6000 years. The Spanish conquerors regarded the “Inca wheat” as cheap poor people’s food, and in some cases they banned it. Unlike corn, the plant was therefore practically unknown in Europe until a few decades ago.

It wasn’t until the 1990s that quinoa was rediscovered as a food here: the nutrient-rich grains were particularly popular in health food stores and alternative cuisine. In 2013, the plant was even voted “Plant of the Year”, and today it is considered a gluten-free superfood. But the hype surrounding quinoa also causes problems.

Quinoa: what is it anyway?

Quinoa is an ancient annual crop and, like amaranth, belongs to the foxtail family. You can eat the young sprouts and leaves of quinoa, but you mainly use the seeds by simply cooking them like rice (see 8. Recipes).

White quinoa is the most common, and usually a little cheaper. It is the lowest in fat and has a nutty taste. The cooking time is 10 to 15 minutes.
Black quinoa doesn’t really taste any different, but it is a bit harder, and takes 15 to 20 minutes to cook.
Red quinoa takes a little longer to cook than black quinoa. Because it keeps its shape and looks pretty, it’s a popular choice for salads.
Puffed quinoa is, so to speak, the popcorn of the Incas and, like quinoa flakes, is mainly used as an ingredient in muesli.
Quinoa blends with two or three colors are also common. Because the Inca grain, unlike rye or wheat, is not a sweet grass, the seeds are gluten-free. The plant is therefore also referred to as a “pseudo grain”, since in practice there is hardly any difference to grain.

The quinoa plant is undemanding: it is sown on loose soil that is as weed-free as possible; Fertilizing and watering is practically not necessary and can even reduce the yield. However, cultivation is now leading to social and economic problems in the growing countries – see point 9: Sustainability.

Nutrition facts: is quinoa healthy?

The Incas revered quinoa as a miracle plant – and rightly so: its nutritional values make the pseudo-cereal extremely healthy. Quinoa is an excellent source of essential amino acids such as lysine, tryptophan or cystine and provides polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, quinoa has a high content of minerals – including magnesium (approx. 300 mg), iron (approx. 8 mg), potassium (approx. 800 mg) and calcium (approx. 120 mg), but also manganese.

This made quinoa interesting as a healthy source of protein for vegans, but also caused a certain amount of hype for conventional healthy diets. However, just because you eat quinoa doesn’t make you “healthier”. And with a balanced diet with regional fruit, vegetables and grains, you can do without the Inca food in this country, the procurement of which is associated with sustainability problems.

Quinoa and carbohydrates: is the trend suitable for the low-carb diet?

Eating quinoa as a grain substitute as part of a low-carb diet does not make sense. The pseudo-grain is very high in energy (depending on the variety, around 400 kilocalories per 100 grams). It also supplies this energy via the fats it contains (mainly unsaturated), but mainly from carbohydrates.

After all, these are rather complex carbohydrates that have to be broken down before they can be used by the body. In contrast to normal cereals, quinoa keeps you full for longer and avoids food cravings. But if you want to avoid carbohydrates, you should look for alternatives.

Ingredients: Is quinoa unhealthy?

As with all foods, there are components in quinoa that are not particularly digestible. To protect against pests, the shell of the seeds contains the bitter saponins, which can damage the intestinal mucosa and blood cells. In the unpeeled state, the seeds are therefore not suitable for consumption. Even when peeled, the grains should always be rinsed well or boiled to remove the remaining saponins as much as possible.

Particular caution is required for people with diseases of the intestine or for small children up to about two years of age: In both cases, the intestinal mucosa is not robust enough, the saponins can get into the blood and attack the red blood cells in particular. Seeds available in Germany are already hulled. You should wash them again though.

No gluten – ideal grain substitute

Since the plant is not a sweet grass, quinoa does not contain any gluten. This makes the seeds an interesting alternative as a side dish, especially for people with celiac disease or a milder form of gluten intolerance.

When baking, however, the “gold of the Incas” is not an alternative: the gluten protein ensures that dough for bread or cakes becomes fluffy and airy during baking. Since quinoa lacks gluten, baking with quinoa flour alone is difficult; however, you can substitute some of the regular flour with it to lower the gluten content of the pastry. There are also gluten-free pasta varieties with the pseudo-grain quinoa.

But here, too, the following applies: Eating the gluten-free pseudo-grain “as a preventive measure” without a specific need, in the hope that it is somehow healthier, is rather nonsensical in view of the sustainability problems. Gluten-free cereal substitutes only make sense if you have actually received a medical diagnosis for celiac disease, i.e. real gluten intolerance. Gluten-free pasta often contains more cornmeal and rice flour than quinoa.

