Coffee-Beer

A drink somewhere between coffee and beer could soon be on the menu. Nestec, part of the Nestlé empire in Switzerland, has filed patents in every major market round the world on a "fermented coffee beverage" that pours and foams like beer, but smells of strong coffee and packs a concentrated caffeine kick.
The beverage is made in a similar way to beer, but fine-tuned temperature control stops the formation of ethyl alcohol. So the new drink could go down well with people who want a long tall pick-me-up while driving.
Nestlé admits it was tricky to preserve the characteristic coffee smell in the production process. Coffee beans are roasted normally, and the chemicals containing the natural aroma collected in a cryogenic condenser, before being converted into coffee oil. The remains of the roast are then ground to powder, mixed with yeast and sucrose, and fermented for 4 hours at just below 22°C. At this temperature the yeast can still metabolise but does not generate alcohol.
The aroma oil is then mixed in with the liquid and nitrogen is injected to make it foam. Adding a touch of extra sugar also helps trap the aroma until the drink is poured, Nestlé claim.

Economic Aspects Of Coffee

Coffee is one of the world's most important primary commodities; it ranks second only to petroleum in terms of dollars traded worldwide. With over 400 billion cups consumed every year, coffee is the world's most popular beverage. Worldwide, 25 million small producers rely on coffee for a living. For instance, in Brazil alone, where almost a third of all the world's coffee is produced, over 5 million people are employed in the cultivation and harvesting of over 3 billion coffee plants. The collapse of price support schemes in the 1980s and the entry of new producing countries (notably Vietnam) has led to world prices for raw coffee beans fluctuating wildly, reaching an all-time low (in constant dollars) in 2002.Ironically, the decline in the ingredient cost of green coffee, while not the only cost component of the final cup being served, was paralleled by the rise in popularity of Starbucks and thousands of other specialty cafes, which sold their beverages at unprecedented high prices. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, in 2004 16% of adults in the United States drank specialty coffee daily; the number of retail specialty coffee locations, including cafes, kiosks, coffee carts and retail roasters, amounted to 17,400 and total sales were $8.96 billion in 2003.Fairtrade labelling is becoming more popular in many developed countries, allowing consumers to ensure that co-operative producers receive a viable minimum price for their goods.The United States is the largest market for coffee, followed by Germany. Finland consumes the most coffee per capita. However, consumption has also vastly increased in the United Kingdom in recent years. Coffee is so popular in he Americas, the Middle East, and Europe that many restaurants specialize in coffee; these are called "coffeehouses" or "cafés". Most cafés also serve tea, sandwiches, pastries, and other light refreshments. Some cafés are miniature shacks that specialize in coffee-to-go for hurried travelers, who may visit these on their way to work as a substitute for breakfast. Some travelers transport their coffee in vacuum bottles, which can keep a beverage hot for hours.

Coffee and Sex

Recent studies on rats conducted by scientists from Southern University (USA) found that caffeine increases the female rat libido. The effect is due to caffeine stimulating the part of brain regulating arousal. However, the same scientists say that in humans the same effects would be possible only if the person is not a regular coffee drinker.
Should we stop drinking coffee then? Or switch to decaf? But coffee is linked to improving memory and reducing risk of cancer; at the same time some scientists say it increases the risk of heart disease.
Back to our rats. The study was conducted on 108 female rats which were given a moderate amount of caffeine before a mating test. The goal was to find whether caffeine had any effect on the female rats' behavior. The results were amazing: caffeine shortened the amount of time it took for a female to get back to the male after sex, for a new mating session. The scientists also explained that the results show more then a boost of energy for socialising. However, no one can say for certain if the effects would be the same in humans, as well. The main reason is because the rats had never had caffeine in their live. As for us humans, I doubt there are too many out there who didn't drink at least one coffee. But the study also helped scientists understand a bit more about the brain and its link to behavior, mainly what part of the brain it motivates since sex is a motivative behavior, as Dr Fay Guarraci, leader researcher, explained.
The study managed to "irritate" the British Coffee Association, whose spokesman explained that the study is not convincing and a human would have to drink 10 cups of coffee a day to obtain the effect and that level of consumption is not normal at all.

How do you take your coffee?

