Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

Sorrel Leaves

Browsing
Food

Café de Olla – Mexican Coffee

Coffee culture and coffee specialties from Mexico

Mexico, known for delicious tacos and the world-famous drink tequila. But did you know that Mexico is also a coffee-growing region or have you ever heard of the Café de Olla? Read on to learn more about Mexican coffee culture.

Coffee cultivation and Mexican Chiapas coffee

Mexico is now almost among the top 10 on the list of the largest coffee producers. In addition to a small proportion of Robusta, Arabica beans are almost exclusively grown in southern Mexico. Arabica is characterized by a mild, balanced taste and only has a very fine acidity.

Mexico supplies the whole world, especially with their aromatic, Mexican Chiapas coffee from the province of the same name, right on the border with Guatemala. The tropical climate in the state of Chiapas provides ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. The Mexico SHG from Chiapas has a soft, velvety, mild character.

Café de Olla – Recipe for the Mexican coffee specialty

The coffee specialty in Mexico is the well-known Café de Olla (German: “coffee from the clay pot”). The café de olla is very sweet and is traditionally made with brown sugar and cinnamon. In Mexico, coffee is a popular choice for breakfast, and in some parts of Mexico it is still drunk from old clay cups. This gives the otherwise sweet hot drink an earthy note.

Café de Olla consists of black coffee, which is cooked with a good portion of cane sugar, also known as piloncillo, and refined with cinnamon. The pinch of cinnamon in particular gives the coffee its unique and sweet aroma. You can also easily prepare Café de Olla yourself at home:

Ingredients:

1 cinnamon stick / cinnamon spice
6 tablespoons dark roasted and coarsely ground coffee
75g brown cane sugar
600ml water
Possibly cloves and a piece of orange peel

Directions:

First bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, then dissolve the cane sugar in it. Add the cinnamon stick, simmer gently, stirring frequently. Then add the coarsely ground coffee powder, stir and let steep for 5 minutes. Filter the coffee into cups and then carefully pour it through a fine sieve into the cups. Complete!

The Mexicans also like to add cloves, an orange peel or dark chocolate as flavor additives.

This is how Mexicans drink their coffee

Admittedly, Mexico doesn’t really have a coffee culture like we know from other countries. A black café americano is usually served for breakfast or a café de olla is drunk. A cappuccino or latte macchiato is usually only served in trendy cafés in the city. In rural areas, Mexicans also use instant coffee powder, which is brewed with hot water.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Japanese Coffee – Coffee Culture in Japan

Coffee in Japan

In Japan, tea is traditionally the most important hot drink. Tea is art, lifestyle and Japanese culture when you think of the deep-rooted Japanese tea ceremony. The most popular drink in Japan is green tea. Green Matcha tea, which has already found its first fans here in Germany, is particularly popular. But there is coffee in Japan. You can find it in the traditional kissaten, the special café houses in Japan.

Traditional coffee in Japan’s Kissaten

Originally, tea was consumed in the Kissats. The origin of the word “Kissaten” also means tea houses. Although coffee, like Europe, came to Japan in the early 17th century, it took a while for it to become popular with the broad middle class. Nowadays, drinking coffee in the Kissats is just as much a tradition as consuming the classic green tea.

It is all about one thing: staying and enjoying in an otherwise hectic time.

Preparing a classic coffee in Japan

Especially in the traditional Kissaten, the tasty coffee in Japan testifies to the high quality of the coffee beans and the craftsmanship of the Kissaten owners. Because many of them still roast by hand themselves. With the help of a cotton hand filter, the coffee is poured in portions directly above the cup. Today, unfortunately, the number of visitors to the Kissaten is steadily declining. The Japanese also want things to be faster and easier, especially in the big cities. The American chain Starbucks is considered “oshare” in Japan, meaning totally hip. Coffee, which you order at the counter in sometimes bizarre flavors and then get to-go in a paper cup, is becoming increasingly popular.

