Useful, healing and tonic properties of green coffee and its effect on women's health and weight loss. Is green coffee harmful? Useful properties of green coffee

Julia Vern 1 199 0

Light greenish beans, which are called green coffee, are directly related to the popular drink. These are beans of an ordinary coffee tree that have not been roasted. However, green coffee cannot be called a familiar product. Too unusual taste and lack of information on practical application make the product exotic and not very popular. Let's try to figure out what are the properties of green coffee, whether it has any benefits, whether there are contraindications, how to use it correctly.

Brazil is the main producing country. Most of the plantations of coffee trees of different varieties are concentrated there. Mexican, Chilean, African, South American, Colombian, Indian coffee are also popular. Ripe berries are harvested and peeled. The resulting pale green grains are the desired product.

Why is coffee bean known to us as a product of brown in different shades? Simply the main condition for obtaining a familiar drink with an attractive taste and aroma: its roasting. Moreover, dozens of nuances can depend on the degree of roasting: saturation, color, aroma intensity, acidity, oil content, and other characteristics.

Thus, in order to get an invigorating, strong drink with the most pleasant taste, it is not necessary to select a variety from the many on sale. Through trial and error, practice, experimentation, you can learn how to create a good quality green bean that suits you personally.

Why Raw Grains Are Hard to Buy

Coffee is a popular product. It enters the factories for the production of popular instant drinks precisely in the form of green raw materials. The beans are roasted in industrial quantities, according to strict technology and subjected to several degrees of processing. As a result, it comes to the store shelves in packaged form and costs a lot of money. The entire production chain allows you to raise the initial price of the product dozens of times, naturally, bringing a good profit.

The process of home roasting grains is also not an elementary, easy thing. It requires attention, skill, accurate monitoring of the degree of heating, frequent practice.

On the one hand, this makes green coffee less popular, on the other hand, it refers to natural products that are in demand for certain purposes.

The topic of ecology, a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition, which has become relevant, made it possible to learn more about useful products, their properties, and ways of using them. Green coffee has also appeared on the list of drinks that bring health benefits and help to perform important life functions. For example, people who monitor their own weight drink green coffee for weight loss. It improves metabolism, slows down the aging of the body.

Benefit and harm

Roasting, as a thermal process, destroys many important elements in the coffee bean. Fresh bean oil is considered a natural antioxidant, is actively used in the cosmetics industry, and attracts close attention of perfumers and pharmacists.

Important!
Untreated grains lose their useful properties in the light, in contact with oxygen, and at high humidity.

Fresh beans have a pronounced grassy taste, slight sourness, oily aftertaste. They are completely different from the usual taste of roasted grains. That is, the specific taste of green coffee is absent, but the biochemical composition is rich. Vitamins, organic acids, tannin and caffeine are present in large quantities. They:

tone up;
increase activity;
enhance bowel function;
raise vitality and mood;
promote weight loss.

The fat-burning ability of the drink is due to its ability to activate lipid metabolism, promote the oxidation of fat cells, followed by the release of heat and energy. This helps in the fight against cellulite. Green coffee extract is often included in hair care products. It enhances their growth and gives shine.

The antioxidants in coffee are good for the skin. As part of creams, they are necessary to create a natural protection of the skin from harmful external influences, to maintain a normal level of moisture in the cells.

The extract is part of medical ointments for the treatment of skin blemishes, scars, stretch marks, postoperative scars. It helps to maintain elasticity, improve the overall condition of the skin.

Compared to other dietary supplements, green coffee clearly wins. It does not cause allergies, it is a product that is not oversaturated with a complex and incomprehensible composition.

There are no obvious contraindications for use. Hypertensive patients should be careful, as in the case of strong tea and black coffee. For pregnant women, the harm of green coffee can also be in the high content of caffeine.

Cooking

It matters how you drink green coffee to maximize the benefits. You should not mix it with milk, cream, put a lot of sugar, use it as the main drink for breakfast and lunch. It is better to prepare and use as an independent drink, a means for regulating important life processes.

Do not expect an original and refined taste from the drink. Green coffee has a slight grassy aftertaste, a clear color, and almost no smell. Drinking it is for good, and not for pleasure.

The cooking method is simple. Using a regular coffee grinder, the beans should not be ground very finely. A cup of drink will require a couple of tablespoons of ground coffee. The drink is brewed in an ordinary Turk. A feature of the preparation is the need to boil coffee for a couple of minutes. This can be achieved by periodically removing the Turk and placing it on the burner after a few seconds. The finished drink is filtered and drunk half an hour before eating.

Coffee is not an exotic product that suddenly appeared on store shelves. It is known and studied for a long time. Its properties have led to universal love. Now we can not only enjoy it as a morning tonic drink, but also get health benefits, manage weight, lose weight.

Coffee is a drink with a penetrating aroma, invigorating taste, centuries-old history and a huge number of recipes. It cannot be regarded as a mere consumer product. This is a huge number of species, varieties and use cases.

