What is traditional Italian coffee?
The Italians have all sorts of names for it ? espresso, caffe normale, cappuccino, caffe corretto, granite di caffe con panna, among others. How many types of pastas are there in Italy? That?s how many different names one small tazza of Italian coffee has.
Certainly, Italian coffee is more than just a beverage for the passionate Italian. A cup of Italian coffee is a form of art and for every occasion, for every mood, you are guaranteed to get one that fits perfectly.
In Search of the Perfect Tazza
The possibilities of Italian coffee are enough to bewilder anyone who has the taste for coffee but not the tongue for its numerously confusing names. So what kind of Italian coffee should you order in a caffe? Here is a list of some of the most popular caffeine-laden drinks that you will typically find in an Italian caffe:
Caffè ? generally a small cup of very strong coffee; often referred to as espresso but be sure to pronounce it with an ?s? instead of expresso.
Caffè Americano ? this is American-style coffee but stronger.
Caffè corretto ? coffee ?corrected? with a shot of grappa, cognac, or other spirits.
Caffè fredo ? iced coffee drink.
Caffè decaffeinato ? decaffeinated coffee.
Caffè latte ? coffee mixed with hot milk; usually served in a glass for breakfast.
Caffe-è macchiato ? espresso ?stained? with a drop of steamed milk; really a small version of cappuccino.
Cappuccino ? espresso infused with steamed milk and drunk in the mornings; never ever order this after lunch or dinner.
Granita di caffè con panna ? iced coffee with whipped cream
Italians don?t drink coffee with any meal. In that regard, they are much like the French. The only exception is during breakfast when cappuccino is served with brioche and other breakfast treats. Most of the time, Italian coffee is only ordered after a meal and only the unwitting tourist orders cappuccino in a restaurant after lunch or dinner.
When you do order for Italian coffee after a meal, don?t ask for an espresso. Ask for "un caffè, per favore".
How Italian Coffee is Made?
There as many espresso machines in Italy as there are Italian coffee. From fully automatic espresso machines to lever piston espresso machines to even the classic aluminum espresso coffee maker, the choices are widely varied.
And just when you think you?ve got everything down, there are also the debates regarding the specific bean type to use. Italian coffee is often a heated battle between blade and burr grinders and factors like tamp pressure, water temperature, and humidity.
Lovers of Italian coffee even have their favorite caffeine haunts in the form of local torrefazione or coffee houses and barista who are valued for their ability to deliver a perfect caffe espresso.
How to Make Turkish Coffee?
What more can you ask for in an early morning with a mug of coffee in your hand watching the sky as the sun shines out? Sounds like a movie scene, isn?t it? That is the perfect way to start your day. Are you one of those people who can?t let a day pass by without having at least a cup of coffee? Well, same here.
Coffee is one of the things that can?t be missed out every single day. Your day wouldn?t be complete without it. It?s like you have not take a bath kind of feeling.
I bet most people want their coffees specifically the way they wanted it. I remember one time when I was working in a restaurant, one of our regular customers always orders the same black coffee every morning of every day. When he comes in, we no longer ask for his order. I, too specifically want my coffee with less sugar and cream. But, have you tried other taste or flavor for your coffee, like a Turkish coffee?
Turkish coffee is a very flavorful and normally strong coffee. It is prepared in an ibrik, a small pot that holds either one or two servings of coffee. Traditionally, the ibrik was placed in the hot sands of the Mediterranean for cooking. If you want to try making Turkish coffee at your home you won?t need Mediterranean hot sands because you can use your stove.
All you will need are an ibrik, finely ground coffee, water, sugar, and a teaspoon. You can use any roast coffee that you like. Besides, Turkish coffee is about the specific way of cooking and not the brand of coffee for as long as you use the finest grind. If you have everything you need, you can start making your own Turkish coffee.
The first thing to do is add fill the pot with water up to the neck. For each cup, use one or two heaped teaspoons of coffee. In turkey, four degrees of sweetness are used. The coffee grinds should float on the water and do not stir. Next is heat your coffee in medium heat. Do not let your sight away from the pot if you don?t want to mess everything up.
After a few minutes, if the water boils it means that you have not used the right amount of coffee. It should never boil, but rather foam will form. You have to start again if you have not done it the right way. Don?t worry these things really happen! If you happen to be on the right track, you will notice the foam grow from around the coffee and start to fill the neck.
Again, don?t keep your eyes away from what you are doing. When the foam starts to fill the neck and works its way up, remove the pot if the foam reaches almost at the top of the pot. Remove the pot from the stove only for stirring and do it slowly. This is done to let the foam settle down and after it does, put the pot back to the stove and the coffee will start to foam again, but this time more quickly.