More soy milk and creative 3D latte art

In Japan, coffee is mainly drunk with soy milk. When it comes to the milk foam, the Japanese get very creative: baristas create unique faces, animals or manga characters from the milk foam. Recently, images or entire portraits have been printed directly onto the milk froth of cappuccino and co. using 3D printers.

If you fly to Japan, you should definitely plan a visit to a Kissat to immerse yourself in the world of traditional coffee culture in Japan – far away from coffee-to-go and hip flavors. Because coffee in Japan can be so beautiful. And so typically Japanese. A cappuccino with your favorite 3D motif on it is of course a must. A visit to a traditional tea ceremony is of course also a good idea. But don’t forget: slurp loudly when you drink the tea from the bowl.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Coffee with Heart – the Art of Latte Art

A great milk foam makes the cappuccino or latte macchiato twice as delicious! You always look forward to a beautiful motif made of milk foam on the coffee you order, don’t you? Whether the classic heart on the cappuccino or a fern leaf on the milk coffee – the sweet and creative motifs are usually too good to destroy with the first sip of coffee. It’s just the little things that make our coffee enjoyment perfect.

The term latte art is composed of the Italian word latte (milk) and the English expression art (art). Latte art is the art of conjuring graphic motifs from milk foam onto the surface of coffee drinks. They are usually created by a professional barista by skilfully pouring the milk and using tools such as templates or a milk jug. Leaves, flowers or hearts are always a sure sign that your barista has made the coffee with passion.

This is how latte art works – coffee enjoyment and heavenly reputation

Latte art artists paint their pictures on the coffee surface and decorate it with unique motifs. The painting material is the milk: This is first frothed perfectly, and then skilfully poured into the coffee using a specific technique. This method creates the coffee pictures that are beautiful for us and leave a lot of room for creativity.

In recent years, milk art on coffee has become increasingly popular. There are now international barista championships, where baristi are awarded for their creations in the art of milk foam.

Your latte art at home

Try the beautiful milk froth art in your own cup. Only a few pieces of equipment are required for perfect latte art: a coffee maker for the base, a milk frother, a milk jug and of course a nice big cup so that the drawn pattern comes into its own. However, the ideal consistency of the milk froth needs to be learned – it must be creamy and thick, but not too firm.

The correct filling technique is also decisive for the beautiful art of the cup, because the milk froth has to go directly under the coffee crema in order to form a pattern. A practiced swing and even movements are already half the battle. But don’t despair if a heart doesn’t form in the first cup. As always, practice makes perfect!

Keep Reading
By
Food

Vietnamese Coffee – Coffee Culture in Vietnam

Vietnam is the second largest supplier of green coffee after Brazil. A full 14% of the coffee sold worldwide comes from Vietnamese growing areas. Coffee was introduced to Vietnam early on by French colonialists and the favorable growing conditions meant that the country quickly developed into an important coffee region.

In Europe we mainly know the Arabica bean, whereas in Vietnam far more varieties such as Robusta, Chari, Culi and Catimoretc are grown. The Vietnamese also roast their coffee beans in butter or cooking oil until they turn a very dark color both inside and out. This type of roasting is described as very gentle, as the full aroma is retained and the finished coffee later gets its charismatic, strong taste. One more reason why the coffee in Vietnam tastes so different than it does here.

Cà phê – The preparation of Vietnamese coffee

The preparation of a traditional Vietnamese coffee with a so-called phin filter (a Vietnamese metal sieve) differs fundamentally from the methods commonly used here in Germany. The ground beans are filled into the Phin filter and a small amount of hot water is poured over them.

The ground beans should swell to get more flavor. After about 2 minutes, about 2/3 of the filter is filled with the rest of the hot water. The coffee now drips slowly into the glass below and after about 6 minutes the coffee is ready. To keep the coffee warm while filtering, the glass is again placed in a bowl of hot water. Don’t worry: this sounds more complicated than it actually is!

Cà phê sữa đá – iced coffee with condensed milk

The undisputed classic: In order to achieve the typical, sweet taste of Cà phê sữa đá coffee, viscous, sweetened condensed milk is poured into the cup beforehand. Then the glass is filled with ice cubes and the coffee base, previously filtered in the traditional Phin filter, is added. You will love the coffee!