Coffee drinkers who get their jolt drinking on the run from a paper cup are missing out on a ritual steeped in history and buzzing with character.Long before Starbucks took over the world, coffee drinkers from Africa to Europe to South America were getting together over coffee to gossip, plot revolutions and distill the meaning of life.They still do. They are often smoky, noisy, boisterous places where friends, colleagues and compatriots gather to talk, argue, hang out and unwind or rev up, depending on the time of day. Where a cup of coffee comes in a real cup without a plastic cover, and the rich, almost-burnt smell of just-roasted coffee beans hangs in the air.The Italian wayEspresso is the elemental Italian drink made to order in large, gleaming commercial machines that use pressure to force boiling water through the coffee grounds.The result: a demitasse cup of coffee that is hot, strong, dark, richly flavoured and lightly textured. Look for a delicate caramel-coloured crema on top, the fine layer of foam that is the mark of a perfect cup of espresso.The customs: Back in Italy, there are strict social conventions governing coffee consumption, according to manager Marco Paranzino, whose father owns Cafe Milano in St. Leonard."In Italy, you have latte or cappuccino in the morning with a biscotti or a cornetto (a croissant)," he said. "But if you ask for anything other than espresso in the afternoon or evening, they laugh at you.The Arabic wayThe thick, inky drink favoured in Turkey and the Middle East is how coffee was probably originally drunk, centuries ago, the beans roasted over a charcoal fire then ground in a stone mortar into a fine power, and heated over an open flame.Arabic coffee is always brewed to order in small, uncovered aluminum or enamelware pots with long handles. Cold water is mixed with very finely ground dark-roasted coffee, and sugar if desired, and heated until just before it begins to boil. It has to be smooth, with a thick layer on top.It is consumed while still very hot, in tiny porcelain cups - but only after the grounds have settled to the bottom of the cup. The best is "mazbout" or medium, as you'd say in Arabic: with equal proportions coffee and sugar. Never, but never, does it take milk.The customs: The traditional rules of etiquette for serving Arabic coffee at home require the host to personally hand around the cups, with the eldest or most important person in the room served first.Traditionally, the amount of sugar added to coffee should match the solemnity of the occasion. In times of death or other sorrows, coffee is drunk without sugar. By extension, coffee is rarely served at weddings; only tea or the sweet drink called sharbot.The Greek wayTraditional Greek coffee is made in a small brass or tin pot called a brikli. Finely ground coffee is combined with sugar and water, boiled 30 seconds and stirred continuously. The barista brews it over a Coleman burner because an open flame is deemed essential to preparing the quintessential Greek coffee. A single shot is served thick, black and piping hot in small demitasse porcelain cups accompanied by a tall glass of cold water.There are dozens of ways to prepare Greek coffee, each with its own name, depending on the proportions of sugar and coffee, how long it was boiled and in what quantities it is served. For instance, you can ask for gliko, (sweet) metrio, (medium-sweet) or sketo (unsweetened). Me gala comes with milk; horis gala without.There's another Greek coffee that's all the rage, especially among younger coffee drinkers. It's called frappe. It's made in a shaker from freeze-dried instant coffee crystals, shaken up with just a little water until foamy then inverted into a tall clear glass and topped with water. Sweetened evaporated milk called nu-nu, or 10-per-cent cream, is slowly added to create a series of layers. It's served cold, over ice, or warm.Greek frappe is sipped through a straw, which also serves to stir up the sugar that settles at the bottom of the glass. And with it, insists Papatsakonas, you have to nibble on loukoumades, honey balls fried in olive oil sprinkled with almonds and cinnamon. The bitter and sweet flavours really balance each other.The customs: Don't let them clear away the dishes too quickly. Greeks read their fortunes in the thick brown sludge that remains at the bottom of their cups. Turn the empty cup over on to a napkin, let it drain and then study the patterns left behind on the sides of the cup. The shape of a bird means big news is coming soon; letters of the Greek alphabet point to different fates. The Vietnamese wayVietnamese coffee is a treat for those who love their coffee strong and sweet. It is made in individual cups with a thick layer of sweetened condensed milk at the bottom, using strong darkroast coffee. A small stainless steel filter is stacked atop an eight-ounce cup. Boiling water drips through very, very slowly, seeping through the grounds and into your cup. When the dripping stops, the filter is removed and the coffee and milk are stirred and poured into a tall glass filled with ice.The taste is rich, caramel-flavoured and slightly smoky.The customs: Most people associate Asian restaurants with pots of green tea. But Vietnam is now the world's second-largest exporter of coffee, after Brazil. The French introduced coffee to Vietnam's central highlands region during colonial times in the late 1800s. It grows in the mountains of Vietnam, Cambodia and southern Laos. Mostly the beans are robusta, the cheaper variety. It's no wonder, then, that the Vietnamese mix it with the sweet richness of sweetened condensed milk.The sweet, caramelly flavoured Vietnamese coffee, cafe suada, is very popular. Before try it - relax: Vietnamese coffee is a leisurely affair. It can take up to 10 minutes for the hot water to drip through the filter.

