Monday, February 23, 2009

Is Coffee Getting Too Complicated Gourmet Coffee

Plain coffee is fast becoming a thing of the past. It's now quite simple to whip up a gourmet hot beverage for guest, family, or just for yourself. Nowadays there are a number of coffee clubs and circles in which coffee drinking has become somewhat of a social club. These social clubs meet in the community or on the Internet.

Where did the good old days go where you could get just a regular, good cup of coffee all across America.

It's all because there is a big craze over coffee these days. People are almost worshipping the coffee bean now. People get a thrill out of ordering and buying special coffees from specialty stores. They really like grinding their own coffee beans. They like visiting places such as Costa Rica and bringing back their special blends. And "coffee tasting" seems to be about as popular as "wine tasting".

They even have furniture and home interior designs with a coffee theme. This would make great gifts for the coffee buff.

Coffee got its beginnings around 900 A.D. where it was at first used as a stimulant. It was also at times used as a wine and a medicine. It doesn't look like anything is much different today.

There are not many products such as coffee that have continued "as is" for hundreds of years. And yet people are still scrutinizing and getting creative with it today and probably will be for years to come.

What is also interesting is that coffee is second to oil in dollar volume as a world commodity.

Did you know that there is two times more caffeine in a pound of tea than in the same amount of roasted coffee? This may be good news for those of you who hate the taste of decaffeinated coffee however wait just one moment. A pound of tea will make about 160 cups whereas a pound of coffee will usually make about 40 cups. This means that a cup of tea has about 1/4th the caffeine of a cup of coffee.

The content of caffeine in coffee decreases as it is grown at higher altitudes. If you want less caffeine in your coffee, grow it higher. Gourmet coffees are typically grown at higher altitudes so they have less caffeine than their grocery store counterparts.

There are many different types of coffee beans and way too many to describe in this article. Here are just a few of them:

You have Latte, Espresso, Low-Fat, Organic, Cal, Decaf, Half-Decaf, Black Forest, Cappuccino, Cafe au Lait, Alpine which has brown sugar, Arabian (lightly spiced and without filter), Cafe con Miel (Spanish for coffee with honey), and Cafe de Olla (a sweet coffee made with chocolate).

And you really should attend a coffee tasting at least once. You will get to experience how making and brewing gourmet coffee is slowly becoming a form of art. What is fun about the coffee tasting is that you could get a chance to taste two dozen or more different blends. You may even leave to start your journey as a coffee connoisseur. Any way you look at it, the tasting experience will be fun if you like coffee.
About the author:
Eileen Church, webmistress for http://www.fmcoffee.com, loves to experiment with coffee of all kinds. Be sure to visit http://www.fmcoffee.comoften for great coffee resources.
business coffee service

gourmet coffee bean: business coffee service

4 Foods To Add To Your Diet

The thought of healthy foods may conjure up unappetizing images in your mind. Healthy foods don't, however, need to be dull! Here is some information on healthy foods that you can put in your diet that taste good, are simple to locate at the market, and are very healthy for you.





Beets - Amazingly enough, beets are one of the healthiest foods available. Folate and betaine are found in these small, red root veggies, and these things help reduce the levels of homocysteine in the blood stream. Homocysteine is claimed to cause damage to arteries, which can in turn bring about heart disease. If you incorporate beets into your diet, you can lower your risks of these health problems. Giving mice in the lab beets has also proven to ward off cancer. Beets should be eaten raw for the greatest health benefits. Soak the shredded beets in a combo of olive oil and lemon juice and then put them on your salad.





Cinnamon - Many people only consume cinnamon on top of those ultra-sweet cinnamon buns. Cinnamon doesn't only taste good though, it is also claimed to aid in blood glucose control and help prevent heart disease. Studies done by the USDA showed that patients with Type Two Diabetes could reduce their blood glucose and cholesterol levels by eating two grams of cinnamon every day for six weeks. Cinnamon contains methylhydroxychalcone polymers, which help the body to process sugar. It is utilized best by putting it on top of your hot or cold cereal, or a little bit may even be added to your coffee.





Goji Berries - The goji berry is a traditional Tibetan medicinal plant. Studies have shown that the tiny goji berry contains a greater amount of antioxidants than any other fruit. The production of insulin is reduced by the berry, according to studies, and this is good for diabetes patients because insulin is a major risk factor. It is easy to incorporate these berries into your diet by adding them to your breakfast yogurt, cereal, or oatmeal.


Cabbage - Cabbage is very popular in Asia and Europe, and is rapidly becoming more popular in America as well. It is thought to lower your risk for developing cancer as it has a most beneficial nutrient called sulforaphane. The way it achieves this is by defending the body against free radicals, and also by raising the production of specific enzymes that diminish cell damage. Incorporate this tasty food into your diet by shredding it and putting it on top of sandwiches or burgers. Alternatively, you could prepare a delicious salad incorporating shredded carrots and apples.


Jim Fisher is a fat loss and physical fitness enthusiast focused on new and innovative methods of losing fat and staying in great shape at any age. For a limited time you can claim the "Insider Secrets to a Lean Body" ebook absolutely free at http://insider-secrets.synthasite.com

gourmet coffee bean: business coffee service

gourmet coffee bean: business coffee service

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