Is quinoa suitable for a diet?

Quinoa is healthy, contains many nutrients and is gluten-free. However, the pseudo-grain also contains a lot of energy, which at first glance makes it unsuitable for a diet. At second glance, it is noticeable that the ratio of energy to nutritional value is significantly higher here than with conventional grain.

In this respect, the Inca wheat can be easily integrated into a balanced nutrition plan, since more nutrients can be absorbed with a smaller amount and the total calorie intake can be reduced. Instead of going on a diet, it makes more sense to fundamentally change your diet – and that can also be done with regional products.

Buying quinoa: what is important?

Because quinoa is part of the superfood hype, you can now buy it in many places – unfortunately only rarely as a fair trade product. Even discounters have the seeds in their program again and again. The prices for the pseudo-grain vary between around five and twelve euros per kilogram for peeled, natural quinoa seeds. Puffed grains or flakes are slightly more expensive because they have been further processed.

The easiest way to obtain the products is through health food stores, natural food and organic shops, but also supermarkets, drugstores with a food department and organic supermarkets.

When buying quinoa, in addition to processing, it is particularly important to look for organic seals or symbols and the Fairtrade seal on the packaging. This is the only way for farmers in the Andes in Peru and Bolivia to benefit from their work with the cultivation of the grain substitute.

Quinoa recipes and tips

Although the pseudocereal can be enjoyed in many ways, the most popular variant is still as a side dish, cooked like rice.

Put the quinoa grains in a saucepan with twice the amount of cold water and bring to the boil.
Then the grains should simmer for about 10 minutes on a low flame and then swell for another 10 minutes with the stove off.
Refined with a little salt and butter or olive oil before serving, the nutty taste of quinoa comes into its own.

Alternatively, quinoa can be enjoyed fresh and summery as a tasty quinoa salad with avocado, mango and onions, perfect for a bit of the exotic in cloudy German summers. For lovers of fiery, South American delicacies, there is a chili con quinoa, where the meat is replaced with the seeds. The versatile grains set virtually no limits to the imagination when preparing them.

Sustainability: Downsides of the quinoa boom

When it comes to sustainability, there is a lot to be said against Inca wheat. Because quinoa is only rarely cultivated in Europe and Germany, the pseudo-grain grows almost exclusively in its region of origin in the Andes.

About 95 percent of the total world production is grown in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. The transport routes from the fields in South America to Europe are extremely long (similar to rice), which means that, given the current level of transport, there is a high level of climate pollution from fossil fuels.

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Cooking Tips

The Espresso: You Need to Know That

Coffee lovers who appreciate strong, authentic coffee enjoyment prefer an espresso. We will show you which preparation method is used to make espresso and provide further information about the little wake-up caller.

What is an espresso?

An espresso is a specialty coffee that can be described as a type of concentrated coffee. Hot water is pressed through finely ground coffee powder under high pressure. The amount of coffee powder corresponds to that of a coffee with 125 ml, but only 25 ml of water are used for espresso. The taste of the espresso is strong and is characterized by a full aroma. The pressure creates an aromatic, hazelnut-brown foam layer – the crema. The espresso comes from Milan and was created around 1900. It can be enjoyed neat or serves as the basis for other coffee specialties, such as latte macchiato.

Espresso: There are these types of preparation

Coffee lovers can also prepare a delicious espresso at home. There are these types of preparation:

Espresso from a portafilter machine

Distribute seven to nine grams of freshly ground, very fine ground coffee evenly in the portafilter. With the so-called tamper, press the ground coffee evenly into the ground. As a result, the water meets the same resistance everywhere on the coffee. A constant extraction is ensured without water being able to run past the coffee. The filled portafilter is now placed in the portafilter machine. One more push of a button and the machine does the rest. The water is pressed through the espresso powder at a pressure of 9 bar and the finished espresso drips out with a nice crema.

Espresso from a fully automatic coffee machine

Before using it for the first time, the fully automatic coffee machine must first be set according to your taste preferences. The amount of water, the pressure and the water temperature can be adjusted as desired. The classic settings are around 25 ml of water, a pressure of 9 bar and a water temperature of around 92 degrees. At the push of a button, the fully automatic coffee machine freshly grinds the beans and then brews the espresso. You can then draw an espresso as often as you like at the push of a button, without any further action. This is quick and does not require as much specialist knowledge as with the portafilter machine.

Strong coffee from the espresso maker

Although the name associates it differently, you cannot use the espresso maker to make espresso. Only the preparation of very strong coffee is possible with it. If you don’t have anything else on hand, you can use this as a weakened espresso substitute.