Cà phê trứng – coffee with whipped cream

A specialty that hardly any tourist can ignore – and hardly anyone does not learn to love. Egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk are whipped into a frothy, creamy and fluffy mass and then simply poured onto traditional Vietnamese coffee. The Cà phê trứng was invented in the 1940s when milk was scarce and people were looking for a substitute. The coffee with egg foam is definitely a real specialty!

Keep Reading
By
Food

Coffee in Italy – strong and sweet

In Italy, the rule of thumb is: After lunch or dinner, only black! If you order a coffee with milk, you have to expect a piqued look from the waiter. Cappuccino and other coffee specialties with milk are therefore often enjoyed in the morning. The “black”, an espresso, is served in the typical small espresso cups and drunk with sugar.

But you can also get an espresso if you just order a coffee; a regular cup of coffee is known here as a “caffé grande”. Italians traditionally like to drink the espresso standing up in a bar and at every opportunity, also in the hustle and bustle of a lunch break before going back to work.

Keep Reading
By
Food

French Coffee – Coffee Culture in France

No country is as well known for this as France. Coffee is an important part of culture – the French love it! The annual per capita consumption of green coffee is 5.4 kg. This puts France in the middle when it comes to global coffee consumption.

Like the Italians, the French use a strong and dark roast for their coffee production. In general, the darker the roast, the stronger the taste.

Coffee preparation in the French Press

As the name suggests, the French Press was invented in France. No wonder, then, that it is the preparation method of choice in France. As we all know, the French are real connoisseurs! Therefore, when preparing their coffee, they ensure that the taste is as pure and pure as possible.

Apart from the coffee filter, hot water and freshly ground coffee beans, no other tools are used in the French press. This ensures a natural coffee taste, just like the French love.

The preparation method is easy: ground coffee is placed in the French Press pot and hot, no longer boiling water (less than 95 degrees) is added. After a few minutes, stir. Then let it steep for another 5 minutes and press the coffee grounds down – voilà, done!

Order real coffee in France

Anyone who has ever vacationed in France knows that many coffee specialties have different names than we know them in Germany. If we order “un café” in France, we get an espresso. “Un allongé” or “un américain” comes closest to German black coffee, as it is a strong espresso lengthened with hot water.

But how do tourists get a delicious latte, for example? It is better not to order “Un café au lait” in a café, as the French usually only drink it for breakfast. So we are immediately exposed as tourists. Incidentally, the coffee cup for the “café au lait” is so wide that a croissant or French toast can be dipped into the coffee with butter and jam.

The French “café au lait” consists half of frothy milk and the other half of very strong and very hot espresso, of course preferably from the French Press. The special thing about the preparation is that milk and coffee are poured into the coffee cup at the same time. If you want to make sure that the locals don’t look at you in the café, it’s better to order “un café créme”, a coffee with a little frothed milk.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Italian Coffee – Coffee Culture in Italy

Italian coffee – coffee in perfection

When you think of Italian coffee, the first thing that comes to mind is of course the delicious espresso. Espresso is the basis of Italian coffee culture, which is refined with milk and milk foam depending on personal taste. Here in Germany, too, espresso, cappuccino and latte macchiato have long been among our favorite coffee varieties.

Mainly thanks to professional fully automatic coffee machines and capsule machines, which are becoming more and more popular. But what is the Italians’ secret for aromatic espresso? And what characterizes the coffee culture in Italy? There are answers now:

Coffee culture in Italy – caffè for everyone!

For a long time, the Arab world had a monopoly over the coffee trade, until pilgrims were able to smuggle germinable coffee beans to Europe. More precisely, to Venice in Italy. Here, the delicious hot drink was first widespread in the circles of the nobility and aristocrats. Gradually, coffee found its way into all social classes and soon became an integral part of everyday life.

