Archives for dried pods category
Posted on Mar 06, 2010 under dried pods |
In 2007, Americans consumed well over 55 billion servings of tea, or over 2.50 billion gallons of hot, iced and ready-to-drink (pre-bottled) tea beverages. Tea is a refreshing choice with no natural sodium, fat, carbonation, or sugar (always read labels on pre-bottled beverages to look for added sugar and sodium). When unsweetened, tea is almost completely calorie-free. Some of the other health benefits of tea include promoting proper fluid balance and heart health as well as cancer prevention. Tea contains naturally occurring antioxidant compounds. Tannin is one of the major components which contributes to the taste and pungency of tea and is the main chemical thought to be responsible for tea’s health benefits.
Any tea drinker has seen a wide variety of tea types and flavors. There are some important distinctions to make when choosing your tea. There are four “types” of tea all made from the same plant where the difference is in how the fresh leaves of the tea plant are processed and their level of contact with oxygen. During oxidation, tea leaves undergo natural chemical reactions that result in distinctive color and taste characteristics. Then there are a multitude of varieties and blends that are influenced by the geographic region where the tea is grown, methods of processing and exposure to other ingredients for added flavor.
The Four Types of Tea
Black, Green, Oolong and White teas all come from the same plant, a warm-weather evergreen called the Camellia sinensis. Each type of tea results from various degrees of processing and the level of oxidization. Black tea is oxidized for up to 4 hours and Oolong teas are oxidized for 2-3 hours. The tea leaves undergo natural taste and color changes through the oxidation process, allowing for distinguished characteristics. Green & White teas are not oxidized after processing and they most closely resemble the look and chemical composition of the fresh tealeaf. Each type has unique antioxidant properties and health benefits associated with drinking them.
You may also have heard of Red tea, which is not actually tea as it comes from the Rooibos plant. Herbal teas such as Red tea are not really “tea” at all, because they do not come from Camellia sinensis. Herbal teas are concocted of leaves, roots, bark, seeds or flowers of other plants.
Tea is grown in thousands of tea gardens or estates around the world, resulting in thousands of flavorful variations. The most common growing regions are in China and India and some of the most popular flavors are named after the places where they are grown.
Popular Blends
Earl Grey- Smoky and fragrant with hints of citrus Earl Grey refers to any black tea with bergamot flavor added, but traditionally it is a blend of Indian and Ceylon teas. Earl Grey is one of the most popular of all the flavored teas in the world and is usually enjoyed with a slice of lemon and without milk or sugar. Bergamot is a citrus fruit, somewhat like a lemon, orange and grapefruit mixed together.
Darjeeling Tea – Darjeeling tea is produced only in the Darjeeling region of India, a high altitude region where there is a mist in the air almost constantly providing a cool and moist environment for the tea trees. This unique terrain produces tea leaves that have a very distinct flavor. The flavor is often described as muscatel, leading Darjeeling to be known as the champagne of teas. Darjeeling is a lighter than many black teas and has a fruity, nutty and floral palette. For this reason the English have considered it to be one of the best afternoon teas.
Breakfast Tea – Breakfast tea is more strongly flavored than afternoon teas such as Darjeeling, and is often enjoyed with milk and sugar similar to how coffee is consumed. The most commonly drank breakfast blends include English and Scottish with a heavily malty flavors, and Irish, slightly stronger with Kenyan and Assam (another region in India) leaves.
Jasmine Tea – This is one of the most fragrant and flavorful of the tea blends and Jasmine tea is the most popular Chinese flavored tea. Jasmine tea is a special blend of high quality loose tea leaves with jasmine petals. The jasmine petals impart a delicate aroma and slightly sweet flavor to the tea. Jasmine tea is most often made using green tea but it can also be made using oolong, black or white tea leaves.
Herbal Teas – Unlike flavored tea and other blends, herbal “teas” are not technically tea at all because they are not made from the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal teas are concoctions of leaves, herbs, spices and flowers from a variety of plants added to boiling water. Herbal drinks are typically recognized for their caffeine-free quality and also for soothing and rejuvenating effects. Popular herbal tea flavors include chamomile, peppermint, fennel, rose hip and lemon verbena. Considered a floral tea, chamomile has a very aromatic, fruity flavor and is credited to help alleviate toothaches, insomnia, muscle cramps, and to reduce the swelling of skin irritations.
The term “Red Tea” has always been confusing. Red tea is not akin to black, green or white teas. Red tea is made from the South African herbal plant called Rooibos or Red Bush but similar to real teas the Rooibos leaves are rich in antioxidants. This kind of tea has been proven to help boost the immune system, and is also caffeine-free.
“Honeybush Tea” is another herbal tea from Africa which has a sweeter taste than most teas and the fragrance of honey. A cousin of red tea, honeybush tea has no caffeine and very little tannin but plenty of antioxidants. It is used by many people to help alleviate digestive and heart problems that are aggravated by stimulants such as caffeine.
Unusual Varieties
Some other unusual examples from the Tea Association of the USA (www.teausa.org):
Ceylon Breakfast: A blend of fine teas grown on the hillsides of Sri Lanka producing a rich golden liquor with superb flavor. Chai: A blend of black tea with various spices and steamed milk as commonly drunk in India.
Flowery Orange Pekoe: A large leaf size containing an abundance of tip (the leaf bud of the Camellia sinensis plant).
Gunpowder: A type of Green tea which has been rolled into pellets.
Gyokuro: A prized Japanese Green Tea which is rich to the taste and pleasing to the eye. The tea undergoes special handling at every stage of its growth (shaded) and processing (hand-fired).
Imperial Tea: A rolled Green Tea from Ceylon, China, or India made from older leaves. It has a good aroma and is refreshing.
Keemun: A fine grade of Black Tea from China. It has a dark amber color and unique sappy liquor.
Lapsang Soucho: A fine grade of China Black tea with a distinctive smoky flavor which results from a unique drying process. Tea drinkers either love or hate the taste of this unusual tea.
Pan-fired: A Japanese tea which is steamed and then rolled in iron pans to halt further oxidation.
Pingsuey: In Chinese, the term means ice water. A Black Tea from the Hangchow district of Zhejiang Province. An excellent mild tasting tea. Pouchong: Some of the finest quality and high priced teas. A very fragrant tea which is also used as a base for making Jasmine Tea.
Technorati Tags: Flavors, Most, popular, Teas
Posted on Mar 05, 2010 under dried pods |
The beverage industry is a major money making enterprise with many competing advertising messages aimed at the consumer on a daily basis. All beverages including coffees, teas, sodas and bottled water are marketed around a major ingredient – caffeine or no caffeine. In the non-caffeine market segment, consumers will notice many terms used to describe the beverages such “decaffeinated”, “naturally decaffeinated”, and “caffeine-free”. As a general rule, beverages should only be considered “caffeine-free” if there was never any caffeine in the ingredients to begin with. This rules out all coffee beans and tea leaves because both contain caffeine in their unprocessed form. For coffee and tea lovers who do not want caffeine in their drink, they should pay attention to both natural variations in caffeine content of various teas and coffee (some have more and some have less) as well as the physical decaffeination process used to manufacture a specific coffee or tea product.
So far, there is no method of decaffeination that can remove 100% of the caffeine from coffee. The U.S. standard – which is, by the way, a “standard” and not a law – says that a beverage may be labeled “decaffeinated” if 97% of the caffeine content has been removed. Europe generally follows a higher standard which is closer to 99%, but still not foolproof. And beyond the manufacturers’ control, brewing methods and steeping times (length of time a tea bag is left sitting in your hot water cup) drastically affect the level of caffeine that you end up consuming.
Percentages are where thinking about the actual caffeine content of different types of coffee beans, roasts and teas can be useful. For example, Arabica beans normally contain roughly one-half the caffeine of Robusta beans. So whereas a Robusta brew may have 100 mg of caffeine and its decaffeinated equivalent 3 mg, the equal serving of Arabica brew would contain about 50 mg of caffeine and 1.5 mg in the decaf version. Teas also have naturally lower caffeine content than coffee – of any variety. Once you read about the industrial methods of extracting caffeine from a coffee bean, you may want to carefully consider the beverage products you choose.
Misleading Information
A web search of “coffee decaffeination” or “decaffeination processes” will produce many conflicting, confusing, uninformed/incorrect and sometimes purposely misleading results. With so many consumer dollars at stake, and the sordid historical origins of chemical decaffeination (more later) beverage producers do everything they can to reassure consumers that their beverages are safe and healthy. While there is a kernal of truth in most labels, decaf products labeled “naturally decaffeinated” and “water processed” are particularly misleading. The two methods and four agents of decaffeination help to explain why.