Why Do We Love Coffee?

Name one chemical that's found in 70 percent of U.S. streams and rivers.
Some hints: It comes from dark brown liquid that's been known to scald people's tongues. Its source is often an excuse to invite someone back to your place. You probably drank it this morning, you will drink it late tonight or you've been drinking it all day and you have a cup of it next to you right now.You got it: It's caffeine, found both in the environment, and in our bodies. Ninety percent of Americans ingest some form of it every day, and its most popular liquid source is coffee; more than half of Americans drink coffee every day.Here's some information on that molecule we all know well. In its pure form, caffeine is a white, crystalline powder that's incredibly bitter.Caffeine can affect all the body's systems: Nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, etc. And, of course, it stimulates the nervous system. One or two cups will wake a person up, making him or her feel more alert and even better able to concentrate.On the other hand, some common negative effects are higher blood pressure, increased production of urine and stomach acid, anxiety, nervousness or grumpiness.Caffeine works in the brain the same way that amphetamines, cocaine and heroin do although, obviously, caffeine is much milder. Caffeine works by mimicking a chemical in the brain called adenosine, which plays a part in sleepiness by slowing nerve cell activity in the brain. Caffeine is similar enough to adenosine to plug into the adenosine receptors in cells, but it's not similar enough to have the same effect; it doesn't slow the cells down.So it blocks the adenosine, and the brain doesn't register sleepiness. Instead, the cells speed up and more neurons fire in the brain.These effects are short-lived; they're gone as soon as caffeine leaves the body. The bad news is that once the adrenaline wears off, you can face depression and fatigue. In other words, you crash. It's this crash that keeps people going back for more coffee, and leads to addiction.So how much caffeine is in coffee, anyway? It depends on how it's brewed and from which type of beans, but regular old coffeepot coffee usually has between 80 and 118 milligrams of caffeine per five-ounce cup. The average daily coffee drinker walks around with six to 50 milligrams of caffeine in his or her bloodstream.Not only can caffeine be addictive, but people can overdose on caffeine; taking more than 250 mg at once (either by chugging a lot of coffee, or taking a caffeine pill) can lead to restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, flushed face, upset stomach, muscle twitching, rambling flow of speech and thought and irregular heartbeats.To take a lethal dose of caffeine, you'd have to ingest about 10 grams - or 100 cups of coffee - but it's easier than you'd think to get close to this dose by taking caffeine pills. True caffeine poisoning can result in tremors, nausea, vomiting, confusion, delirium, seizures and high blood sugar.So, can coffee be good for you? Definitely, if you ask the National Coffee Association. Coffee contains antioxidants, which are good for heart health and may have anti-cancer benefits. But it's not clear whether the benefits of coffee outweigh some of the negative side effects of drinking too much (like insomnia).Caffeine may have environmental effects, too; aside from its presence in rivers, a group of Norwegian scientists found trace amounts of caffeine in the bodies of Arctic sea fish. Exactly how caffeine affects the environment isn't clear, but it's a definite footprint of human presence.Given all this caffeine info can a coffee connoisseur, put down a cup? Well ... no. Because coffee is delicious; it's an important part of culture on six of the seven continents, it gives energy, at least for a short time.But being aware of coffee's effects on body and the environment does spur to think before stumble toward some coffee pot in the morning, before go for mid-afternoon top-off or for one more cup late at night to keep studying.

