Song: one more cup of coffee
Performed by: Bob Dylan
Coffee today is not just a drink , it’s a social event. The world can go round over just a single phrase- “over a cup of coffee”. Interviews take place, business deals are struck, marriages are made (no longer in heaven but in coffee shops. True story), old pals catch up, strangers become friends and lord knows what else. The adage “a lot can happen over a cup of coffee “is true in every sense. All this just over a cup of coffee.
We all go to coffee shops. Infact we just love to sit back on the comfy couches where time stands still and the only thing that matters is, a relaxing brew and you. Coffee is an ode to life’s simple pleasures, in every sense of its word. Till now you must have realized I am a die hard coffee connoisseur. I’m feeling particularly magnanimous today, and since I love all of my dear readers so very much (in a non-sexual way, I assure you), I’ve decided to pass along the wisdom I’ve gained through this torrid love affair of mine.
Don’t worry its not a full length publication of some nerdy guy about coffee just simple tits and bits about coffee that one should know before enjoying the java.
The Beans
Coffee Bean
The tree which produce coffee are the genus coffea which belong to the Rubiaceae family. There are 50 different species out there. But the only ones making the mark with the Starbucks , 7-Eleven, Dunkin Donuts, BIGGBY Coffee, Caribou Coffee and other large café chains are :-
>Caffea Arabica
>Caffea Caneaphera
The former bean is most used because of its smooth taste and rich aroma.
The BLEND, the ROAST and the GRIND
The reason I have put these three separate stages of coffee making together is that there are atrociously technical and to be honest, boring to talk about. So I guess it would be better if I cut through the grim part of the plot.
Blending includes the selection of the beans and sending them to the roasters for roasting.
Roasting is the process in which the coffee beans are converted either into instant coffee or prepare them for sale as roasted ground.
The higher the roast the lesser is the acidity and the bitter is the coffee.
Grinding. Roasted coffee must be grinded before brewing. Roasted form could be grounded to different grades according to the brew required.
Some common grounding methods are Filter/ Drip, Jug, Turkish, Café Tiere, Espresso, Percolator etc.
Now this was all about the anatomy of a coffee. Now lets make our way into a typical coffee shop menu and see what modern coffee drinks are available to gratify our taste buds.
Espresso
Espresso
It is the mother or may be the father , but one of them for sure, of the cappuccino , the latte and all the drinks that follow. Almost.
The modus operandi of making an Espresso is as simple as walking in a park.
You take hot water , run through the fine ground coffee. There you go. Add sugar , and enjoy a black coffee that will charge you up.
Basically its very strong and is used in other coffee drinks.
Latte
Latte
Sounds good? Doesn’t it?
Tastes, even better. It is, in simple language:
Espresso + Steam milk (forming foam on the above). It is milkier than cappuccino.
Cappuccino
Cappuccino
It’s the 1/3 drink in my point of view
You mix 1/3 “steamed” milk , 1/3 espresso, 1/3 “frothed” milk.
It is the most subjective drink and therefore you will find the most modified variants of this beverage in the menu, for example with cookie , served cold , with cream etc .
Café au lait
Cafe au Lait
Cutting the foreplay, in simple words regular coffee made with brewed coffee instead of Espresso and steamed milk .
Mocha
Coffee
It could be Cappuccino or Latte with hot cocoa or chocolate to gratify your chocolate fantasies.
Irish coffee
Irish Coffee
This one is my favourite, as the famous quote goes
“Only Irish coffee provides in simple cup all four essentials groups-alcohol, caffeine, sugar and milk.”
The secret ingredients behind a delicious cup of Irish coffee are Irish whiskey, brown sugar, coffee and heavy cream.
And that is whisky with an ‘e’. Irish whiskies are spelt with an added ‘e’.
Add brandy instead of whiskey you have CAFÉ ROYALE on your coffee table.
Macchiato
Macchiato
This one is basically of two types:-
>Espresso Macchiato
Prepared from espresso spotted with a dollop of hot or cold milk or milk foam.
>Latte Macchiato
Steamed milk spotted with drop espresso.
Other Connoisseur Coffees
- Russian coffee – This has vodka in it.
- Jamaican Coffee- The rum in it defies this variant
- Highland Coffee- Scotch sets in the mood in this drink.
- Seville coffee – It has cointreau , which is liquor with orange flavour.
Well that’s about it when it comes to rudimentary types of coffees. I am sure there are many unsung coffee recipes world wide that can totally rip the coffee scene, but if I go on researching all those and penning them down I am sure I am going to lose you guys in the middle.
And don’t forget to smell the aroma of coffee before the first sip it prepares your senses for the blissful experience of coffee.
Useful Resources
Collection of articles on blending , roasting and grinding.