Types of coffee on biological grounds

Coffee is one of the most widely used drinks in the world. And all because its history goes back several centuries, and it goes well with a large number of additional ingredients. In addition, many regions of the world have their own traditions of roasting, grinding, preparing and serving coffee, which have become the so-called coffee classics - the basis on which all other drinks are based.

There are several dozen types of coffee, if we consider it as a product, but only 3 of them are of interest as an industrial product. These are Robusta, Arabica and Liberica.

The highest position is occupied by arabica - a low tree, quite capricious and not very productive, but giving fragrant fruits of high quality. It is the Arabica grains in the composition of any type of coffee that give the drink its characteristic rich aroma, pleasant mild taste and good golden foam. The most popular Arabica variety is Brazilian Bourbon and Santos. Arabica beans are oblong, uneven, with a caffeine content of 1-1.5%.

Robusta occupies approximately 30% of the total share of coffee production. Its trees are much taller, the beans are more rounded and high in caffeine. Robusta drink is recognized as the strongest coffee with pronounced bitter notes. Robusta is almost always paired with Arabica to give a mixture of strength, body and a slight bitterness. Instant coffee is produced mainly from Robusta. Although disease resistant and hardy, Robusta trees are grown on a limited number of plantations.

You can distinguish Arabica from Robusta already outwardly

Liberica is the rarest of all cultivated coffees. Its trees are tall, low-yielding, with medium grain quality. Used as an additional variety in blends.

What types of coffee are available on the market?

Coffee beans.
Ground.
Soluble (sublimated, powder, granulated).

A few years ago, the so-called appeared, combining the properties of soluble and ground. New technologies have made it possible to enclose grains of ground arabica coffee in a granule of instant coffee. This made the drink quick to prepare, but with a pronounced taste and aroma of natural grains.

On the market, you can also find both single-sorted coffees and blends or blends. The former are intended for a narrow segment of the market - professional cafes and restaurants that develop their own blends and offer signature drinks. Ready-made blends go on sale and are ideal for preparing a drink at home, in the office, cafes and so on.

Bean roasting methods

Types of coffee, depending on the method of roasting, play an important role in shaping the taste of the finished drink. There are the following degrees of roasting beans:

the initial one, which contributes to the easy disclosure of the taste and aroma of the grain, is used for elite Arabica;
weak, or Scandinavian, as a result of which the grain slightly cracks and acquires a light brown color;
medium, the purpose of which is to release some of the oily resins and adjust the acidity, is used to make espresso;
strong, allows you to get the strongest coffee, the color of the grain is dark brown, oily, the cracks are pronounced.

There are other intermediate degrees of roasting, which, as a rule, bear the names of the area for which this or that method of heat treatment of grain is characteristic. This is a French roast, Mediterranean, American and so on.

This is what beans look like at different degrees of roasting.

The maximum release of caffeine, resins and bitterness occurs at a strong degree of roasting. From such grains, the strongest coffee is obtained, invigorating and tonic. Its color can reach black, and the grain shines intensely due to the oils released to the surface. Sometimes heavy roasting is used to disguise the low quality of coffee and hide its taste.

There is also a separate category of coffee - it is a green product that has not undergone heat treatment. It became popular after some studies showed the value of this product for health in general and weight loss in particular. For many years, green coffee has been on par with green tea as a product with a high antioxidant activity and fat burning effect.

Types of coffee drinks

Turkish coffee is considered a coffee classic all over the world, although the most popular type of drink is espresso. It was the Turks who taught the Europeans to drink and brew coffee, and the most famous Venetian entrepreneurs got rich on the trade in this product. To prepare a strong drink, you need to get the right cezve or cezve, high-quality grain or ground coffee and a few minutes of free time.

Composition of the most popular drinks

Turkish coffee should not boil. It is removed from the fire up to 5-7 times when a new layer of foam appears. For 120 ml of cold water, take 1-2 tsp. ground grains. Drink the drink hot with or without added sugar. What types of coffee drinks exist and is there a limit to original recipes?

Espresso

The most popular base for most coffee drinks. It is a strong drink with a dense texture and thick foam, made from dark (strong) roasted grains. The classic proportions are: 7 g of ground grains per 40 ml of water. Served in tiny white cups. You can add sugar. Espresso is most popular in Italy, where there are many variations on the theme, such as lungo, dopio and americano.

Romano

This is espresso with lemon juice added. Served in small cups, in which 35-40 ml of espresso and 30 ml of juice are mixed. A slice of lemon is used as decoration. Suitable for those who like pronounced sourness in coffee.

The most invigorating coffee that is drunk in one sip and washed down with cold drinking water. It is not customary to add sugar to it. Prepared by analogy with traditional espresso, but the volume of water is reduced to 25 ml. This coffee drink is very popular in Italy, it has a thick and dense texture.

mocha

Drink from a series of coffee desserts. Prepared in layers, where chocolate alternates with espresso, hot milk and whipped cream. Gradually, the layers are mixed with each other and a fragrant strong espresso with a creamy foam is obtained.

latte

One of the most popular drinks in Western Europe. It is prepared from two different processing parts of milk and one part of espresso. Served in glasses of 450 ml with straws. To prepare a drink, one part of the milk is well warmed up, the other is also warmed up and whipped into an airy thick foam. It is customary to decorate this drink with drawings in the style of latte art.

Some kind of latte. Here, strong espresso is combined with hot frothed milk, and the foam is laid out on top of the drink with a spoon. Served without sugar.

Cappuccino

It is a combination of warm milk, espresso and frothed milk, which are formed in layers and served in a 150 ml cup.

Viennese coffee

Appeared in Vienna in the XVII century. It is a drink made from espresso coffee, which is densely covered with whipped cream on top. Grated nuts, cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate chips can be used as decor.

Irish

Drink with alcohol. It is customary to consume in the afternoon. Prepared on the basis of espresso with whiskey or other kind of alcohol, as well as whipped cream in a cap. Served in Irish glasses.

Americano

Prepared from standard 30-40 ml of espresso, which is diluted with 90-10 ml of water. Often supplemented with sugar, milk, biscuits and other desserts.

Frappe

So called, popular in Greece. It is made from 1-2 shots of espresso with ice and sugar, which are shaken in a shaker. Milk and additionally cold water are sometimes added to it.

Another kind of summer cool drink. It is prepared from a portion of chilled espresso and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which is placed directly into the cup. A delicious dessert is decorated with grated chocolate.

honey raff

One of the few drinks invented in Russia. It consists of a portion of strong coffee, which is whipped together with cream and honey in a cappuccinatore. Whipped milk is laid out on top of the whipped mixture.

Torre

It is represented by a portion of espresso, on top of which, up to 1.5-2 cm high, a dense in structure and well-shaped milk foam rises. Translated from Italian, the name of the drink means tower.

The list of types of coffee drinks can be continued for a very long time. All of them are prepared tasty and original, they are distinguished by colorful presentation, non-standard combination of ingredients. There are seasonal types of coffee, which are offered chilled in the summer heat, and hot and warming in the winter cold.

There are many local recipes for making coffee-based drinks. This coffee is Caribbean, Irish, Mexican, Moroccan, and so on. The composition may include lemon, pineapple, orange juice, various syrups, types of alcohol, brown sugar, spices and so on.

Here is a detailed analysis of the most popular sources of caffeine used in dietary supplements. Do you know what energizes your day?

Without much exaggeration, we can say that in the form of drinks it is distributed everywhere. A recent survey of 24,808 Americans found that 89% of adults in the United States regularly consume caffeine, and 98% of this psychotropic substance enters our body in the form of a drink. Men on average get about 240 mg of caffeine per day, while women get 183 mg.

In short, almost all of us drink caffeinated drinks in everyday life, and we do it regularly.

And that's not to mention what's going on in the gyms. Although the survey did not separate people by gender or age, I would venture to guess that the majority of sports nutrition users fell into the top 10% of caffeine consumers - those who average between 436 and 1066 mg of caffeine each day.

You love him. You need it (at least you think so - but this is a topic for a separate discussion). But what are you getting it from? In the post-ephedrine era, companies are trying to set their products apart from the competition by including caffeine from a variety of sources. And this raises a lot of questions. How is one source of caffeine better than another? Is a blend of caffeine from different sources really better than pure caffeine?

As one of those who plan, conduct, and publish sports nutrition science and who has first-hand knowledge of branding and marketing, I am in a unique position. I see the inside of the sports nutrition industry and know the secrets behind the various sources of caffeine present in today's energy blends. However, I'm not going to waste your time repeating common truths about caffeine - what it is, in what dosages it is found in ordinary drinks, how safe and effective it is. There are many articles devoted to these issues, and you can easily find all the information you need.

Instead, I want to teach you how to identify specific caffeine ingredients, see how much caffeine you're getting from each source, understand why the developer included that ingredient in a product, and when to use a caffeine source.

Synthesized forms of caffeine

You can create a lot of variants of "synthesized" caffeine and give each of them its own chemical name, just to favorably represent a newcomer in a competitive market. We'll take a look at the most common ingredients you've probably seen on supplement labels.

1. Anhydrous caffeine

Other names: caffeine, guaranine, 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine.
greater than or equal to 98.5%, that is, for 100 mg of anhydrous caffeine included in the formulation, there is at least 98.5 mg of pure caffeine.
What you should know: it is often referred to as "pure caffeine" and is the most common form of added caffeine in dietary supplements, energy drinks, and over-the-counter drugs.

Anhydrous caffeine is a cheap raw material with a high percentage of caffeine, high stability and good solubility. All this makes it very attractive to manufacturers who are looking to load up the product with stimulants and stay within budget. Although natural forms of anhydrous caffeine are also available, there are no data comparing the physiological differences between natural and synthesized caffeine. Most companies use a much cheaper and more readily available synthesized form.

The lion's share of our knowledge about caffeine - including what manufacturers use to defend against accusations of using caffeine from any source - is based almost entirely on experiments with caffeine anhydrous. For example, we can confidently state that caffeine in anhydrous form is quickly absorbed into the circulatory system and reaches its maximum concentration in the blood 30-60 minutes after consumption. During this period, it is distributed throughout the body and overcomes the blood-brain barrier, and 2% or less is excreted (in unchanged form) in the urine.