Although the first Italian coffee was consumed on Venetian soil, today Naples is considered to be the city in Italy that identifies most closely with coffee. Not only do numerous songs in honor of the popular hot drink come from Naples, but also a special and heartfelt tradition. Here, in addition to their own espresso, citizens can also pay for a “caffè sospeso” in the café. Translated, this means something like a “saved” coffee. This coffee is waiting, so to speak, for someone who cannot afford anything else. After all, enjoying coffee should be open to every citizen in Naples.

Espresso or espressi – which is correct?

There is a lot of confusion about the correct plural, especially among tourists in the popular holiday destination. One thing in advance: the native Italian does not order an espresso at all. If you really want to adapt to the coffee culture of Italy, order a “Caffé”. Sounds like a normal filter coffee, but what is meant is a small espresso.

This is exactly what leads to confusion among tourists in Italy. If you want to be on the safe side, simply order a caffé espresso, or for two “due caffè espresso”.

The secret of Italian coffee

Italian coffee is roasted from very dark beans. This requires a special art of the roasting master. It is not for nothing that there are still many small roasting plants in Italy, the so-called “torrefazione artigianale”. The roasting masters have many years of experience and manage to slowly roast the coffee beans to the desired result.

They press hot water at high pressure through the finely ground coffee powder from the dark roasted beans. This creates a foam from the coffee bean oils – the Italians call it crema. The slow but stronger roasting also gives Italian coffee its characteristic aroma. The bitter substances reduce the caffeine and acid content of the espresso and make it easier to digest. The bitterness is traditionally balanced with lots of sugar.

Part of the dolce vita and coffee culture in Italy is to take a sip of still water with your coffee or cappuccino. Therefore, a small glass of water is traditionally served directly with the cup of coffee.

Whether at home on the couch or in one of the Italian cafés in a sunny spot – enjoy your aromatic coffee espresso to perfection.

Keep Reading
By
Food

American Coffee – Coffee Culture in the USA

Once upon a time, Americans knew nothing about good coffee and enjoying coffee. With the consumption of watery and bad instant coffee, which was only used for a caffeine kick in times of war, it was almost impossible to speak of a coffee culture in the USA. Because it actually only began in 1971 in Seattle, when Starbucks was launched. Thanks to Starbucks, we associate coffee specialties such as iced coffee, frappucino or flavored coffee with American coffee culture in addition to coffee-to-go and café americano.

Starbucks revolutionizes American coffee

The land of opportunity has revolutionized the coffee market in two ways in recent years. With the opening of the first Starbucks in Seattle in 1971, what is probably the most important representative of American coffee drinking, the coffee shop, took on a new meaning. Long live the American Dream!

Starbucks founder Howard Schultz launched a new American coffee culture with the invention of Starbucks stores. The idea of ​​identical coffee shops, where customers find the same product everywhere, should make you feel right at home. Today you put your laptop on the table, surf the Internet and enjoy various coffee specialties at the same time.

The classic café americano is still the leader in the coffee scene, but the USA has also made “cold coffee” socially acceptable with innovations such as iced coffee and frappuccino. In addition, American coffee can also be a little sweeter. The addition of sugar is usually self-evident. Flavored coffee has also become particularly popular. The coffee is extra sweetened with a syrup in flavors such as chocolate, vanilla or nuts.

The Café Americano as an oversized coffee to go

The New York way of life – the city that never sleeps. New York is hectic, exciting and fascinating at the same time. There is always something new to discover and Americans are always on the go. The American coffee culture has already adapted to a life full of dynamism.

And with the spread of what is now an international coffee shop chain, the coffee-to-go culture has also intensified. Coffee to go cups have become indispensable in American cities and significantly more coffee is consumed in the cities than in the country. So it’s no wonder that Americans order their coffee directly in oversize.

Conclusion:

The coffee culture in America was shaped by the opening of Starbucks branches with new coffee specialties and a large selection of products. American coffee, which until the 1970s could only be found as poorly prepared instant coffee, was supplemented and made famous by variants such as iced coffee, flavored coffee or frappuccino. The coffee behavior of the Americans is partly due to the hustle and bustle in the big cities. For a quick caffeine kick in between, an oversized coffee-to-go from the nearest Starbucks branch around the corner is enough.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Brazilian Coffee – Coffee Culture in Brazil

Brazil is the number one coffee country

Brazil has been the world’s largest coffee producer for more than 150 years. No wonder – every fourth coffee plant in the world is on Brazilian soil. Due to the excellent climatic conditions, the coffee plantations in Brazil can generate the world’s highest profitability in their industry.

Brazilian coffee is known for its Arabica beans. The variety makes up the majority of Brazilian coffee production at around 77 percent. Much more than the well-known Robusto beans. Coffee cultivation is an important economic factor for Brazil. Not only because of the high coffee cultivation, the country is also the export world champion. Around 60% of the annual pension is exported.

Coffee variations of Brazilian coffee

Brazilian coffee is very versatile in terms of taste. The vastness of the country and the varied landscape favor a large variety of coffee. The coffee beans in the south taste rather mild and spicy with a hint of vanilla. The beans, which are grown not far from the seawater in the north, are characterized by a rather strong aroma.

Brazilian coffee – cafezinho

The coffee culture in Brazil is known for a number of coffee specialties and rituals. Above all, the Brazilian coffee “Cafezinho” is omnipresent in the country and is an integral part of the country’s hospitable culture. Here it is common practice to invite guests to a cafezinho. And anyone who is invited should better take a few minutes for the other person.

Otherwise, the inviter feels personally insulted. Incidentally, cafezinho is a small, strong coffee that is served in small cups like an espresso and drunk “hot” in one go.

As the largest coffee-growing region and export world champion, Brazil is the giant among the coffee countries. Due to the different locations of the growing regions, Brazilian coffee scores with its variety of tastes. The cafézinho is an integral part of the coffee culture in the hospitable country of Brazil.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Aguadas – Coffee From the Mountains of Colombia

Aguadas – a name that means something to very few. But the community in the Colombian department of Caldas should definitely be on the to-do list of coffee lovers on a tour of the country! Because here we go to the proverbial root of delicious Colombian coffee. A few kilometers north of Manizales, Aguadas’ beautiful landscape welcomes you with impressive escarpments where bananas and sugar cane are grown in addition to coffee. Aguadas in Caldas is part of Colombia’s network of heritage villages, where visitors can experience the country’s coffee culture up close.

Colombia – the ideal coffee country

Colombia is without a doubt one of the coffee countries par excellence. The popular plants did not reach the northern part of South America until the beginning of the 19th century. The climatic conditions in Colombia quickly proved to be ideal for coffee cultivation: average temperatures between 24°C and 26°C allow the coffee plants to thrive in this tropical region.

The Arabica variety grown here is characterized by a full, balanced and smooth taste, and Colombia now holds a solid third place among the coffee-growing countries in the world.

The main growing region in Colombia for coffee is the so-called “coffee triangle” with the departments of Risaralda, Quindio and Caldas. Here the sensitive coffee trees find the best growing conditions at altitudes between 1,000 and 2,000 meters and in Aguadas too the mountain slopes are covered by the plants and form the livelihood of the inhabitants of this region. Between the mountains and steep slopes, Aguadas offers perfect conditions for the Arabica coffee variety, which is sold all over the world.

Back to the roots – coffee culture from Aguadas

Aguadas is one of the 17 municipalities of Caldas that are part of Colombia’s Coffee Cultural Landscape. As early as 2011, this region was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because it is an exceptional example of a sustainable and productive cultural landscape, unique and representative of Colombia’s tradition.

The coffee culture landscape of Colombia is considered a strong symbol for the cultivation areas worldwide and, according to UNESCO, reflects a hundred-year-old tradition of coffee cultivation in the high forest. And rightly so: Today, visitors to Aguadas can get to know the Colombian coffee culture up close. At one of the typical haciendas in the mountains, guests are introduced to coffee cultivation and the laborious and traditional manual bean harvest and shown how the fresh coffee beans are threshed and then roasted.

And if you are already tormented by the longing for delicious coffee, rest assured: cooking and tasting our favorite coffee drink is also an integral part of the tour on some farms in the region.

Keep Reading
By