This is how it works: heat the water separately and then put it in the espresso maker.
Caution: The safety valve must not be covered with water. Fill the funnel of the pot completely with freshly ground, fine espresso powder. Be careful not to press it down. Place the filled cooker on the stove and heat the contents until you hear the characteristic “gurgling”. Once the color of the espresso is nut brown, it’s perfect.

The espresso bean – the most important thing about espresso

For an espresso, the beans are roasted longer and darker than the beans for a classic filter coffee. Because of the roasting, espresso beans have a fuller flavor. Longer roasting breaks down acids, but also builds up bitter substances. Espresso is more digestible mainly because the extraction time is significantly shorter than with filter coffee. Both the well-known Arabica beans and the Robusta beans are used for espresso roasting. If the proportion of Robusta coffee beans is increased, this gives the drink the typically strong coffee taste. This mixture is highlighted by a special roasting as well as a special way of preparation.

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Cooking Tips

Baobab Products: What You Should Know About the Baobab Tree

Baobab products are considered very healthy and are said to have healing effects. But is the hype about the baobab tree justified? And how sustainable are baobab products? We give you an overview.

Baobab products are considered to be particularly beneficial to health and are now also known in Europe. The products of the baobab trees in Africa have long been used in a wide variety of ways and numerous myths have grown up around the mighty deciduous trees. In Africa, the tree is also known as the tree of life and has religious significance in many regions.

Where do baobabs grow?

Baobab trees are native to the (sub)tropical regions of Africa, Madagascar and Australia. The best-known representative is the African baobab tree (Adansonia digitata), which grows in tropical Africa – more precisely in the dry savannah south of the Sahara and in the south-east of the continent.

Baobabs stand out because of their striking appearance. Characteristic is their thick trunk, which is often several meters wide and can store large amounts of water. Baobabs can live up to 2,000 years and are important water reservoirs for humans and animals. There are eight different species of the baobab tree worldwide, with almost exclusively the products of the African baobab being sold commercially.

Traditional use of the baobab tree

The local population uses almost all parts of the African baobab tree – fruit, leaves, wood and bark serve a variety of purposes. For example, the baobab tree plays an important role in traditional nutrition and provides valuable building material.

The baobab fruit:

The large egg-shaped fruits of the baobab are part of the basic diet in many parts of Africa. They are surrounded by a hard shell and house dry, spongy flesh. The flesh contains up to 150 brownish seeds, one to two centimeters in size, from which baobab oil can be extracted. The large fruits hang from the branches on long stalks and fall down when ripe. The dried pulp is consumed unprocessed or processed into juices, desserts, sauces or porridge. Mixed with milk or water, it is also popular as a drink. It contains a lot of vitamin C and therefore tastes slightly sour. The taste is often described as sweet and sour with a hint of citrus. In Sudan, fermented baobab fruits form the basis for a traditional drink called “Tabaldi”.

Leaves and seeds:

The leaves are also edible and are eaten raw or dried in Africa. Dried and ground to a fine powder, they are used as a spice for soups and sauces. In Nigeria, the traditional “Kuka soup” is prepared from the baobab leaves. The already mentioned baobab oil, which is consumed as cooking oil in Africa, can be extracted from the high-fat seeds. In Europe, the oil is mainly used in natural cosmetics.

Roots, wood and bark:

In addition to the fruits and leaves, the wood, bark and roots of the tree can also be used. In times of food shortage, the roots are eaten cooked. In East Africa, the roots are also used as a source of red dye. Cords, ropes, nets, boxes, mats, baskets, clothing or even strings for musical instruments can be made from the fibers of wood and bark. The bark is also used as a roofing material. A simple glue can be made from the pollen mixed with a little water. The light wood is also suitable for the construction of canoes and wooden panels. The ash from bark and fruit is useful in soap making thanks to its high potash content. Hollow tree trunks of dead baobabs are traditionally used as toilets, small stables or graves.

Baobab products and their health effects

The baobab fruit is said to have numerous healing effects. In Africa, the pulp is considered an effective remedy for fever, dysentery, smallpox, measles and diarrhea. The seeds or the oil obtained from them are traditionally used for heart diseases, toothache, liver infections and malaria. The leaves are said to help alleviate gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea. In Tanzania, the baobab is therefore also known as the “apothecary tree” – however, these effects have not been scientifically proven.

On the other hand, it is generally accepted that baobab fruits are extremely healthy. As an article published in 2021 on the ingredients of the baobab fruit explains, it is rich in valuable minerals and vitamins. For example, it contains a lot of calcium, potassium, phosphorus and vitamin C and is rich in fiber, which can have a positive effect on blood sugar levels.

