Cold Brewed Coffee
On a hot day you might like to enjoy a cold brew, cold brewed coffee that is. Cold brewed coffee is steeped in room temperature or even cold water for half a day. It can be served cold or hot. Cold brewed coffee is not iced coffee, which is regular coffee poured over ice to make a cool drink. Cold brewed coffee has to do with the process and not the temperature at which it is served. Additional ingredients to cold brewed coffee include extra water, milk, and chocolate.
Why Cold Brewed Coffee?
Cold brewed coffee is about two thirds less acidic than expresso or percolator coffee. It has to do with extracting caffeine and healthy antioxidants but less acid using a slow, cool extraction process. Basically the coffee just diffuses out of the ground beans over a few hours.
Making Cold Brewed Coffee
Our preference is to start with organic coffee, preferably one of the Colombian organic coffee brands. Grind the beans but coarse and not fine like you would with expresso. Ideally use bottled water and not chlorinated from the tap. If you do use tap water pour the water into a pitcher and allow to sit for several hours to let the chlorine evaporate from the tap water. Grind four and half ounces (1 ¾ cup) of coffee. Add three and a half cups of cold water to a two quart pitcher and then the coffee grounds. Cover, place in the refrigerator and forget for a dozen hours.
Serving Cold Brewed Coffee
The rap against iced coffee is that pouring hot brewed coffee or even espresso over ice typically results on dilute albeit cold coffee. Cold brewed coffee is often stronger than regular coffee. Before serving pour the coffee through a filter or use a French press to remove the coffee grounds. Add a little water if the coffee is too strong for your taste and a little ice if you want it to be colder. Many folks add milk, sugar, chocolate or even liquor making it cold brewed liqueur coffee. This is an ideal drink for a hot summer day but works well in front of a roaring fire in winter as well. From our liqueur coffee article here is a list of liqueurs and how to make.
Name of Liqueur Coffee and Liqueur Used
Gaelic coffee: (Drambuie or Glayva)
Irish Coffee: (Whiskey)
Brandy Coffee: (Brandy)
Keoke Coffee: (Brandy and Kahlúa)
English Coffee: (Gin)
Calypso Coffee: (Tia Maria or Kahlúa and Rum)
Jamaican Coffee: (Tia Maria & Rum)
Shin Shin Coffee: (Rum)
Baileys Irish Cream Coffee
Monk’s Coffee: (Bénédictine)
Seville Coffee: (Cointreau)
Witch’s Coffee: (Strega)
Russian Coffee: (Vodka)
Priest Coffee: (Brennivín)
Corfu Coffee: (Koum Quat liquor)
Kaffee Fertig: (Coffee: with Swiss prune schnapps)
Caffè corretto: (grappa, brandy or Sambuca)
Making Cold Brewed Liqueur Coffee
- Use a clear liqueur coffee glass and pre heat it
- Add 25 ml of liqueur of choice
- Mix in one teaspoonful of raw cane sugar, preferable organic
- Make Cold Brewed Coffee As Described
- Fill the glass to one inch from the top with coffee
- Add slightly whipped cream, pouring over the back of a spoon so that it layers over the top of the coffee and liqueur mixture
Macchiato, Mazagran and Mélange Coffees
Three interesting coffee beverages are macchiato, mazagran and mélange. All are best made with healthy organic coffee. Here is a bit of info about each of them.
Macchiato
The name of this coffee drink means stained. It is essentially espresso with just a dash of foamed milk. It is similar to but stronger than a cappuccino. Milk is foamed directly into the espresso cup and the espresso is added. Cocoa is usually sprinkled over the top. A long macchiato has two shots of espresso and a little extra water and a short macchiato has one shot of espresso and less water.
Mazagran
This is a cold coffee drink. It came from Algeria where it is served in a tall glass. Mazagran consists of coffee poured over ice with the addition of various amounts of sugar, rum, lemon or extra water.
Mélange
This is a popular drink in Europe, particularly the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland. It originated in the 1700s as a café drink in Austria and is often called Wiener Mélange, Wein being the German word for Vienna. Make mélange by combining equal amount s of espresso and steamed milk plus milk foam.