In terms of sports nutrition, caffeine anhydrous directly "increases the strength, power and performance of skeletal muscle", and this is proven in a study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology. In other words, theoretically, it can increase the efficiency of everything that happens in the gym and other athletic arenas. Companies that are firmly committed to the principle of science-based advertising claims often use caffeine anhydrous at dosages that have been tested in human experiments.

For example, about 6 mg of caffeine (anhydrous form) per kg of body weight (or about 480 mg of caffeine for an 80 kg person) taken one hour before an exercise test on a bicycle ergometer increases time to exhaustion by 23% and slightly increases fat utilization in fuel quality, by about 3%.

In an earlier study that used a similar dose of caffeine, fat burning increased at rest, but not during physical activity. In addition, levels of the stimulatory hormones epinephrine (epinephrine) and norepinephrine (norepinephrine) increased significantly both at rest and during physical activity.

Can this data be applied to a morning cup of coffee? Experiments have shown that pure caffeine is more reliable in terms of increasing physical performance than a comparable serving of caffeine from regular coffee. In particular, one study found that 4.6 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight (i.e., about 370 mg of caffeine for an 80 kg person) in the form of an anhydrous caffeine supplement increased treadmill performance to a greater extent and increased the secretion of adrenaline than a similar dose of caffeine from natural coffee.

Therefore, coffee must contain some natural ingredients that reduce the effectiveness of caffeine as a stimulant and performance booster. However, coffee also has scientifically proven beneficial properties that we will lose by replacing it with pure caffeine.

Verdict. We are aware of the effects of caffeine anhydrous and these effects are predictable. To this day, it remains the standard.

2. Caffeine citrate

Percentage of caffeine: 45-55%, that is, 100 mg of caffeine citrate included in the preparation contains approximately 45-55 mg of caffeine.
What you should know: caffeine citrate dissolves better than pure caffeine, but it is less stable and is not often used in dietary supplements due to its high value for money. More raw materials are needed to get the right dose of caffeine, and there is evidence that citrate is not as effective as the anhydrous form in terms of stimulating muscle contractions during strength training.

However, as it turned out, caffeine citrate has a more pronounced antibacterial activity. In addition, it has a lower pH. This helps to inhibit the growth of microorganisms and may increase the shelf life of the product.

Verdict. There are few studies comparing caffeine citrate to pure caffeine, or other forms of caffeine for that matter.

3. Dicaffeine Malate

Other names: infinergy (Infinergy)
Percentage of caffeine: 65-70%
What you should know: dicaffeine malate is marketed as a combined form of caffeine and malic acid. This means that the compound is likely to rapidly break down into its constituents upon ingestion or upon addition of water. Sports nutrition manufacturers claim that dicaffeine malate can provide a caffeine anhydrous boost, but without the stomach discomfort that some people experience.

At the moment, such claims are completely speculative. There are no pharmacokinetic, physiological, or toxicological studies to support the increased efficacy or safety of dicaffeine malate over other forms of caffeine.

Verdict. Today there is no reason to think that dicaffeine malate is superior to the more popular and better studied forms of caffeine. All advertising claims should be treated with skepticism.

Plant sources of caffeine

Now let's talk about the most popular plant sources of caffeine, what part or parts of plants we use, and how much caffeine they contain (on a dry matter basis). I have listed the plants in descending order of natural caffeine content.

1. Tea extract

Other names: camellia sinensis, green tea, green tea extract, black tea, tea, oolong tea
Parts of the plant used: leaves or shoots
4,8-9,3%
What you should know: ever since ephedrine was phased out, the use of tea extracts has grown exponentially. Unfortunately, you often don't know the percentage of caffeine in a tea extract unless the company that markets the product lists it on the label.

Let's take Met-RX green tea extract as an illustration. The label states that two capsules contain 80 mg of caffeine. On the other hand, a similar product from Now Foods boasts only 16mg of caffeine per capsule. Does this mean that one supplement is better than another? Not always. Caffeine is just one of the active ingredients in tea extract.

In addition to the role of the most powerful antioxidants, catechins have a positive effect on fat metabolism, vasodilation and cholesterol levels.

The good news is that the effectiveness of tea has been compared with caffeine anhydrous in many experiments, and there are many more such studies than with other plant sources discussed in this article. The scientists also compared the effects of different types of tea. For example, green tea has a greater effect on energy metabolism than black tea.

The concentration of active ingredients varies significantly depending on the type of tea and the extraction method used. The concentration of caffeine is highest in black tea, followed by oolong tea and green tea, but EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) and total catechins are highest in green tea, followed by oolong and black tea. In addition to the role of the most powerful antioxidants, catechins have a positive effect on fat metabolism, vasodilation and cholesterol levels.

Verdict. Tea extracts have many health benefits, but caffeine levels can fluctuate widely. It might be worth knowing how much caffeine is in your supplement, especially if you're taking it along with other stimulants.

2. Guarana

Other names: liana paullinia
Parts of the plant used: grains or fruits
Natural caffeine content: 7,6%
What you should know: Guarana dissolves well in water and is often used as a flavoring because it has a fruity aroma with hints of mandarin. This, combined with its caffeine content, makes it a popular ingredient in ready-made drinks and other energy drinks.

Despite the obvious flaws in the design and methodology of several experiments comparing guarana with caffeine, there is no doubt that guarana affects mental performance, energy and mood, and its effect does not depend on the dose of caffeine in the product.

Evidence is constantly emerging that the stimulating effect of guarana is enhanced when taken without carbohydrates and against the background of low blood sugar.

There is also evidence that the stimulating effect of guarana is enhanced when taken without and against the background of low blood sugar. An effective dose is somewhere between 75 and 300 mg when using 12% caffeine guarana fruit extract. However, the percentage of caffeine can vary widely, depending on the extraction method and the part of the plant used (leaf or fruit).

Verdict. As with green tea, caffeine levels range from 7% to 50%, so don't consider guarana a mild stimulant, especially if you're taking it with other forms of caffeine and stimulants.

3. Coffee extract

Other names: Arabica coffee, green coffee extract, pure coffee
Parts of the plant used: beans or whole grains
Natural caffeine content: 3,2%
What you should know: depending on the intended purpose of the product - a stimulant, fat burner, antioxidant or anti-inflammatory agent - the caffeine content in coffee extract can rise up to 98%, or it can be very low and not exceed 2%.

On the other hand, green coffee bean extract is often higher in chlorogenic acid (which has its own health benefits) but lower in caffeine. Most often, the label on green coffee bean extract looks something like this:

Green coffee bean extract (Arabica coffee)
(min. 50% chlorogenic acid) (up to 12 mg natural caffeine content)

Verdict. If you're determined to find a natural replacement for synthesized caffeine anhydrous with a similar performance impact, coffee extract could be the answer. But read the label carefully to make sure you get what you expect.

4. Cola

Other names: cola nut, Cola acuminata
Parts of the plant used: grain
Natural caffeine content: 2,5%
What you should know: If you see a kola nut among the ingredients in an energy drink, it is most likely a standardized extract with a caffeine content ranging from 10 to 20%. In addition to caffeine, kola extract imparts a nutty flavor, aroma, and brownish tint to whatever ingredient it is mixed with. The cola nut is an ingredient in the original recipe for Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola.

There is no scientific data comparing the effects of kola nut and pure caffeine on humans, but experiments in rodents and dogs indicate a body response similar to caffeine. For example, pure caffeine has been shown to be as effective as kola nut in reducing body weight and increasing skeletal muscle glucose uptake.

Scientists have identified one possible side effect of kola nut extract. When used for 6 weeks at a human equivalent dose of 0.33 mg, 0.97 mg or 1.63 mg per kg of body weight per day (or 26, 77 or 130 mg for an 80 kg adult), a significant decrease in the number of sperm, testosterone and luteinizing hormone in male rats.

Verdict. If having a natural source of caffeine is important to you, the kola nut may come in handy. Plus, it can raise blood oxygenation and improve focus. Just be aware of the possible side effects of this nut!

5. Mate

Other names: Paraguayan holly, Paraguayan tea tree
Parts of the plant used: leaves
Natural caffeine content: 2,0%
What you should know: Paraguayan tea tree, like Chinese camellia, is most often consumed in the form of a tea and has similar beneficial properties. However, the experiments were carried out mainly on rodents. They studied the antioxidant properties of mate ingredients and their impact on obesity, inflammation, blood lipids and other health indicators.

For example, when used for three weeks at a dosage equivalent to 4 mg or 8 mg per 1 kg of body weight per day for a person (or 320 or 640 mg for an adult weighing 80 kg), a significant slowdown in body weight gain, fat mass was recorded. and the amount of food consumed in mice fed a fatty diet. And the higher the dose, the stronger the effect.

Also in experiments on rodents, Paraguayan holly extract has shown itself to be a powerful stimulant with neuroprotective properties, which increases motor activity and brain activity. However, there are no studies directly comparing the effects of mate and caffeine anhydrous.

Verdict. Keep in mind that yerba yerba mate extract can contain anywhere from 2% to 50% caffeine, depending on the raw material used, so it's hard to figure out the exact amount of caffeine from label information. As with tea and coffee, it's much easier to know how much caffeine you're getting from natural yerba mate.

Julia Vern 208 986 8

Many of us cannot imagine life without coffee. Without its awakening aroma in the morning, without its bitter, but such a pleasant taste, invigorating and tonic.
Our love for this drink is usually limited to two or three of the most common recipes for its preparation - those that are more often offered in cafes, or you know how to cook it yourself.

However, the variety of coffee drinks is endless, and making them isn't all that difficult, even at home.

The variety of invigorating flavored drinks is amazing

coffee classic

Oriental coffee is one of the earliest ways to make coffee. This method of preparation does without the participation of a coffee machine, coffee is prepared here in a special dish - on a hot surface - for example, hot sand. At home, you can use salt instead of sand.
It is very important that the coffee be freshly ground, and the degree of grinding must be high - otherwise the coffee grounds will be felt in the mouth, which should not be.