But: Similar ingredients can also be found in other types of fruit and vegetables. Citrus fruits, sea buckthorn, rose hips, peppers or broccoli also contain a lot of vitamin C. There are also plenty of local foods with lots of fiber. Here you will find an overview of regional alternatives to superfoods.

Commercial use: Baobab products in Europe

The baobab tree is not used commercially in Africa. Sweet treats and baskets for foreign tourists are sometimes offered for sale.

After the healthy ingredients of the baobab fruit became known to us, baobab products are now also available in Europe. The dried fruits in particular are available online in the form of baobab powder (dried and ground pulp). You can stir the powder into muesli, yoghurt, juice, milk or water, for example. Baobab oil can also be found in Germany – mainly in natural cosmetics, for example as a basis for shampoo. The whole fruit, on the other hand, is not very common here.

How sustainable are baobab products?

Baobab stocks are endangered

Six of the eight baobab species are on the Red List of Threatened Species (however, the most common and commercially most important species “Andansonia digitata” is not yet listed). In certain parts of Africa, large elephant populations are partly responsible for the extinction of baobab species. The reason for this is the popular moist wood that the elephants break out with their tusks.

Since baobab trees only produce fruit after around 20 years, they are rarely cultivated on a large scale. Baobab products therefore mostly come from wild stocks. The growing demand for baobab products basically contributes to the preservation of baobab trees, because the trees now also have great financial value. On the other hand, baobabs have always been prized and rarely felled because they do not provide valuable wood and cutting down is very tedious. The trees often remain standing in the middle of agricultural land. However, the increasing agricultural use of land definitely poses a threat to the stocks. Wild animals, which are rarely found on intensively used land, are needed to disperse the seeds.

Should I buy baobab products?

Although international trade tends to strengthen the preservation of the baobab tree population, baobab products should still be viewed critically from an ecological point of view. The reason for this is the long transport routes, which are associated with high greenhouse gas emissions.

It is important that you always pay attention to fair trade when buying baobab products. This is the only way to ensure that the local population benefits from the sale of the products.

Our conclusion: Baobab products are actually not needed in our supermarket. You can also find the healthy ingredients in other regional products. Fair cooperation can have a positive effect on the African economy and for some local people trading in baobab products may represent an opportunity. From an ecological point of view, however, you should better avoid the new food and cosmetics trend.

Buying baobab products: you should pay attention to this

If you still don’t want to do without baobab products, you should definitely pay attention to organic and fair trade certification. So far, baobab products have mainly been available online, but with a bit of luck you will also find them in well-stocked organic markets or health food stores. Here are some companies that offer fair trade, organic baobab products:

Baobab Social Business gGmbH: The non-profit GmbH sells baobab products with fair trade and organic certification. The range includes baobab oil, baobab powder, baobab confectionery and soap based on baobab oil.
Berlin Organics: The company offers baobab powder in organic quality and has the “Certified B Corporation” label, which stands for sustainable and responsible management. The products are available online and in selected supermarkets.
The Essence of Africa (africrops! GmbH): The company sells a wide variety of organic products from African cultivation. The products are not Fairtrade certified. However, the company itself states on its website that it trades the products fairly and works on an equal footing with African producers. Baobab oil, powder and pellets are available online.

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Preparing Espresso: Do You Know the Four M-Rules?

You want to prepare the perfect espresso: full-bodied and with a fine crema. But how do you manage that? Do as the Italians do – and stick to the four M-rules. We tell you what is behind it and how to make espresso so that it tastes like in Bella Italia.

Espresso: elixir of life and science

Espresso is not only the elixir of life for the Italians, but also a science in itself. In the motherland of the “caffè”, the little black dress, which is popular all over the world, even got its own institute: the Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano has a firm eye on the quality of typical Italian coffee and even has a formula for how the perfect espresso works. These are the ideal conditions:

6.5 to 7.5 g espresso powder
20 to 30 ml of water
86 to 90 degrees Celsius temperature
9 bar pressure
25 to 30 seconds brewing process
Apart from that, it depends on the following four M:

La Miscela – The Mixture
La Macinatura – The Grinding
La Macchina – The Machine
La Mano – The Hand

1. La Miscela – The Mixture

The quality of the espresso stands and falls with the bean. Lovers of a balanced, aromatic taste prefer a high proportion of Arabica beans. Robusta beans are the ultimate for friends of a strong espresso. This intense little black dress is particularly popular in southern Italy. In any case, the fresher the beans, the tastier the coffee. So it is better to buy small quantities and more often than to have large stocks at home.
An espresso bean is roasted more intensively and longer than a normal coffee bean. Therefore, it is typically very dark brown and has a soft sheen. The reason: when roasting for a long time, the aromatic oils escape. This also makes the bean more intense in taste.

2. La Macinatura – The Grinding

Would you like to grind the beans for your espresso yourself? A good idea: Because it doesn’t get any fresher! In order to achieve the best possible result, it is best to afford an espresso grinder with a disc grinder or conical grinder. Both produce homogeneous powder. Specimens with fly knives are less suitable, they chop the beans too unevenly, and the aroma is wasted.
In addition to the right grinder, the degree of grinding is important. It largely determines the taste of the little black dress. If the beans are ground too coarsely, the espresso will be too watery. If the degree of grinding is set too fine, it will become very dark and bitter. Just play around with the different options until you are satisfied with the result. If you are unsure, you can of course use already ground espresso beans.

3. La Macchina – The Machine

First of all, if you want to prepare real espresso, you need a portafilter machine. Because only it brews with the ideal water pressure of 9 bar. These machines are now available in all price ranges. You should pay particular attention to two things when buying: On the one hand, the machine must offer constant pressure and a constant water temperature. In addition, it should be easy to clean. Because old, rotten powder is a taste killer and also not harmless to health.
Tip: You should throw away the first two to three cups from a cleaned machine, they are pretty much undrinkable. The more coffee that runs through the machine, the better it gets. That’s why espresso tastes so good in Italian workers’ bars: a few hundred cups are served there every day.
Even if it is often confused: the Italian term “espresso” does not mean “fast”. There are two explanations. On the one hand the meaning “specifically” or “expressly”. In its early years, the little black beer was only brewed in a few bars and upon express request. The wake-up call, originally called “caffè espresso”, was a coffee “expressly or specially prepared” for the guest. Another explanation relates to the then new preparation with steam and brings espresso in connection with steam locomotives – also known as express trains at the time.

Incidentally, espresso was invented around 1900 in Milan. Incidentally, the Italians themselves usually simply call the pick-me-up “caffè”.

4. La Mano – The Hand

The quality of the beans and the equipment used is of course important. But the final touches of your perfect espresso are in your hands – and that should be taken literally. Take enough time to prepare the espresso. Warm the cup. Put the ground espresso powder in the portafilter and press it into the brewing sieve with the tamper, a kind of stamp. Feeling is called for here: if you press too hard, the water will flow too slowly when brewing. If you press too lightly, it will flow too quickly. It is ideal if the espresso first dribbles into the cup and the subsequent jet is reminiscent of a mouse’s tail.

The perfect espresso: balanced and with a fine crema

What characteristics should the perfect espresso have? Its aroma should be balanced and leave a pleasant aftertaste after drinking. The crema is also clearly a quality criterion. It should be between three and four millimeters thick, light brown in color and stable for three to four minutes. After dipping the spoon, it should close slightly again.

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Coffee is Healthy: You Should Know These 10 Reasons!

A coffee a day saves the doctor? Well, not quite. But the delicious pick-me-up has a number of positive effects on your health. Read here why you should definitely drink coffee!

1. Coffee contains antioxidants

Wow: According to a British study, the brown pick-me-up contains more than 1,000 bioactive substances that can have a positive effect on health. As the researchers announce in the “British Medical Journal”, three to four cups a day are ideal, for example to prevent chronic diseases. This amount reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke by 15 percent.

2. Coffee may lower the risk of diabetes

Regular coffee consumption lowers the risk of diabetes – at least for some people. Prerequisite: You are a carrier of a gene variant in which a certain intestinal hormone has only a limited effect. This, in turn, increases your risk of developing diabetes. Coffee stimulates the release of this hormone and can thus compensate for this impairment, according to the assumption of a research group from the German Institute for Nutritional Research. According to their study, the risk of illness decreases by up to about seven percent with every cup of coffee drunk every day.

3. Coffee can protect the skin from cell damage

Some ingredients in coffee can apparently protect against cell damage from UVB radiation. This is shown by a mammoth American study, for which around half a million people logged their dietary habits and UV exposure over a period of ten years. According to the researchers, the evaluations show that four or more cups of coffee a day reduce the risk of skin cancer by around 20 percent.

4. Coffee increases concentration

Can’t get going in the morning? Or have an afternoon slump? Of course: time for a coffee! Because the pick-me-up promotes concentration. This is because caffeine increases the effects and amount of neurotransmitters and thus brain activity. You can increase reaction time as well as general alertness and alertness by enjoying an espresso or cappuccino.