The truth about coffee

WHETHER you like yours smooth and milky, straight up and steaming hot or with a shot of peppermint, grabbing a coffee on the way to work is an early morning ritual for many of us.
In fact, for some of us, the thought of negotiating the working day without a cup of the dark brown brew is unbearable.
Yet, in recent times, coffee addicts have been under pressure to do just that. With concerns over the effect that the caffeine-laden bean can have on our immune systems, not to mention our heart rates and ability to conceive, at times it has seemed to be just what the doctor didn't order. And, although it remained the world's favourite drink (according to the British Coffee Association, we drink an estimated 70 million cups a day in Britain), throughout the last decade it has endured a torrent of bad press. But now it's making a comeback, as more and more scientific studies are proving that coffee can be beneficial for you. The latest research shows that just one cup a day can dramatically reduce the risk of cirrhosis (liver scarring) and negate the damage which can be caused by a heavy drinking session. Add this to a burgeoning body of evidence that credits coffee with the ability to fight everything from heart disease to cancer, and that morning cuppa is emerging as the most unlikely health tonic.
So, to grind or not to grind? Well, it really boils down to a question of your personal health circumstances. We examined the evidence to help you decide whether coffee is the cuppa for you.
Heart FOR: Coffee was long regarded as bad for the heart, due to evidence garnered from many scientific studies, but research published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation, in April, showed that those who consumed six or more cups of coffee a day are no more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those who abstain. According to the British Heart Foundation, the view currently held is that drinking "a moderate amount of caffeine" does not influence coronary heart disease. The anti-oxidants prevalent in coffee also help mop up free radicals, which scientists believe can lead to hardening of the arteries. AGAINST: Those watching their cholesterol levels might want to monitor their coffee intake, after the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore established a link between unfiltered coffee, such as espresso, and raised LDL or "bad cholesterol" in the blood. Oils in coffee called terpenes, which are generally removed by filters, are blamed for the increase. For those predisposed to the problem, too much coffee, and its stimulant caffeine, can trigger the onset of a heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).
Brain FOR: According to one American study, coffee drinkers who have a daily intake of four or more cups have a lower incidence of Parkinson's disease. Some suggest it may even help prevent Alzheimer's disease too. The theory is that the stimulative effect coffee has on brain cells increases the brain's intake of the chemical choline, which is depleted in those suffering with the cognitive dysfunction. Caffeine can also help cure headaches and is a key ingredient in headache pills because it increases the power of aspirin on the body.
AGAINST: Reports suggest that if you drink more than two cups a day your body can become "over-stimulated" which leads to insomnia and irritability and shortens your attention span. Coffee, or more precisely any compounds found in coffee called Amines, is also known to bring on migraines because it triggers a chemical chain reaction in the body which results in the production of seratonin - a chemical known to cause intense headaches. Liver, Kidneys and gallbladderFOR: In last week's study of more than 125,000 people, scientists at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in California showed that one cup of coffee a day cuts the risk of potentially fatal alcoholic cirrhosis by 20 per cent, while four cups reduced it by 80 per cent. This supports the hypothesis that there is an as-yet-unidentified ingredient in coffee that protects the liver. And, although there is no precise explanation as to why, a recent Japanese study of 90,000 men found those who indulge in regular coffee breaks are half as likely to develop liver cancer. In addition, the Harvard School of Public Health found that female coffee drinkers have a 40 per cent lower risk of developing gallstones than their more puritanical counterparts. It is thought that this may be down to the fact that caffeine, which promotes contractions, helps the bowel to flush out thoroughly, thus preventing an excess of cholesterol building up to form the sharp and painful stones. However drinkers of cola and tea were not found to enjoy the same benefits. AGAINST: Some good news for coffee lovers - as far as we can tell the scientific community doesn't seem to have come up with any major downsides yet when it comes to the health of your liver, kidneys and gallbladder.
Fertility FOR: In January, a study at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas found caffeine could increase the female sex drive thus, in theory, boosting the chances of conception. And in 2003, researchers at Sao Paulo University in Brazil discovered that men who regularly drank coffee had stronger sperm than men who did not.
AGAINST: Caffeine is also associated with low fertility. A study in Connecticut found, over the course of 12 months, that women who drank a cup a day were only half as likely to conceive as those who abstained. Pregnant women have been warned to avoid coffee after a Danish study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in November 2005 showed those who drank more than three cups a day dramatically increased their chances of miscarrying.
SkinFOR: Caffeine is credited with being able to turn back the clock, or at least help it stand still. Last August, scientists at Scranton University in Pennsylvania found that coffee contained more anti-oxidants than some fruit and vegetables - surpassing even our favourite superfoods, blueberries and broccoli. Anti-oxidants play an important role in fighting off molecules called free radicals which, when left to their own devices, attack and kill cells, thus speeding up the ageing process. Caffeine has also been proven to have benefits from the outside in, and is widely used in fat-busting beauty products because the industry claims that, when coffee is absorbed through the skin, it speeds up cell metabolism, helping the body to break fat down. It also speeds up blood flow so that cellulite-inducing toxins can be removed. And in 2002 scientists at Rutgers University in New Jersey conducting experiments on laboratory mice exposed to ultraviolet radiation found that skin lotion spiked with caffeine halved their chances of developing skin cancer. AGAINST: Some believe that coffee, as a toxin, can also contribute to the presence of cellulite in the first place. Some experts argue the dreaded orange peel can be exacerbated by our consumption of toxins which can slow down our blood circulation and toxin-draining lymph nodes, because it causes small blood vessels to constrict. The result is a build-up of waste products and their accompanying fatty molecules, lipids, which means bumpy, uneven skin. Once consumed, it tends to have a diuretic effect - speeding up the release of water from the body - and this effect can play havoc with our skin.

Coffee's taste comes up big in the kitchen, and not just by the cup

As a beverage, coffee has long been one of life's subtle pleasures, and that's true in the kitchen as well. Coffee is the prime ingredient in dozens of delectable foods, including cookies, cakes, pastries, candies, ice cream and custards. Coffee also is the secret enhancer in certain savory foods, where its rich, smoky flavor gives life, strength and depth. Although we usually think of coffee as a liquid, in recipes we also can use its other forms. Let's begin with the coffee bean, which is the stone or seed of a cherrylike fruit. After it's been harvested, cleaned and dried, the bean is roasted, and the sugars within it caramelize to create nuggets of robust, earthy flavor. In a savory meat rub or a crunchy dessert topping, when coffee's nutty, rich flavor and texture are desirable, using freshly ground beans is the way to go. Think of it as a spice: the fresher the better. Sure, you can buy it ground in cans, but a lot of the aromatic oils will have been lost. In recipes where water is an ingredient, substituting freshly brewed strong coffee or espresso is an easy way to add a complementary or secondary flavor. After all, it's 98 percent to 99 percent water; the rest is pure coffee. Espresso will deliver a stronger flavor, but regular coffee will do as long as it's brewed double-strength. When liquids other than water -- such as juice or dairy -- come into play, you may throw off a recipe's chemistry if you substitute coffee. One possible alternative is to infuse hot milk or cream with freshly ground coffee beans and then strain them out, as if you were making tea. Have you ever noticed that recipes using coffee as a flavoring, especially baked goods, call for instant coffee or instant espresso? Even coffee connoisseurs who shun the powdered brew because it lacks the subtle aromatic elements use it as a flavoring in their cakes and cookies. That's because the instant granules carry a concentrated punch that is difficult to obtain from a liquid beverage without adversely affecting the recipe. In kitchen cupboard, keep two small jars of instant coffee: decaffeinated instant coffee and instant espresso. Both types have their uses in recipes. When deciding which instant to use, think about the overall flavor and look at the other ingredients you'll be using. For a more prominent, vibrant flavor, go for the instant espresso. That's also true for recipes that have other strong, significant ingredients, such as semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. The instant coffee for when you want to round out a recipe with a mellow hint of coffee. (add a teaspoon or two of instant coffee powder to a vanilla-flavored diet shake when counting calories. It masks the canned flavor and gives a delicious hint of coffee, almost like a latte shake.) The reason for the instant decaf in my cupboard? While the flavor difference between instant regular and instant decaffeinated coffee isn't noticeable, when baking and cooking with coffee, it's a good idea to consider who's going to eat it and when it's going to be served. You may want to use decaffeinated if your recipe is served in the evening or if you're making it for children.

Coffee - the global giant

The world coffee market today is vast, coffee being the world's second most widely traded commodity after crude oil. World coffee production in 2004 is projected to be around 6.3 million metric tonnes, a reduction from 2003 figures due to stockpiling equivalent to 1.3 million tonnes. Ten years ago the global coffee economy was estimated to be worth some $30 billion, of which producers received $12 billion. Today it is worth around $50 billion with producers receiving a mere $8 billion of that (source Global Exchange, 2004). Brazil, Columbia and Vietnam are the world's biggest coffee producers, accounting for around half of global production in 2001. Because of the central importance of coffee exports to their economies, a number of Latin American countries made arrangements before World War II to allocate export quotas so that each country would be assured a certain share of the US coffee market. The first such coffee quota agreement was arranged in 1940 and subsequent agreements were renegotiated in 1968, 1976, and 1983. However due to a shift in the balance of production, participating nations failed to sign a new pact in 1989 and world coffee prices have been in free-fall ever since as production continues to outstrip demand, and a "global coffee crisis" ensued. "Fair Trade" measures designed to help the struggling farmers only account for only 8 million of the 2.6 billion pounds, or 0.3% of the coffee sold annually in the USA. With an estimated 20 million coffee workers worldwide, developing nations have been hit hard by this global coffee crisis as trade prices have fallen short of production costs. New yield technologies in combination with overproduction, especially by the developing economies of Vietnam and the Ivory Coast, have largely contributed to the crisis. The human cost is demonstrable. In Latin America tens of thousands of farmers and labourers have begun migrating to look for alternative work as plantations close down. This is not the only toll of overproduction however, as the drive for cheaper, faster growing coffee has led to widespread clearance of the forest cover normally associated with high quality blends. In Vietnam alone, which produces around 11% of the world's coffee, nearly 1.5 million acres are now under cultivation causing the clearance of vast areas of forest.