Don?t let the foam over flow and before the foam overflows, remove it again and stir down the foam. Put the pot back again on the stove for the third time, when the foam rises, remove but this time do not stir.
To serve your Turkish coffee, scoop out the foam and place an even amount in each cup (if you made two servings). You should know that not all loves the foam, so if you have companion and doesn?t like it, you can have it all in your cup.
But, if you don?t like it either, place it in drain of your sink. Let the pot sit for about 30 seconds to let the grinds settle before serving, and then you can now enjoy your Turkish coffee with or without milk or cream.
And what about Hawaiian Coffee?
When it comes to coffee, Hawaii has it all ? everything from seed to cup. The islands are blessed with a combination of geographical and weather elements that are conducive to growing excellent coffee: year round warm, sunny weather, rolling hillsides, rich volcanic soil, ample rain, and tranquil trade winds ? so it?s no wonder that Hawaiian coffee is one of the best in the world.
Hawaiian coffee is harvested every year, with harvest season starting as early as July and finishing as late as January in some places although the months of September through December bear the bulk of Hawaii?s harvest. The annual production of Hawaiian coffee is 7 million pounds, making it the biggest and only coffee-producing state in the United States.
Although the Big Island?s Kona coffee is still the best known, Hawaiian coffee is also grown on each of the major islands. Below are short descriptions of the different types of Hawaiian coffee currently produced and sold in the market:
Kona Coffee
As already mentioned, Kona coffee is the best known Hawaiian coffee. The Kona coffee plant is exclusively grown within the borders of North and South Kona, located on the Big Island of Hawaii. In contrast to foreign coffees which have a harsher, sharper flavor, 100% Kona coffee is more delicate and smoother. Its aromatic flavor makes it a perfect blend for other coffees.
Kauai Coffee
Coming in at close second to Kona coffee as the best known Hawaiian coffee is Kauai coffee which is increasingly becoming popular among coffee drinkers. In fact, many prefer its mild acidic flavor to Kona?s sometimes too-delicate taste. At any rate, Kauai coffee guarantees a flavorful cup.
Ka?anapali Maui Coffee
Described by gourmet coffee drinkers as a medium-bodied, smooth finish Hawaiian coffee, Ka?anapali Maui coffee tends to have slightly more body than Kona coffee but less dry than say, Moloka?i coffee.
Haleakala Maui Coffee
A type of Arabica coffee known as Catuai, the Haleakala Maui coffee is Hawaiian coffee unique in its geographic region ? it is grown on the slopes of the 10,000 ft. Mt. Haleakala. It is described as a rich and aromatic coffee.
Moloka?i Coffee
Made from the washed and completely sun dried Arabica beans, Moloka?i coffee is rich-bodied and medium roasted Hawaiian coffee. At the finish, it has a luscious hint of chocolate, which acts as the perfect complement to its mild acidic flavor.
Waialua Coffee
Grown only on the island of Oahu, specifically on the beautiful North Shore of Oahu, Waialua coffee come from Hawaiian coffee trees planted on both sides of Kamehameha Highway between the towns of Wahiawa and Waialua. It is farmed in the Kona tradition ? that is, it is handpicked, fermented, and washed before the beans are sun dried and then roasted.
Different Kinds of Costa Rican Coffee.
How would you know that your cup of coffee is perfect? Is there such a thing as perfect coffee? That is the critique labeled on Costa Rican coffees. They categorized their type of coffee as the classic cup, the traditional balanced coffee that has no defects or flaws.
But there?s more to a Costa Rican coffee, for they are prized for their exceptionality- bright citrus or berry-like flavors in the acidity and in the best cups they fade into chocolate or spice flavors in the aftertaste.
Costa Rica sets the standards for fine wet-processed coffee for the rest of Central and South America. The most famous Costa Rican coffees by region are Tarrazú, Tres Rios, Herediá, and Alajuela. Most Costa Rican coffees come from a hybrid called caturra, a mutation of Bourbon discovered in Brazil, and is characterized as bright and full bodied. Other popular varieties are Mondo Novo and Catuai. The best coffees that are grown above 3, 900 feet are designated or classified as strictly hard bean, while the good hard bean are those grown from 3, 300 to 3, 900 feet.
The Tres Rios region near the pacific coast produces coffees that are mild sweet and bright. The Tarrazú region, which is situated in the interior mountains of Costa Rica, produces a fairly heavy coffee with more aromatic complexity. The La Minita estate is the most much loved coffee in all Costa Rica. What about the kinds of coffees that Costa Rica is so proud of?
The different kinds of coffee in Costa Rica are characterized by their type and from what zone they are harvested from. Let?s take a look at the different kinds of Costa Rican Coffee: