Coffee Month

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in world. People have come to like it simply because it comes in so many flavors. Over the years, the shear variety of coffee has amazed people and continues to produce everlasting impressions in their mind. Being a fascinating treat every one simply feels compelled to admire its stimulating properties. However if you are not accustomed to all the flavors available out there or you are unsure which one to buy, you are in luck! Choosing the right coffee is easy and simple and you can learn to do the same. Here are some tips and guidelines on coffee that can prove useful while shopping.

One famous type of coffee is espresso. This is possibly the most widely drunk coffee all around the world. You can classify espresso as black coffee. During preparation coffee beans are exposed to a certain amount of steam to give it that rich flavor. This is commonly done by espresso coffee machine. Espresso coffee usually provides the perfect flavor from coffee beans. You can relish a cup of espresso with its bitter sweet flavor.

Cappuccino is another popular category of coffee. It is one of the most widespread types of coffee that is drunk by just about every one. A refreshing cup of cappuccino simply tastes too good and provides a delightful start to a new day. Cappuccino has a gentle and mild taste. An ideal cup is served with some cream, a touch of chocolate and nutmeg powder to improve its taste.

Cappuccino and Espresso are the most common categories of coffees out there. However, there are other varieties of coffees available as well. Exotic coffees are well known for their diverse flavors. Their taste is largely dependent upon the country of origin and how well they are produced. Many improvements and changes can be brought to the flavor during production process. Amongst the other varieties of coffee are Turkish coffee and dancing coffee. There are also coffees that are uniquely created by mixing local spice into them. Other variations include coffees with liquor. These are all just a few examples of exotic coffees.

Adding a great touch to the coffee family is the cold coffee. They are a fantastic way to refresh your self during those hot summer days. Cold coffee is equally liked by teenagers and adults. If you really want to treat your self then go for specialized gourmet coffee. In case all this coffee talk has given you an urge for that big creamy mug of coffee, go ahead take a break and enjoy that ideal mug of coffee at home or work.

Look out for Part 2…

What I am drinking now: Boca Java’s Hawaiian Kona Extra Fancy

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Here are more stats for you. Coffee is full of surprises, and here are a few facts you may not know:
• Coffee grows in more than 50 countries around the world and there are 900 different flavors of Arabica coffee beans, which can change if beans are exposed to air or light. Therefore, storing your coffee properly makes a difference in it’s flavor.
• The coffee beans increase in volume during roasting, up to an 18.60% increase. Think about that when buying whole coffee beans vs. ground beans.
• There is more fiber and antioxidants in coffee than in orange juice. A Spanish study concludes that brewed coffee has a significantly higher amount of soluble dietary fiber than most common beverages.
• Taking certain medications can make your mouth dry, or it can happen naturally. Dry mouth can be more than just uncomfortable, it can cause problems like impeding a person’s speech. Most people do not know that coffee can help relieve dry-mouth, cappuccino to be specific. In medicine, dry mouth is called xerostomia and a Poland research group suggests drinking cappuccino. Drinking 15.0g of cappuccino coffee within a five-minute span will increase saliva. The effect of cappuccino on dry mouth can last anywhere from half an hour up to four hours, the average being around two hours.
• This one is kind of a no-brainer, and you already know coffee can wake you up. But, do you know that drinking small amounts over a period of time works better than drinking a whole bunch at once (according to a group study on sleep and wakefulness at Harvard Medical School).
• A study done in Germany found that caffeine can help improve handwriting, after consuming caffeine subject’s handwriting movements were more fluent and quick.
• Coffee also has an effect on memory, which researchers claim to have seen work using a scanning technique called functional magnetic imaging (fMRI). The scans showed “significant activity” in the parts of the brain where working memory and attention/concentration are located in the subjects that consumed caffeine. The scans also showed caffeine’s has more of an impact on short-term memory than long-term memory.
• Fight jet lag with coffee. Researchers in France found that volunteers that took caffeine pills for four days after an eastbound flight felt less sleepy than volunteers that took a placebo.
• Coffee beans are technically not a bean but a cherry. The bean is the seed of the coffee plant (a pit inside the red or purple fruit that grows on the tree).
• 37% of people that drink coffee drink it black, and 63% add sweeteners like sugar.
• The National Safety Council says coffee does not sober up a drunken person, and in some cases, it could increase the adverse effects of the alcohol.

CoffeeLover

What I am drinking now: Gevalia’s Antico Caffe Greco

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I am in full “learn about coffee” mode and while looking up some data, and chasing my children around, I happened upon this page Coffee production by Country for year 2005

I was looking for recent data but that’s all I could find. Ok, for those that don’t want to leave this site; the list is as follows

1. Brazil
2. Viet Nam (Huh? show’s you what I know)
3. Indonesia
4. Colombia
5. Mexico
6. India
7. Ethopia
8. Guatemala
9. Honduras
10. Uganda
11. Cote d’lvoire (where in the world is this place?)
12. Peru
13. Costa Rica
14. Ecuador
15. Philippines
16. Nicaragua
17. El Salvador
18. Venezuela
19. Madagascar(my kids loved the movie)
20. Dominican Republic

OK, that’s the top 20 as of 2005. Where’s the good old USA. Guess we just make good ?? - you fill in the blank.

What I am drinking now: Boca Java’s Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee - expensive but good!!

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