Coffee at the Right Time

Drowsy eyes, tired minds and fatigued body are normal for people who work their butt off trying to finish the never ending duties and responsibilities that they should finish to meet deadlines and such. Sleep is something that will naturally suffer but the recourse to stay awake always points to the good old fashioned coffee to keep the eyes open but the mind slowly sinking fast.
Coffee has earned this distinction, a lot of which has to do with the caffeine that they contain that stimulates the body in keeping it awake. Most doctors would say that excessive intake of caffeine is bad for the body since it affects the blood stream and is really a form of abusing the body in its regular working clock.
But in these times, such has been a choice. Either to sleep and be content or work until you can to be able to maintain their level of proficiency. Some would call it unfair but looking at today's people, such has been a common picture of people wanting to save their name in the face of efficiency and reliability. It's all in the caffeine! This is what best describes how people would often turn towards black coffee to keep themselves awake and continue with whatever they are doing such as work or studying, both known to need to have extended hours of staying awake to meet deadlines and potential outputs.
Not all people would resort towards black coffee in a nutshell. For some, adding milk and sugar would never hurt making a person think on whether such a practice may only be existent in the person's mind. The funny thing is that either way, it will still be the grinded coffee beans containing the granulated fibers of caffeine that is expected to do the trick.
Staying awake may be a temporary recourse on extreme measures but the toll for such a practice will evidently take its toll sooner or later. Besides, extended working hours would only be good for a time being and not entirely for the duration of a person's life. If ever it does, it would only be a matter of time before a person would feel the effects, in terms of health and livelihood in the long run.
Coffee Cups and WorkEmployees would usually see the usual Styrofoam coffee cups at work. Usually a person would need a wakeup call of sorts since chances are, people would start a day slow before their adrenaline would start pumping and energize them to perform their assigned tasks and move through the motions of taking part in a hyperactive working environment.Coffee is believed to make people awake, get them on their feet and continued to perform duties as needed. This especially holds true for people who need to put in the extra hour to accomplish work, notably the people who need to perform overtime work to meet deadlines.
So what does a coffee in coffee cups bring? It offers a formula for being awake and get on with the job expected to be delivered. Caffeine may be bad for the body, but in times of need, the human mind and body will need all the assistance it would need from any source available and possible.
Coffee in the Afternoon MeetingBusy people would usually find themselves headed to the nearest available coffee shop to meet up with business associates or acquaintances to discuss matters regarding business or compare notes. Coffee has been known to be an identified factor with regards to ambiance and business since it is always present in offices and business meetings for important matters for anyone. Coffee with meetings has become a tradition for people. Some consume if because they have inherited it or actually see it from big-time executives. Individually, a person can resort to juice, tea or soda, but coffee has the distinct taste that people have identified as of late. And so in most coffee shops, this has been the sight. Business professionals meeting up and talking, or even some doing paper work as they prefer to garner that tag of being a businessman at work aiming for the top and higher positions of the organization he is in.
Coffee for Stress ReliefThe people of today have evidently found an alternative way of soothing their battered minds and satisfying their search for proper ambiance with regards to relaxing on any given day. A good combination to this is of course a simple sit down coffee experience to which most people can pair their usual work and note taking by sipping a simple brewed coffee or cappuccino that surprisingly opens up more ideas and hits the spot to refresh a hard day's work. Coffee was never tagged as being a therapeutically means of enhancing proper methods of revitalizing the desire and energy of people to gather their thoughts. While people are expected to make do with what time they have, burn outs are only normal for people who aim high and fail to execute the various ideas running in their minds.
A simple sip of coffee in any of the known coffee serving establishments such a Starbucks or Seattle's Best is sure to hit the spot at given times of the day.

Global warming to damage coffee industry

Global warming poses a threat to future world coffee crops with rising temperatures and drought likely to force some producers to seek higher and cooler land.
Licht's International Coffee Report says global warming is going to present the world's coffee growers with a big challenge.
It notes a United Nations Environment Program research project in Uganda which says a rise in temperatures of about two degrees Celsius will mean a dramatic reduction in the coffee growing area.
In India's Coorg coffee region, rising temperatures and reduced rainfall will reduce the number of bees to fertilize the trees and increase the threat from a destructive pests. The past decade has witnessed phenomenal changes in global climate.Coffee farmers in India were in for a rude and unexpected shock when they felt the impact of El Nino and La Nina. All coffee farmers took it for granted that any change in the global environment will be slow and will take ages to happen. Moreover, why should they bother when changes that may happen over a long period of time, not affect them immediately, but the future generations? They were so casual and confident that nature would never let them down. Today, all that is old hat. The inevitable man made changes is affecting the entire planet and think of it, there is no other planet so close that we can take shelter. We may call climate change by different names, but today no matter what you call it, global warming has emerged as a clear and potential danger threatening mother earth and all its inhabitants. Coffee Plantations world wide, especially, Shade grown Indian coffee plantations were the first to be affected by this sudden change. Looking back, coffee plantations in India are basically rich biodiversity parks located in the ecologically sensitive westernghat reserve. One can find an incredible array of rare herbs and shrubs in the most remote of places. Coffee has mutually coexisted with the native flora and fauna and infact satellite images have thrown light that wherever coffee plantations exist, the biodiversity of the region has also been enriched. This peaceful coexistence has continued for centuries in a complimentary set up , where in the energy levels of the biotic community is proportionately balanced. Think of it, Loss of one species will have a tremendous bearing on the other. This heritage site is a lodge for the survival of thousands of species of trees, herbs, shrubs, wildlife and so on. Most species of plant and insect life have disappeared before they were discovered. Even though the Westernghat reserve was shrinking at an alarming rate, Institutions world wide realized the importance of this vital link for the future existence of man and nature, and hence protected it as one among the 18 hotspots of the world. The coffee bush over generations of evolution is a self programmed plant. Due to global warming the bush is in an utter state of confusion. There is considerable delay in the production of productive woods, flower primordia, and the entire biological clock of the coffee plants goes for a toss. The coffee farmer in duress will apply excess chemical inputs just to achieve average levels of productivity. Resultant Toxicity will build up in the soil. The coffee bush produces a running blossom spread over a period of three months which is very taxing to the plant.