Always Organic
Our preference is for organic coffee and or all organic ingredients. For help finding organic ingredients visit this link. Like organic coffee, other organic foods are certified by the United States Department of Agriculture, the USDA. If you are in doubt about where to find organic ingredients follow the links on the organic ingredient site. If you are in doubt about what constitutes an organic food or drink read the excerpt from the USDA web site.
Start with Espresso
Most coffee beverages are variations on coffee house coffee and start with espresso. Espresso is very concentrated coffee that retains a lot of dissolved as well as suspended solids from the roasted coffee bean. It is made by forcing steam (boiling water) through fine ground coffee. It has a thicker feel because of the suspended solids and foam because of the pressurized steam. Espresso concentrates the flavors of coffee and is served in a small cup, usually an ounce (30 cc). A cup of espresso typically has between 40 and 75 milligrams of caffeine while a standard cup of percolated coffee contains about twice this much but in an 8 ounce cup. Thus coffee house coffee espresso is about four times more concentrated than the cup of coffee that you had a home for breakfast. Because espresso contains more coffee per ounce also contains more organic coffee antioxidants if you insist on organic for your espresso.
Here are the basic coffee house coffees made from espresso.
Americano
Americano is a coffee house coffee made from espresso and diluted with water. This goes back to the World War II era and after when GI’s who were used to Mom’s home perked or boiled coffee asked the barista to add water to their espresso to make it less strong. Think “weak espresso.”
Breve and Latte
Both of these are made with espresso and foam. Latte is made with steamed milk and breve is made with half and half. For latte think “coffee with milk” or café au lait and for breve think “coffee with milk and cream.”
Cappuccino
Cappuccino is made with espresso plus hot milk plus lots of steamed foam.
Mocha
Mocha is for coffee and chocolate lovers. It is made with espresso plus chocolate syrup plus milk.
Coffee in Vietnam
Vietnam is the second greatest coffee producer in the world. Only Brazil grows more coffee. But Vietnam grows primarily Robusta coffee as opposed to Arabica coffee grown throughout the Americas. Robusta coffee has more coffee per bean and is a more bitter coffee than Arabica. Thus when you ask for coffee in Vietnam you always get it with a layer of sweetened condensed milk layered on top. The drink is very strong and very sugary. Coffee in Vietnam is served hot or cold.
History of Coffee in Vietnam
Coffee was introduced to Vietnam in 1857 when the French were the colonial masters of French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos). The costal highlands that run the length of this 1000 mile long country are ideal for coffee production. Vietnam was reunified in 1975 at the end of the French colonial period and then the Vietnam War. The government promoted coffee production and exports. By the 21st century coffee was only surpassed by rice as a Vietnamese export. The World Bank was instrumental in providing financing to coffee farmers as well as other farmers in Vietnam. Growers in other coffee growing nations blame the recurring excess of coffee supplies on the World Bank and its efforts. Nestle gets much of the caffeine for its various drinks from Vietnamese robusta coffee beans. Vietnam currently produces about 1.7 million tons of Robusta coffee a year.
Drinking Coffee in Vietnam
In Vietnam as in other nations of the world coffee is a social drink. There are coffee shops and coffee is served in restaurants. Coffee is made with a phin, a small cup with a filter chamber to catch the grounds. Grounds are added to the phin and hot water is poured in. the coffee drips into your cup. This is done at the table so you get to wait and watch it happen. Add sweetened condensed milk and you are ready to enjoy coffee in Vietnam. Additional additives to coffee in Vietnam beside condensed milk are eggs, yogurt, butter and cheese. In the capital city of Hanoi a traditional drink is egg coffee which is egg yolk, coffee powder, sweetened condensed milk , butter and cheese. The drink is served hot.
Here is a photo of a Vietnam coffee maker, a phin. Click on the image for more info.
The Caffeine in Your Soda, etc.
The majority of coffee in Vietnam is used to provide caffeine for various caffeinated beverages but not coffee. Nescafe instant coffee is made with robusta coffee beans, primarily from Vietnam. Nestle is a major buyer of Vietnamese coffee but so are other makers of caffeinated drinks. Other major growers of Robusta coffee for this purpose are Indonesia and Brazil.