5. Coffee is good for the brain

Mentally fit into old age: According to a Canadian study, coffee consumption reduces the likelihood of developing dementia such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. This is said to be due to certain compounds that are formed when the beans are roasted.

6. Coffee stimulates the metabolism

Coffee is not only healthy, it’s also good for your figure – assuming, of course, that you use milk and sugar sparingly. Caffeine stimulates the metabolism and contributes to the food being consumed more intensively.

7. Coffee contains niacin

Coffee is one of the foods with a particularly large amount of niacin, also known as vitamin B3. This vitamin is involved in vital processes in the body, such as metabolism, cell division and the immune system. A cup of coffee covers about five to ten percent of an adult’s daily niacin requirement.

8. Coffee protects against tooth decay

According to researchers at the University of Ancona, several ingredients kill tooth decay-causing bacteria. Above all, chlorogenic acid, nicotinic acid and trigonelline help to prevent the formation of harmful plaque, as the scientists demonstrated in the laboratory. So coffee can contribute to dental health – unsweetened, of course.

9. Coffee helps hydration

That coffee robs the body of fluid is a myth that persists. It’s true that caffeine has a diuretic effect. But the only effect is that coffee drinkers have to urinate more frequently. That being said, coffee contributes to your hydration just as much as water.

10. Coffee makes you happy

It’s no secret that good coffee makes you happy. On the one hand, it simply lifts the spirits – starting with the delicious scent and ending with the fantastic aroma. Apart from that, the caffeine also stimulates the release of endogenous happiness hormones, among other things it releases dopamine.

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Cooking Tips

Eating Pak Choi Raw: You Should Know That

You can also eat the Chinese type of cabbage Pak Choi raw: its digestibility and mild spiciness make it a delicious addition to salads and the like. Here you can find out what you should look out for when eating raw Pak Choi.

Pak Choi, also Pak Choy or Pok Choi, is a vegetable closely related to Chinese cabbage. In German it is known as Chinese mustard cabbage or Chinese leaf cabbage. Originally from China, pak choi has long been one of the most popular ingredients in Asian cuisine. But we can also find it more and more often on domestic markets.

The bok choy forms green leaves with crisp white stems surrounding a white head. As the name “mustard cabbage” already suggests, its stems have a mild spiciness. The green leaves bring a tart aroma. Pak Choi can be prepared in many different ways. You can roast, steam and grill it. It is particularly popular in wok dishes or as an ingredient in ramen, a Japanese noodle soup. But it is also possible to eat Pak Choi raw without any problems.

Eating Pak Choi raw: why it is healthy and what you should pay attention to

Pak choi not only tastes good in hot stir-fries: the crunchy cabbage is also good as a raw vegetable.

When you eat pak choi raw, its healthy ingredient content remains highest. These include

a number of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and folic acid.
Cabbage also contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, flavonoids and carotene.
The relatively high amounts of folic acid in particular make pak choi a vegetable that should not be missing in nutrient-rich cuisine. 100 grams contain about 66 micrograms of folic acid. A good portion of pak choi can make a significant contribution to covering the daily folic acid requirement of 300 micrograms.

Some people do not tolerate raw collards well due to the high fiber content and suffer from stomach and intestinal problems after eating them. However, pak choi has slightly less fiber (1.7 grams per 100 grams) than other varieties such as broccoli (3 grams per 100 grams). Eating pak choi raw is therefore more digestible than other types of cabbage.

Attention: For people with a thyroid disease and iodine deficiency, the following generally applies to the consumption of daisy family: only in small quantities and preferably in cooked form. Cruciferous vegetables contain an enzyme that affects the production and secretion of thyroid hormones. If you suffer from any of these conditions, you should rarely eat pak choi raw.

Eat pak choi raw: This is how you can prepare cabbage as raw food

Preparing raw Pak Choi is very easy. First you should clean and prepare the cabbage well:

Remove the woody part of the stalk so that the individual leaves separate. If necessary, remove wilted leaves.
Then wash the leaves thoroughly with water.
You can chop the green leaves into fine strips like lettuce.
You can cut the stalks into bite-sized pieces.
Then you have different ways to eat the raw Pak Choi. For example, process it

with a Mediterranean salad with olives, pickled tomatoes and artichokes or
to an Asian-inspired salad with rice noodles, cucumber, tofu and roasted peanuts.
Use the stalks to dip into tasty dips.
Give your smoothie an extra helping of veggies with pak choi.
Top your ramen soup with fresh pak choi.
Add raw pak choi to your Buddha bowl.