Some Coffee Facts And Real Brewing

Coffee is the prince of drinks, second only to water.
Americans imbibe an average of 3.4 cups a day, and coffee's worldwide consumption passes tea, soda or milk.
It's been a part of Western culture for roughly four centuries and a part of Eastern culture for much longer.
But while the drink is ubiquitous, coffee aficionados say knowledge of its history isn't. Local coffee drinkers agreed.
"Honestly, I know very little, other than it tastes good," said Melissa Forget of Derry while sitting at a Laconia cafe on a recent Thursday afternoon.
She was in town to teach a class, sipping a peppermint latte and catching up on work on her laptop computer. She said she's been a coffee drinker for 15 years. Andrea Conway, 21, of North Berwick, Maine, has been drinking coffee for 10 years. She also said she has little knowledge of the bean or where it comes from."I know when it's bad," she said while drinking a cup recently at a Dover cafe.The coffee bean as most know it is small, shiny and brown, but it begins as the green seed of a cherrylike fruit growing on the branches of coffee plants. While coffee plants, which have a woody structure, can grow to about 40 feet high, they're typically kept pruned lower - roughly the size of a large, bushy shrub - so harvesting the fruit is easier.Making historyNo one knows exactly when the coffee bean first was discovered, but botanical evidence suggests coffee first grew wild in the horn of Africa as early as 500 A.D. Present-day Ethiopia's Kaffa region, specifically, is coffee's birthplace.
One legend about coffee's history is recounted in numerous books and articles. Possibly the oldest known written reference is from 1671, written by Antoine Faustus Nairon, a professor in Eastern languages in Rome, according to a history of coffee compiled by the Netherlands' Wageningen University, a life sciences university with food technology and nutrition among its specialties. Among the recent works referencing the legend is "Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed Our World," by independent scholar Mark Pendergrast of Vermont.
The story involves a goatherd named Kaldi, who was looking for some of his wayward goats. He found them acting strangely after apparently eating some leaves and berries from nearby trees.
The goats were prancing and bleating excitedly, so Kaldi tried some berries. Soon, the legend goes, his eyes literally were opened to the wonders of caffeine. He spread the word, first telling a monk, who discovered the bean made it possible to stay awake longer for prayers. The rest, as they say, is history.Early Africans used to the eat coffee cherries whole and sometimes mixed the dried beans with animal fat to form a primitive energy snack.Coffee, by the 15th century, was being cultivated in Yemen, where it was traded from the port of Mocha throughout most of what is today's Muslim world. Fire-roasting the beans, grinding them and adding boiled water to make a drink called qahwa - which also means wine in Arabic - became a part of coffee-consuming cultures.Venetian traders introduced coffee to Europe by the early 17th Century. The Dutch first cultivated coffee for the Western world in their colonies. Counting beansCoffee is the second most valuable commodity after oil, according to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, a California-based international trade association. It's the most popular beverage worldwide with more than 500 billion cups consumed each year, according to the association. Americans alone drink more than 300 million cups of coffee daily, or roughly one-fifth of the world's coffee, more than any other nation, said Mike Ferguson, association spokesman. Worldwide, 1.6 billion cups of coffee are served daily, compared to 1.5 billion cups of tea, said Joseph DeRupo, spokesman for the National Coffee Association, a New York-based trade group."The average American coffee drinker consumed 3.4 cups a day in 2006," he said. "Per capita, people in Scandinavian countries such as Finland, Denmark and Norway consume the most coffee, with Scandinavians averaging more than 4 cups a day."The global coffee industry employs more than 25 million people.The world's largest coffee producers are, in order: Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Puerto Rico, but there are more than 70 countries in the world producing coffee, DeRupo said. The top coffee importers are France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the United States.Coffee growing countries make more than 7 million tons of green coffee beans a year, according to the Specialty Coffee Association. About 3.4 million tons of tea, by comparison, are made annually.The U.S. coffee industry generates $19 billion annually, and about 167 million people in the U.S., or 56 percent of the population, drink coffee daily. Digging deepThe plant, of which it's most common two species are Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora, grows best in stable-temperature tropical and subtropical climates, essentially an equatorial belt surrounding the world. Arabica beans account for about 80 percent of the world's coffee. Coffee plants grow best in rich soil with a lot of rain and some shade. Coffee, especially the arabica variety, grows best at higher elevations - between 2,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level. Coffea canephora, also called coffea robusta, is so named because it's more robust and disease resistant. It can be grown in more climates and doesn't need shade. But it makes poorer-tasting coffee with more caffeine, DeRupo said.
Ferguson, of the Specialty Coffee Association, said most specialty and gourmet coffees, such as varieties served in cafes, are arabica varieties. Robusta beans mainly are grown in Southeast Asia and Brazil, though Brazil also grows arabica beans.
Coffee plants take three to four years to bear fruit and nearly a year for a "cherry" to mature after flowers blossom. The "cherry" starts off small and green. It turns red when ripe as it swells. The beans inside stay small and green. The fruits of their laborsIn most countries, beans are hand-harvested, though some large farms use machines. Crops can be strip picked - all at once - or selectively picked so only the ripest "cherries" are taken, according to the National Coffee Association.
When harvesters use the selective method, pickers will alternate among the trees every 8 to 10 days.
"A hand-picker can average about 100 to 200 pounds of coffee 'cherries' daily, which will produce 20 to 40 pounds of coffee beans," DeRupo said. It's no easy task, according to Pendergrast, the Vermont author. He picked ripe coffee cherries on a mountain plantation in Guatemala for his research. "After a half-hour, I have picked half a canasta (basket), about 12 pounds of cherries that, after processing ... will produce two pounds of green coffee beans," Pendergrast writes. "I'm feeling pretty proud until Herman (the supervisor), who stands just over five feet and weighs a little over 100 pounds, shows up with a full canasta and gently chides me for being so slow."He says pickers were paid by the weight of their day's harvest, with those who had 200 pounds earning $8 per day, more than twice Guatemala's minimum daily wage in 1997. Cherries are processed in one of two ways. The first is the traditional "dry" method - drying them in the sun, turning and raking them to keep them from spoiling. The other, "wet" method involves removing the pulp, or outer fruit, after harvesting.Lighter beans float to the top in the water while heavier, riper beans sink. The riper beans are passed through a series of rotating drums to further separate them by size. The beans then are placed in fermentation tanks, a process which starts to dissolve a parchmentlike sheath covering them. The beans then are rinsed and sent to be dried. With the parchment still on, the beans are spread on large tables or dried in large tumblers. Once dry, the beans are bagged and sent to warehouses.The beans are hulled, a process that removes the parchment from the beans, just before export. Beans also can be polished to remove any other extra remaining plant material.They're then graded and sorted by size and weight before being rebagged. The "green" coffee then is loaded onto shipping containers and exported.Taste testA person called a "cupper" will first evaluate the beans, judging their visual quality. The beans then are roasted in a small roaster, immediately ground and infused with hot water. The cupper then "noses" the brew to describe its aroma.
The cupper lets it sit before breaking the layer of grounds at the top and tasting a quick spoonful.
A cupper can test hundreds of samples a day, detecting characteristics and flaws and determining which beans would work best together in a blend. Once the beans get to their final destination, they are roasted and sold whole or ground. Beans usually are roasted at 550 degrees Fahrenheit, with beans being kept moving throughout the process. When the beans reach an internal heat of about 400 degrees, they begin to turn brown and the caffeol, or oil, locked inside comes out. When the beans are fully roasted, they're cooled by water or air.