Drinking Your Coffee in Vietnam
Vietnam is a beautiful country and as time has passed since the Vietnam War many Americans have come back, peacefully, to visit. The cities are bustling and the countryside is gorgeous. You can sit in a café and drink your Robusta coffee with sweet and condensed milk or with some of the other more exotic ingredients. Getting around usually requires air travel as there is no interstate system connecting this thousand mile long country from top to bottom.
Galão, Guillermo or Green Eye Coffee?
Here are three coffee house coffee variations with espresso as the base. Galão is from Portugal and only takes one shot of expresso. Guillermo includes slices of lime and two shots of espresso. Green eye is also known as Triple Death as it starts with regular coffee and adds three shots of espresso. Here are instructions for how to make Galão, Guillermo or Green Eye Coffee.
Galão
Galão can be made with one part espresso and three parts foamed milk but it can also be made with one part espresso and one part foamed milk. The first way to make Galão is served in a tall glass and the second called meiia de leite is served in a coffee cup.
Make espresso with healthy organic coffee. Foam the milk with hot steam as you would with latte. Add the espresso.
Guillermo
You can make Guillermo hot or cold and with or without milk. Make the espresso as you normally world. Slice up a lime and put in a coffee cup. Pour the espresso over the limes and enjoy. For the cold variety add lime slices and ice to a tall glass and then pour in the espresso, two shots. Add a touch of milk if you desire.
Green eye
Green eye is also known as triple death because it contains a LOT of coffee. Use one of the excellent Colombian organic coffee brands to make a strong dark roast coffee. Using the same coffee make a triple shot of espresso. Add the triple shot of espresso to the dark roast coffee in a tall cup and enjoy.
How Much Caffeine Do You Need?
Coffee has lots of health benefits and several of these are a direct result of the caffeine in coffee. But, you do not necessarily need to drink all of your caffeine at one sitting. Thus our preference of the three coffees lists is the Galão. It only requires a shot of espresso and comes nicely mixed with foamed milk. Our second choice is the Guillermo with the unique addition of lime. Our preference for an all-night drive across the entire country is Green Eye.
Many Ways to Prepare Coffee
There are many ways to prepare coffee. Here are a few with links to articles about history and preparation.
Turkish coffee
Touba coffee
Café Medici
Black tie coffee
Café Bombón
Rüdesheimer kaffee
Eggnog latte
Liqueur coffees
To these you can add Galão, Guillermo and Green Eye Coffee.
Always Organic
Always remember that organic coffee is better. It is free of the more than 100 impurities found in regular commercial coffee and is better for the environment. Look for certification by the USDA, Rainforest Alliance or UTZ on the label. Organic coffee differs from regular coffee in several aspects. The soil in which organic coffee is grown must have been verified as free from prohibited substances for at least three years. In addition there must be distinct boundaries between land on which organic coffee is grown and land where pesticides, herbicides, and prohibited chemical fertilizers are used. This guarantees that drift of substances sprayed or otherwise applied on adjacent land will not contaminate the organic plot of land. Organic coffee certification includes the adherence to a specific and verifiable plan for all practices and procedures from planting to crop maintenance, to harvest, de-husking, bagging, transport, roasting, packaging, and final transport.
Varieties of Liqueur Coffee
There are probably as many varieties of liqueur coffee as there are liqueurs. We would like to suggest that you make any or all of them with healthy organic coffee, preferably one of the Colombian organic coffee brands. Here is a list of some of the varieties of liqueur coffee and then we present a recipe or two.
Liqueur Coffee - Irish Coffee
Name of Liqueur Coffee and Liqueur Used
Gaelic coffee: (Drambuie or Glayva)
Irish Coffee: (Whiskey)
Brandy Coffee: (Brandy)
Keoke Coffee: (Brandy and Kahlúa)
English Coffee: (Gin)
Calypso Coffee: (Tia Maria or Kahlúa and Rum)
Jamaican Coffee: (Tia Maria & Rum)
Shin Shin Coffee: (Rum)
Baileys Irish Cream Coffee
Monk’s Coffee: (Bénédictine)
Seville Coffee: (Cointreau)
Witch’s Coffee: (Strega)
Russian Coffee: (Vodka)
Priest Coffee: (Brennivín)
Corfu Coffee: (Koum Quat liquor)
Kaffee Fertig: (Coffee: with Swiss prune schnapps)
Caffè corretto: (grappa, brandy or Sambuca)
How Do You Make Liqueur Coffee?