Pak Choi: tips for purchasing and storage

Raw bok choy tastes best when it’s young and fresh. Young pak choi is no larger than 15 centimeters and tastes the most tender. You can recognize pak choi that is no longer quite as fresh by the fact that the green leaves are somewhat leathery and tough. However, you can still eat them. Simply chop them very finely and mix them with other vegetables.

It is advisable to buy Pak Choi from regional and organic farms if possible. In the meantime, cabbage is no longer only grown in Asia, but also in the Netherlands (though in greenhouses) and outdoors in Spain in summer. Thanks to the relatively short transport routes from the European growing areas, the Pak Choi arrives fresher here than from far away regions. Organic bok choy is advisable because conventionally grown bok choy is often heavily contaminated with pesticides.

Store bok choy in the crisper of the refrigerator. There it stays fresh for between seven and ten days and you can eat your Pak Choi raw.

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Food

Acrylamide in Coffee: Everything You Should Know

You have probably heard of acrylamide before. The substance is formed, for example, when fries are fried, but also when coffee is roasted. But don’t worry: you can continue to enjoy your favorite drink without worrying. Also several cups a day. You can find out here why this is the case and which types of coffee have the acrylamide content reduced to a minimum.

Why acrylamide in coffee is unavoidable

Enjoying coffee is a feast for the senses: that scent of freshly ground beans. The development of the taste on the tongue after the first sip. The delicious aromas are only made possible by the roasting of the coffee beans, more precisely: the so-called Maillard reaction. Amino acids and sugars are converted into new chemical compounds under the influence of heat. They determine the color and aroma of the roasted coffee beans. However, the process also produces acrylamide; a substance that is considered potentially hazardous to health.

If you’re wondering whether you have to do without your beloved coffee now, we can reassure you: no, you don’t have to. Because even if coffee cannot be completely acrylamide-free, the substance is only contained in very small quantities.

What is acrylamide?

Acrylamide is always formed when we bake, roast, fry or roast something, for example when making French fries, crisps, biscuits or crispbread. It is formed from a reaction between sugar and the protein building block asparagine at temperatures of 120 degrees Celsius. Above 180 degrees Celsius, the formation of acrylamide in food increases dramatically. In contrast to roasting and frying, according to the current state of research, little or no acrylamide is produced during cooking and steaming.

In animal experiments, the substance proved to be carcinogenic and mutagenic. However, there is still no reliable knowledge about the effect on humans. Irrespective of this, minimizing exposure to acrylamide is considered preventative health protection.

Enjoying roasted coffee is harmless with regard to acrylamid

According to a spokesman for the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), drinking several cups of coffee a day is “not a concern”. And apart from the notorious acrylamide, coffee also has a lot of properties that make it a healthy drink in many ways.

To be on the safe side and to protect consumers preventively, the EU set stricter production guidelines and new limit values ​​for acrylamide in food as early as 2018. These are the current EU limits for acrylamide in coffee:

Roasted coffee: 400 micrograms per kilogram

Instant coffee: 850 micrograms/kg

Substitute coffee made from grain: 500 micrograms/kg

Substitute coffee made from chicory: 4000 micrograms/kg

These values ​​are regularly checked by the EU and adjusted if necessary.

Also good to know: The guide value for roasted coffee only applies to roasted beans. The acrylamide content of the extract brewed from it, which we drink, is, therefore, to be classified as significantly lower.

Which coffee is low in acrylamide?

You may be wondering if there is any coffee that is completely free of acrylamide. The answer is: no. Due to the roasting process, all roasted coffee always contains acrylamide, and the substance can also be found in organic coffee. Instant coffee and coffee substitutes such as grain coffee contain even more acrylamide than conventional coffee beans because they are processed in a complex manner.

However, there are ways in which coffee manufacturers can influence the formation of acrylamide during roasting. The secret is: long-term roasting at relatively low temperatures.

Long-term roasting not only has the advantage that less acrylamide is produced than when the coffee beans are roasted at high heat and only briefly. It also brings the following benefits:

The aromas in the coffee are more diverse and finer than with a quick, very hot roast.

Unwanted acids can evaporate particularly well.

Accordingly, the coffee is very digestible.

Apart from that, according to a study by the University of Porto, dark roasts have particularly little acrylamide, which is typical for Italian espresso, for example. And the type of bean also plays a role: roasted Arabica beans generally contain less of the substance than Robusta beans.

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Cooking Tips

Eating Kale Raw: You Should Know That

Eating kale raw provides you with more nutrients than the cooked version. In this way, kale lives up to its reputation as a power vegetable.