Important!
If the drink is prepared on fire, then boiling should not be allowed.

Oriental coffee is served in small coffee cups with a glass of chilled water.

Oriental coffee served with a glass of cold water

Espresso - the basic basis of coffee drinks

Many popular coffee recipes are based on espresso - concentrated black coffee, which is brewed in a special coffee machine.
The very name "espresso" says a lot, especially about the way it is prepared. The rich taste of this type of coffee drink is achieved as follows: after 6-7 grams of well-roasted finely ground coffee, water heated to almost a boiling point of 92-95 degrees is passed under high pressure. The total amount of the resulting drink should be 30-35 ml.

The strength of the espresso can also be varied by adding different amounts of water or using more ground coffee. In this regard, several varieties of espresso can be distinguished: americano, doppio, lungo, ristretto.

Americano is a popular espresso preparation, the ratio of coffee concentrate and water (90-120 ml of hot water is added to 30 ml of espresso) allows you to achieve a rich, but mild taste.
Doppio is a classic espresso shot doubled. A kind of "double espersso".
Lungo is probably a medium-strength coffee drink between classic espresso and americano. For 7 grams of ground coffee used in this espresso variant, there are 50-60 ml of water.
Ristretto is the strongest type of espresso. This is due to an increase in the concentration of the coffee itself and a decrease (compared to a regular portion of espresso) in the volume of water. The following proportion is maintained here: 7 grams of coffee per 20-25 ml of water. This type of espresso is especially loved by the Italians - it is considered the most concentrated and is served with a glass of chilled water.

An espresso shot is small in volume, but strong enough in terms of caffeine content

Espresso for originals

Espresso and lemon juice - an unexpected combination! However, one of the most popular espresso recipes in Italy is a coffee drink made with lemon juice.

After preparing a classic espresso (30-35 ml of water and 6-7 grams of coffee), add 5 ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice to a cup, or use ready-made lemon concentrate. Sugar for such a drink is served separately.
This type of coffee is considered unusually tonic and is perfect for an early morning awakening!

Palette of coffee flavors: milk, cream, sugar

Despite the pronounced and rich taste, many coffee lovers are not averse to diversifying the recipes for preparing this drink with additional ingredients. Among the most used and loved, of course, are derivatives of dairy products: milk, cream, milk foam.

Interesting to know!
The easiest way to soften the taste of coffee is to add some milk to it.

Americano with milk. The classic proportion recipe in this case is as follows: 50 ml of milk is mixed with 50 ml of water and 30 ml of espresso. The result is a classic cup of Americano with a volume of 130 ml.

Cafe con Leche. Literally translated as "coffee with milk". A very simple and popular recipe in Spain and Portugal. Prepared coffee (in any form - espresso, double espresso) is mixed with milk in a ratio of 1:1. Popular options for making coffee using whipped milk and cream.
You can complicate the recipe a little by adding specially processed milk or cream to coffee drinks. Milk can be whipped with steam in a coffee machine, cream is whipped with a mixer until a thick, homogeneous mass that retains its shape well.

Cappuccino (Cappuccino). This recipe involves adding hot frothy milk to coffee. This is a fairly large drink - 150 ml. In the preparation of cappuccino, all its components (espresso, milk, milk foam) are mixed in a ratio of one to one. The classic version is 40 ml of milk and the same amount of milk foam are added to 40 ml of espresso.

Cappuccino is distinguished by whipped foam

Latte (Latte). For the preparation of this variety of coffee with milk, Mocha coffee beans (one of the varieties of Arabica) are used. In its preparation, the same ingredients are used that are used in the preparation of cappuccino, however, the proportions in this case will be slightly different. For one part espresso, two parts milk and one part milk foam are taken. This drink is served in a tall glass.

Latte Macchiato (Latte Macchiato). The so-called "striped coffee". A very curious way of making coffee in terms of appearance and taste. Due to the fact that during the preparation process, coffee is poured into milk (through a layer of milk foam) and not vice versa - as in the case of preparing a classic Latte, the drink is stratified, forming three pronounced layers - milk, coffee and milk foam. Served in a tall glass goblet with a straw, this coffee looks extraordinarily impressive.

Coffee drinks for gourmets

Café con Panna or Viennese coffee. The most common recipe in which coffee is served with cream. The basis of this drink is a single or double espresso, which is served under a cap of whipped cream. Sometimes cream can be sprinkled with grated chocolate, cinnamon or nutmeg.

Raf coffee. This is a kind of coffee cocktail, which, in addition to espresso and cream, includes vanilla sugar. All ingredients are whipped with a cappuccinatore, which is in the coffee machine. The volume of the drink and the form of its serving are similar to those of a cappuccino. Recently, experiments with the components of this drink have become very popular. Instead of vanilla sugar, you can use vanilla syrup, or a teaspoon of honey.
If you add honey, then you get the Honey Rough, which coffee house regulars have become fond of lately. Whipped with honey and cream, espresso should have a dense and viscous consistency, then you can be sure that you have prepared it correctly.

Such a beautiful name is called a coffee dessert, which is an ice cream filled with a portion of espresso. It is also possible to supplement this dessert with chocolate, whipped cream, lemon or orange zest.

Affogato is a combination of espresso and ice cream.

Coffee and alcoholic drinks

Whatever advocates of a healthy lifestyle say, a cup of espresso with a drop of quality cognac or whiskey can please not only coffee gourmets. Here are some of the most popular coffee and alcohol combinations.

Coretto. Espresso with the addition of various kinds of liqueurs. Italy is considered the birthplace of this drink, so grappa is often added to the coretto there. Other possible types of additives are sambuca or fruit brandy.
If, while in the Mediterranean countries, you want to order Coretto, then you need to clarify what kind of alcohol you want to add to coffee. The proportion in which coretto is usually prepared is a classic shot of espresso + 20 ml of your chosen liquor.

Irish coffee (Irish coffee). One of the most popular coffee drinks containing strong alcohol is Irish whiskey. This is a hot coffee cocktail with added alcohol (whiskey, cognac, brandy), sugar and cream. The cream is whipped and laid out on the surface of the coffee, already at the end of the cooking process. For 90 ml of hot black coffee, 45 ml of strong alcohol is added.

The combination of coffee and alcohol is quite popular.

Coffee brulo. Hot coffee cocktail with bright taste. It consists of strong black coffee, brandy, sugar and spices - cloves, lemon or orange peel, vanilla stick. A mixture of brandy, sugar and spices is heated in a separate bowl over low heat for two minutes. The finished mixture must be poured into cups of coffee, after filtering through a strainer. The cocktail is prepared at the rate of 50 ml of brandy per 100 ml of coffee.

Hot? Let's drink coffee!

Many people associate coffee and coffee-based drinks with a warming effect, however, there are a number of recipes that allow you to make coffee chilled - sometimes quite strongly (when crushed ice is used). Such drinks are especially pleasant to savor in hot weather.

Coffee-glase (glase). The simplest version of the recipe is not hot coffee (in French glacé - ice, frozen). To prepare it, you need to take a double shot of espresso (or americano) and cool it so that it is not hot. Otherwise, the ball of ice cream that you put there will instantly melt and the drink will lose its taste. For 100-130 ml of coffee, a scoop of ice cream weighing 50 grams is added.

Coffee-glase is the best choice in hot weather

Frappe - "iced coffee". This coffee drink is made from ingredients that need to be whipped in a mixer until a strong foam appears. To prepare a delicious frappe at home, a double espresso, 100 ml of cold milk and 3-5 ice cubes is enough.

For many of us, coffee has become an integral part of life, however, we are not always ready for experiments, preferring some specific and familiar type of coffee or way of preparing it. However, coffee preparation provides a wide scope for imagination and the search for new tastes. Try, create your own recipes, getting sincere pleasure from this drink!

VARIETIES OF COFFEE

Varieties of coffee are such a variety,
that only specialists can understand them.
General opinion.

Varieties of coffee in quantity have long exceeded one thousand, and the genus of coffee itself has about a hundred species of coffee trees. But, despite this, all these numerous varieties of coffee have their botanical origin from just four of its main types: Arabica, Robusta, Liberica And Excelsia. Moreover, only a fifth of them are used for commercial purposes, and two of them are used directly to create coffee drinks, the rest - mainly in the confectionery industry.

The two most famous types of coffee trees, Arabica and Robusta, produce more than 90% of all coffee consumed. It is these two types of coffee that are most loved by consumers around the world. And it is from them that the main varieties of coffee are created.

In the botanical sense, coffee, also Coffee tree (lat. Coffee), this is a genus of evergreen plants of the tribe Coffee (tribe is a taxonomic rank in biological systematics, standing in the hierarchy of systematic categories below the family and above the genus) of the Rubiaceae family. In the wild, it lives in the highlands of tropical Africa and Asia; for the last two hundred years it has been cultivated in the tropics everywhere. Most species are small trees or large shrubs, up to 8 meters high. In room conditions, they often take the form of a bush. All parts of plants contain caffeine, evolutionarily developed by the plant as a biochemical pest repellent.

As mentioned above, only two types are of commercial interest: Arabian And Congolese coffee trees, from the seeds of which, respectively, "varieties" are obtained - ( Coffea arabica ) And ( Coffea canephora ). Coffee is also cultivated in small quantities for seeds. Cameroonian and coffee Bengal.

Coffee blooms with small white flowers with a strong tropical smell. The flower contains both male and female reproductive organs. (pistils and stamens) and is capable of self-pollination. The berries ripen for 3-4 months, in a mature state they are bright red or burgundy (now varieties with other colors have already been bred) ellipsoids with 1-3 grains inside, sitting on a short stalk right on a branch. Under the pulp are seeds, the color of which before processing is yellowish-greenish-gray.

seeds (beans, grains) coffees from different locations and plantations can have distinct characteristics such as aroma (aroma criteria include terms like "citrus" and "earthy"), caffeine content, density, flavor and acidity. These properties depend not only on the variety ( cultivar), but also from the environment surrounding coffee trees and cultivation technologies. Thus, the quality and characteristics of coffee products of the same variety can vary greatly from region to region - coffee shows clear regional variations. Coffee originating from one area (region, country, plantation) is called single-origin.

Most cultivars are hybrids and bud mutations of naturally occurring varieties. The main ones are Bourbon(Bourbon or Burbon) and typica(Typica).

On cultivated plantations, low-growing trees are grown (it is known that wild coffee forests still exist in Ethiopia) - they are not only more productive, they are more convenient to process and harvest from them. The branches of the coffee tree are almost horizontal, the leaves are oblong, dark green, shiny, up to 30 cm long, hanging on the trees from 3 to 5 years. White tubular, up to 2 cm long, fragrant flowers are tied in their axils. Fruits similar to stone fruits - with a large cherry size, with two seeds, red or black-blue. Sometimes one large seed ripens in the fruit. Such grains are collected separately, called pearl grains and are highly valued by connoisseurs. The fact is that when roasting, pearl coffee beans are evenly browned and are tastier.

plodi-i-cvetki-coffee

The best coffee grows in loose, warm, moist but not wet soil that is rich in potassium carbonate, nitrogen, and phosphorus oxides. The air must also be moist. Therefore, coffee tree plantations are established up to about 25° north and 30° south of the equator. Some varieties feel good only in equatorial and tropical countries, since the coffee tree is very sensitive to changes in heat.

Coffee is most often grown at an altitude of up to 2000-2500 m above sea level. In the mountains, it ripens more slowly, but it is tastier and more valuable. It is very important to lay the plantation correctly, coffee trees are planted between tall, straight trees with not very dense crowns. Already in the second year of life, seedlings are transferred to plantations, two years later the first fruits appear, and after five to seven years the tree is considered ripe.

The coffee tree bears fruit up to 50 years, especially in the first 15 years. Flowering and fruiting all year round. In the mountains, where it is cooler and drier, the fruits ripen more slowly, so the crop is harvested only once, and in warm and humid valleys - up to 4 times a year. From one tree, an average of about 3 kg of green coffee beans is harvested annually, although some varieties may be more productive. The yield of some varieties changes every 4-5 years, and hardy 2-3 years.

Arabian coffee trees grow up to 5-6 m. The fruits ripen within 6-8 months, and are tied throughout the year, so they can only be harvested by machines in Brazil, where the crop ripens at the same time. Therefore, most often the fruits are harvested by hand.

There are several classifications of coffee in the world, in different countries and in different industries, different identification systems have been adopted, by quality and origin, in production and in sales.

Coffee varieties in the sales system are divided into two large groups: blended coffees and unmixed coffees.

Blended coffees (blend) These are mixtures of ground coffee beans. At the same time, coffee beans can belong to different types of coffee trees. They can be collected on different plantations and even continents, at different times of the year.

Blending coffee beans to get the best blended coffee is the most difficult and painstaking part. After all, it is necessary to emphasize the advantages of the taste of different coffee beans and at the same time hide, disguise their shortcomings. When creating a mixed coffee variety, coffee beans are used, the taste characteristics of which complement and reveal each other. As a rule, coffee beans with a similar or, conversely, sharply opposite taste are not used. It may take four types of coffee beans to create one blended coffee. And to create another - and all fourteen. When creating a blended coffee variety, other tricks are used. For example, coffee beans are mixed in different proportions. Coffee beans of different roast levels can also be mixed. The result is a unique flavor bouquet that distinguishes different varieties of coffee.

Unblended coffees are coffee beans taken from one type of coffee tree. Speaking of unblended coffee varieties, one cannot but mention the specifics of their names. First, unblended coffee varieties may bear the name of the country or locality in which the particular type of coffee tree was grown. For example, Colombian coffee. And secondly, unblended coffees can bear the name of the port through which they are shipped to the whole world. For example, coffee Santos, named after the famous port of Santos in Brazil. Knowing these tricks, you can easily determine the origin of a particular coffee variety. Also, the name of an unblended coffee variety can often reflect its quality, plantation height above sea level, bean size, processing method, and much more.

Recognizing coffee varieties is the business of real professionals. After all, not everyone can distinguish the taste and aroma of coffee beans grown on Brazilian, Colombian or Puerto Rican plantations. And creating a blended coffee, mixing coffee beans only adds to the confusion. Such specialists who can distinguish varieties of coffee are called cap testers.

The cap tester is able, firstly, to recognize the flavors of different types of coffee beans. He achieves this by refusing to smoke and eat a variety of spices. The cap tester always takes care of his sense of smell and taste buds.
Secondly, the drip tester is able to taste the so-called "pure" varieties of coffee. That is, varieties consisting of one type of coffee beans. This is a very difficult skill. After all, it is achieved only through long training and numerous tastings.
And, thirdly, he knows the rules by which coffee varieties are mixed. This allows him to avoid possible mistakes. For example, cut off varieties with opposite or, conversely, the same characteristics that cannot exist in the same coffee variety.

Thus. Three types of coffee have wide practical application.