- Use a clear liqueur coffee glass and pre heat it
- Add 25 ml of liqueur of choice
- Mix in one teaspoonful of raw cane sugar, preferable organic
- Use a strong Americano coffee although some prefer espresso
- Fill the glass to one inch from the top with coffee
- Add slightly whipped cream, pouring over the back of a spoon so that it layers over the top of the coffee and liqueur mixture
Coffee for a Cold Night
We wrote previously about making Irish coffee. Irish coffee has its origins at the airport in Shannon, Ireland on a cold night to warm up passengers waiting for a transatlantic flight. Any of the liqueur coffee can fill this same need for a warm alcoholic drink with a coffee pick me up included. There are as many variations as there are varieties of liqueur coffee. For example, here are recipes for Gaelic Coffee and Calypso coffee.
Making Gaelic Coffee
Ingredients:
3/4 oz Irish whiskey
3/4 oz Irish cream
1 1/2 oz dark creme de cacao
2 oz milk
1 tblspful espresso
A few drops of green crème de menthe
Add the whiskey, crème de cacao and milk to a warmed coffee liqueur glass and mix
Sprinkle in a few drops of crème de menthe for color
Pour slightly whipped cream over a spoon into the cup to create a layer on top
Add another few drops of crème de menthe if you like
Making Calypso Coffee
Ingredients:
1 oz TiaMaria coffee liqueur
5 ounces of strong black coffee
1 ½ ounces of whipped cream
1 tsp sugar
Mix the liqueur sugar in the bottom of a liqueur coffee glass
Add the coffee
Pour whipped cream to layer out over the top
A Cold Night Can Be the Mother of Invention
Winter is coming and with it the need for an occasional warm drink. The basic recipe for liqueur coffee is a good place to start. Pick your favorite liqueur and your favorite organic coffee. Make sure to get organic cream and organic sugar. The point is produce not only a drink that tastes good but also one that is visually appealing as well. Do not be afraid to experiment a bit to arrive at your favorite liqueur coffee to please yourself and impress your friends.
Eggnog Latte for the Holidays
Winter is coming and the holidays are almost upon us. Buy Organic Coffee would like to vote for eggnog latte for the holidays as an appropriate way to make healthy organic coffee for Thanksgiving, Christmas and into the depths of winter. Here is a little information about eggnog, latte, and how to make eggnog latte for the holidays.
Where Did Eggnog Come From?
Eggnog probably originated in East Anglia, England and has its roots in a medieval European beverage made with hot milk called posset. Nog comes from noggin which was Middle English for a small carved wood cup used to serve alcohol. At the time of its origin, the drink was also called egg flip because the preparer flipped or rapidly poured it between two pitchers to mix it. An early reference to eggnog in the colonies in the 18th century described “egg-nog” as a mixture of rum, eggs, “new” milk, and sugar. Travelers in that era were known to fortify themselves against the elements by drinking “egg-nog” before going out on the lonely roads and trails of the era.
You will find more information and see a modern recipe for eggnog in our article, How to Make Homemade Eggnog. The article also includes George Washington’s recipe for homemade eggnog. Besides the milk, sugar, and eggs, America’s revolutionary leader and first president included brandy, rye whiskey, Jamaica rum, and sherry to his eggnog recipe and advised to “taste frequently.” They certainly knew how to make impressive eggnog in those days!
Homemade Eggnog
Latte Origin
In the USA a basic latte is a coffee house coffee made with espresso and steamed milk. But, be careful when traveling. If you ask for a latte in Italy you will get a glass of milk! You would need to ask for a Caffè latte. In Europe, coffee with milk has been popular for a few hundred years.
- Italy: Caffè latte
- Germany: Milchkaffee
- France: Café au lait
- Spain (and Latin America): Café con leche
- British Isles: Coffee with milk
Making “latte” seems to have started on the West Coast of the USA, first in Berkeley, CA in the 1950s and then in Seattle where the drink was made specifically with espresso and steamed milk. Interestingly, the trend moved back to Europe but in Scandinavia rather than in the South an included espresso and steamed milk.
Making a Latte
Ingredients
- Espresso, single or double
- Whole milk (6 to 12 ounces)
- Steamed Milk
- Foamed Milk
Equipment
- Espresso maker with steam wand or arm
- Milk jug
- Thermometer
Steps
- Fill a milk jug a third full with whole milk
- Purge the steam arm of the espresso maker
- Foam the milk before making espresso. Aim for a smooth “microfoam”
- Gently tap the jug to remove unwanted, overly large, bubbles
- Prepare the espresso (single or double) using a latte cup
- Pour the frothed milk into the espresso starting high above and steepen the pouring angle as you lower the milk jug
- Make sure that a small amount of milk foam remains on top of the drink at the end.
If you do not have an espresso maker you can use strong coffee but the standard latte is made with espresso.
Latte
Eggnog Latte for the Holidays (or Whenever)
This article is about eggnog latte but the holidays should be about family, friends, traditions, and enjoyment. So, if all you want to do is add a little store-bought eggnog, as creamer, to a fresh hot cup of coffee, plus a little Irish whisky for your Christmas version of Irish coffee, please go ahead.
But, if you have the inclination and the time, check out our recipe in how to make homemade eggnog. Then follow the latte directions from Caffe Society, modified for eggnog latte.
You will be using eggnog instead of whole milk but you can still froth or foam it with the steam want from you espresso machine. If you don´t have a steam wand, you can vigorously whisk the eggnog to make it froth up.
And, if you also do not have an espresso maker, strong coffee will do.
(Craftsy)
Alcohol or No Alcohol in Your Eggnog Latte for the Holidays
Going back to George Washington and even before, it is traditional to make eggnog with rum and other spirits. Thus, you may choose to make your eggnog with alcohol in it. But, there are good reasons to leave the alcohol out of your homemade eggnog if you will be serving it to children or to those for whom alcohol presents a problem.
If you leave the alcohol out of the eggnog, you can still add it selectively to the eggnog latte for the holidays.
Here is a quick and easy recipe for creamy eggnog coffee for the holidays featuring homemade or store-bought eggnog and alcohol added at the end.
Ingredients
- Cold coffee: 4 cups
- Eggnog: 32 ounces
- Frozen whipped topping: 8 ounces
- Ground cinnamon: half teaspoon
- Rum: 1 cup (optional)
- Whipping cream (optional)
- Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Directions:
- In a large bowl combine coffee, eggnog, and whipped topping with a whisk
- Add rum and stir
- Put in the refrigerator to keep cool until serving
- Just before serving whip up whipping cream and grate the nutmeg to top off each glass
We at Buy Organic Coffee hope that this bit of information helps you enjoy your holidays just a little more.
Rüdesheimer Kaffee
A nice drink on a cold day is Rüdesheimer kaffee. Rüdesheimer kaffee comes from Rüdesheim, Germany. In 1957 Hans Karl Adam made coffee with sugar and brandy and topped it off with whipped cream. Hans Karl Adam was a German television chef and very popular at the time. He dreamed up this drink and it became a hit in local coffee houses. If you are looking for an alternative to Irish coffee or if you have simply run out of Irish whisky, try making Rüdesheimer kaffee.
How Do You Make Rüdesheimer Kaffee?
We suggest that you start with healthy organic coffee, preferably one of the Colombian organic coffee brands. Any coffee cup will do but the best results are obtained with the special cup used in Germany for this drink. Go here to Weinquelle if you want a complete set.
Article: Asbach Rüdesheimer Coffee set + 2 cups and spoons.
Country: Germany
Region: Rüdesheim, Rhein
Producer: Asbach
Alcohol: 38% ABV
Flavour: Floral notes, honey, grapes and slight wood note.
Taste: Harmoniously, moderate sweetness, winy with notes after plums, easily nutty.
Rüdesheimer Kaffee Cup
Any brandy may work for making Rüdesheimer Kaffee, but to be totally correct use Asbach brandy. If you are having trouble finding this brand go online at The Whisky Exchange.
Asbach is a famous German brandy with an ardent cult following, particularly amongst British ex-servicemen, many of whom have developed a fondness for it while stationed in the country. This 3 year old is the sibling to Asbach Uralt.
Asbach Brandy
Tell them that Buy Organic Coffee sent you.
Organic sugar and chocolate are next. Visit our organic ingredients page for help on this one.
Steps:
- Grind the beans immediately before making the coffee. Make the coffee first but have the rest of the ingredients on hand because Rüdesheimer Kaffee is put together at the table.
- While the water is heating for your coffee make the whipped cream. Adding a dash of vanilla sugar is nice touch.
- Add a jigger of Asbach Uralt brandy and sugar cubes to a coffee cup.
- Flambé and stir for just a minute to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the coffee, preferably espresso.
- Spread whipped cream across the top and garnish with flakes of chocolate.
- Serve and enjoy.
Enjoy this drink with a tasty dessert such as coffee cake.
Café Bombón
Café Bombón originated in Valencia, Spain and spread throughout Spain, Europe, Asia and the Americas. As the popularity of café Bombón spread variations in how to make it also occurred. When made in Malaysia as Kopi Susu Panas or in Thailand as Gafeh Rorn it is commonly made with ground coffee and sweetened condensed milk whereas traditional Café Bombón is made one to one with espresso and sweetened condensed milk. The drink is served in a glass instead of a cup and the milk is poured slowly to layer out beneath the espresso for visual effect.
Espresso and All Organic
First of all use healthy organic coffee and organic milk. (See our article about finding organic ingredients. This is essentially a coffee house coffee as its base is espresso. Espresso is very concentrated coffee that retains a lot of dissolved as well as suspended solids from the roasted coffee bean. It is made by forcing steam (boiling water) through fine ground coffee. It has a thicker feel because of the suspended solids and foam because of the pressurized steam. Espresso concentrates the flavors of coffee and is served in a small cup, usually an ounce (30 cc). A cup of espresso typically has between 40 and 75 milligrams of caffeine while a standard cup of percolated coffee contains about twice this much but in an 8 ounce cup. Thus coffee house coffee espresso is about four times more concentrated than the cup of coffee that you had a home for breakfast. Because espresso contains more coffee per ounce also contains more organic coffee antioxidants if you insist on organic for your espresso.
How to Make Café Bombón
First of all make your espresso, sufficient for each person whom you will serve. Pour into a glass instead of the traditional demitasse cup used for espresso. Use sweetened condensed milk in equal quantity to the espresso. Pour slowly into the espresso to create a base layer of milk before serving. Your guests may wish to add milk and or nutmeg and stir but that is their business.
The Age of Exploration and Spanish Coffees
The Portuguese and Spanish sailed the world in the age of exploration staring in the middle of the 15th century and continuing for nearly three hundred years until Spanish colonies gained their freedom. All variety of items came on ship to Spain including coffees of the world. Turkish immigrants were especially important in bringing coffee to Spain. Here is a short list of varieties of Spanish coffee:
Café Solo – small glass of strong black coffee
Café Con Leche – same as coffee house coffee café con leche
Café Bombon – read the article
Café Americano – watered down café solo
Café Cortado – strong black coffee with a drop of milk.
Café Con Hielo – iced coffee
Café Sombra or Café Manchado – coffee flavored milk
Café Carajillo – similar to Irish coffee but with rum instead of Irish whisky
How Do You Make Café Medici?
Café Medici brings to mind the wealthy banking Italian family from Florence that produced four Popes for the Catholic Church. Café Medici brings to mind the Renaissance as well as high level intrigue relating to this famous family. Surprisingly Café Medici did not originate in Florence or Italy for that matter. Café Medici was a creation of a well-known coffee house in Seattle. The Last Exit on Brooklyn was founded in 1967 and was part of the early coffee culture of Seattle. Basically Café Medici is a type of coffee house coffee. The drink is sufficiently popular that they will know how to make it in coffee houses across the country.
How Do You Make Café Medici?
The ingredients for a Café Medici are a double shot of expresso, also called a doppio (which is Italian), chocolate syrup, orange peel and whipped cream.
Use an espresso cup. Put orange peel and chocolate syrup in the bottom. Extract the espresso directly into the cup. Top with whipped cream and serve.
Our preference is to use healthy organic coffee for this brew. Where to find organic ingredients may be an issue for you. If so check the link.
A Great Name None-the-less
So, Café Medici has little or nothing to do with the House of Medici. But it is an interesting and compelling name for coffee. The Medici gave the Catholic Church these popes:
- Pope Leo X (1513–1521)
- Pope Clement VII (1523–1534)
- Pope Pius IV (1559–1565)
- Pope Leo XI (1605)
They also provided two queens of France, Catherine de’ Medici (1547–1559) and Marie de’ Medici (1600–1610). They were the Dukes of Florence and ruled Tuscany. They were wealthy bankers and for a time the wealthiest family in Europe. They were in the textile trade. It is not recorded that they were coffee drinkers although they lived during the time when Turkish coffee became popular around the Caribbean.
Why Organic Coffee, Milk and Orange Peel?
The point of going organic is to avoid impurities in your food and to help the environment as well. But what is the point of drinking organic coffee if you do not adopt an organic approach to the rest of what you eat and drink? Like organic coffee, other organic foods are certified by the United States Department of Agriculture, the USDA. If you are in doubt about where to find organic ingredients follow the links on this page. If you are in doubt about what constitutes an organic food or drink read the excerpt from the USDA web site. Check the organic ingredients article for a few sources of organic ingredients if you cannot find what you want at your local market. We will be adding to this list as we find out more about where to find organic ingredients for foods to go with the organic coffee antioxidants that make organic coffee so healthy.
How Do You Make Touba Coffee?
There seem to be as many ways to make coffee as there are places in the world. A unique way to make coffee comes from the country of Senegal. Touba coffee is made from eighty percent coffee and twenty percent selim. Selim is also known Guinea pepper. Other spices may also be added such as cloves. Touba coffee is served at ceremonies during the Magal of Touba, the commemoration of the leader of the Islamic Mouride brotherhood from exile in 1902. However, Touba coffee is consumed every day by ordinary people in Senegal and has become popular across other parts of Africa and other parts of the world. Interestingly, Nescafe had to introduce a new product, Nescafe Ginger and Spice to compete with Touba coffee in Senegal and adjacent countries.
Touba Coffee Ingedients
Our preference is to start with healthy organic coffee. And you need to find Selim seeds, the unique ingredient in Touba coffee. Another name for Selim is Negro pepper and it can be purchased from outlets for African foods.
Here are a couple of links that may be useful:
Shikenan African Shop offers a variety of unique foods including Uda / Negro pepper / Selim seeds.
Uda is a pungent and aromatic spice that yields the scientific named Xylopia aethiopica but it is commonly known in the plain language as Negro pepper. Came originally from Ethiopia to Ghana, Uda is also called grains of selim, African grains of selim, moor pepper and Senegal pepper. Beyond it diverse labels, Uda is popular for its bitter-nutty taste just like a mixture of cubeb pepper and nutmeg. One example of African food recipe that uses Uda is the Nigerian Pepper Soup.
As you will find out on their web site Selim is used for more purposes than to spice up coffee.
If you come from down under you may want to check out Herbie’s Spices. Here is what they say about Selim pepper pods.
Selim Pepper
Botanical Name: Xylopia aethiopica
Other Common Names: African pepper, Ethiopian pepper, Grains of Selim, Guinea pepper, kimba pepper, negro pepper and Senegal pepper
Description & Use: Selim pepper goes by the names; African pepper, Ethiopian pepper, Grains of Selim, Guinea pepper, kimba pepper, negro pepper and Senegal pepper. This little pod, about the same size as a long pepper, comes to us from Western Africa and this pepper is generally used in the same way as black pepper, Sichuan pepper or grains of paradise. Like Sichuan pepper, most of the camphor-like, numbing, medicinal flavor is in the pod itself and the seeds actually have very little flavor by comparison. For this reason the whole or ground pod is most commonly added to cooking to get the most out of the taste. Although Selim pepper tastes quite medicinal on its own, when combined with rich, gamey or very fatty ingredients, it has the effect of cutting the rich, cloying flavors of these foods.
Likewise Herbies will tell you about many other uses of Selim besides for making Touba coffee.
How to Make Touba Coffee
The authentic way to make Touba coffee is to combine four parts green coffee bean and 1 part Selim seeds. Roast and grind. Add water and boil. Then pour through a filter and serve. An alternative approach if you already have whole bean roasted organic coffee on hand is to grind the beans, add coffee to water and boil. For the last few minutes add Selim seeds. With both methods you may find that you sneeze from the strong peppery aroma of the Selim.