Properties of Kale

Kale is healthy and one of the winter vegetables with the highest nutrient content. Eating kale raw is worthwhile because it preserves more of its valuable ingredients. Per 100 grams, kale contains 210 milligrams of calcium, 450 milligrams of potassium, 30 milligrams of magnesium, 1.9 milligrams of iron, 35 milligrams of sodium and many vitamins, such as 105 milligrams of vitamin C.

The dietary fibers it contains ensure that you feel full for a long time. In addition, kale is low in calories because it is mostly water. Furthermore, the cabbage variety is said to have a blood-forming, water-flushing and cancer-preventing effect.

However, kale can cause flatulence and abdominal pain due to the fibers it contains. However, you can counteract this with a few home remedies:

Spices such as fennel, coriander, cumin, cardamom or ginger relieve flatulence and go well with cabbage.
A fennel-anise-cumin tea after a meal also reduces abdominal pain and flatulence.
Exercise ensures that your bowel activity increases. A walk after eating also ensures less unpleasant flatulence.
A hot water bottle can also help.

Simply enjoy kale raw

In northern Germany, kale is traditionally prepared in winter with pinkel, boiled sausage and smoked pork loin. But it can also be served vegetarian in a variety of ways, more about this here: Kale: vegetarian recipe ideas for cooking at home. However, some nutrients are lost during cooking.

Like other types of cabbage, you can also eat kale raw. In this way, more of the healthy ingredients are retained. To make it a little easier to digest, you can blanch it for five minutes before eating it.

Here are a few ways you can eat kale raw:

in winter salads
as a smoothie
as raw kale soup
as kale chips for in between
raw leaves marinated in oil as a side dish

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Food

Saffron: This is What You Need to Know About the Luxury Spice

Saffron is a luxury spice – but why? Find out more about it here – and also how saffron is produced and used in the kitchen.

Saffron: cultivation and extraction

Saffron is obtained from the crocus species “Krokus sativus”. The crocuses are grown in huge fields, mainly in Iran, but also in Spain.

The flowers only bloom two days a year. The crocus blossoms are picked by hand within two weeks in October or November.
To avoid strong sunlight, the flowers are harvested in the morning on the first day of their flowering period.
Workers pluck the three orange-red pistils from the flower by hand. It is important that only the pistil threads are plucked out.
The more of the light yellow pen gets to the threads, the worse the quality. There are no machines for this work either.
The saffron threads are then dried so that they have a lower water content. The “Spanish saffron” is not dried, but toasted. This is how it gets its aroma.
To store the saffron threads, pack them in airtight cans.

That is why saffron is the most expensive spice in the world

It takes up to 200,000 crocus blossoms to produce one kilo of saffron. These grow on approx. 1000 square meters of cultivation area. In addition, the harvest is carried out entirely by hand without the use of machines. This makes the spice the most expensive in the world. The more intermediaries who want to earn money from selling the saffron, the more expensive it becomes.

We recommend that you buy fair trade saffron. Because you try to do without middlemen so that the farmers receive a fair wage. The “Conflictfood” initiative offers directly traded saffron from Afghanistan. The long transport routes also cause prices to rise. In principle, the longer the transport routes for food, the more harmful greenhouse gases are emitted by ships and airplanes.

Buying saffron: quality criteria and fakes

What is expensive is also worth counterfeiting. Therefore, caution is advised when purchasing. Sometimes chilli threads, dried safflower leaves, safflower blossoms (bastard saffron), marigold petals and sandalwood fibers are mixed in or sold as saffron. Ground saffron is the easiest to counterfeit. Scammers add turmeric, a yellowing agent, paprika powder, or powder from the plants mentioned above. Even stretching with nitrate has already occurred.

The quality criteria are defined internationally with the ISO/TS 3632-1 standard. The chemical and physical properties are regulated by the ISO/TS 3632-2 standard. These standards prescribe a certain level of crocin (the red dye) and safranal (essential oil of saffron) to be present in the threads. With the standard and the values, you can check the quality of the saffron on the packaging:

The crocin value is over 190 in the highest quality. The Spanish saffron is then titled “Coupe” or Category I.
In the worst category IV, the Spanish saffron “Sierra” contains a crocin value between 80-110.
Avoid buying saffron in opaque packaging. The packaging does not tell you whether the threads are deep red and whether there are a few yellow pieces of styli.

Saffron in food

Saffron is very intense, which is why even the smallest amounts ensure an intense taste. With too much saffron, dishes quickly taste bitter. Basically, saffron should not be boiled for long and should only be added to the almost finished meal. Saffron is used for example:

for coloring rice,
for refining cakes and other pastries,
in spanish paella,
for pumpkin soup,
in fish dishes,
in sauces, for example tomato sauce.

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