Direct vs. Indirect
Contrary to what you will read, there are both direct and indirect methods of chemical, water, carbon and liquefied carbon dioxide processing agents. The terms “direct” and “indirect” do not tell the consumer anything about whether or what kinds of solvents, chemicals or reagents are used to decaffeinate the product. Direct and indirect refers to whether the chemical, water or carbon dioxide solutions come into direct contact with the coffee beans. Indirect processing methods steam the beans, collect and condense the steam and then remove the caffeine from the condensed water by either solvents or carbon-based filtering – thus the beans themselves are not soaked in the solution. After caffeine is separated (by any of the above methods) from the coffee extract, the concentrated liquid containing coffee solids and flavors are soaked back in to the coffee beans. This is why many people claim that decaf has less taste or quality from unadulterated coffee.
Chemical vs. “Natural”
There are currently four types of decaffeination processes: 1) solvent based; 2) charcoal or carbon filtered; 3) “supercritical” carbon dioxide; and 4) triglycerides, a process developed within the last 5 years. All of these processes are performed on green coffee beans before they are roasted.
A point of clarification: you will read a lot about “water-based” processes, but every single method of decaffeination named above uses water in the process. One should therefore not assign any weight to the term “water processed” with one exception, which is the Swiss Water Process that is in fact a specific, patented carbon activated filter method.
Solvent based decaffeination is the earliest and most controversial way to remove caffeine from coffee or tea. Its inventor first used benzene as the separation agent. As benzene began to be recognized as a health hazard, it was replaced by TCE, another controversial industrial solvent. By the 1970’s and 1980’s, TCE was replaced by the chemical methylene chloride which has many advantages but is still suspected of having some carcinogenic risk. Today most processors use only ethyl acetate as a decaffeination solvent.
It is important to note that some producers claim ethyl acetate as “all natural” or “naturally decaffeinated” because the chemical compound does occur naturally in many fruits and vegetables. But the quantity of chemical required for industrial decaffeination means that almost 100% of the time, synthetically manufactured ethyl acetate is used. So far, there are no known health risks linked to the use of ethyl acetate in direct or indirect decaffeination methods.
Charcoal and carbon filtering processes were developed as a direct challenge to solvent-based methods. Using only water, coffee elements are extracted from the beans, filtered through carbon or charcoal to remove the caffeine, and then the extract is replaced back to the bean. The patented Swiss Water Process is touted as a superior method for preserving flavor, because it throws away the first batch of beans and uses the decaffeinated coffee extract to wash and filter the next batch of beans, and so forth. Basically the difference is they are not using pure water to filter the beans, they are using “flavor charged” water that is already saturated with flavor ingredients so only caffeine moves from the beans to the water. Thus there is no re-soaking or re-infusing removed flavor back into the coffee bean, because the flavor has not been removed.
Supercritical carbon dioxide fluid has both gas-like and liquid-like physical properties. You many have also heard of superheated or liquefied gas. Supercritical fluid fills the container like a gas, but can dissolve substances like a liquid – making it an excellent agent for separating an element such as caffeine from a coffee bean. The highly pressurized carbon dioxide is forced through the beans and penetrates deeply, dissolving up to 99% of the caffeine. The carbon dioxide residue evaporates from the coffee beans as they return to room temperature.
Any finally, the newest method of decaffeination uses triglycerides from spent coffee grounds to extract caffeine from raw coffee beans. The beans are soaked in a hot water solution to draw the caffeine to the surface of the beans. Then they are transferred to another container and immersed in coffee oils that were obtained from spent coffee grounds. The coffee oils contain triglycerides, which when heated for several hours at a high temperature, separate the caffeine – but supposedly not the flavor – from the beans. The beans are next separated from the oils and dried. The caffeine is removed from the oils, which are reused to decaffeinate another batch of beans.
All of these decaffeination processes adulterate the natural coffee bean in some way because they are extracting elements from the essence of the bean or tea leaf. While some methods claim to be better or safer than others, the processes are similar, and it can be tough for the consumer to discern which actual method is being used. Decaf drinkers should read product packages carefully and possibly contact the manufacturer to ask about which method they use.
Another alternative is again, just choosing a beverage with low caffeine content to begin with. Modify your intake and brewing methods to preserve flavor while lowering your caffeine exposure. One promising development for the future is the discovery of the enzyme that produces caffeine in the coffee plant itself. Scientists have discovered coffee varieties in Ethiopia containing a small fraction of the caffeine of traditional coffee. Further they are working on developing the enzyme into a commercial way to grow bioengineered, caffeine-free coffee. In the mean time, enjoy your coffee!
Technorati Tags: coffee, Decaffeination, Process
Posted on Mar 04, 2010 under dried pods |
Coffee is enjoyed globally and is widely accepted as among the most popular beverages in the world today. In the United States alone 400 million cups are consumed daily. Espressos are immensely popular in Europe and around 14 billion cups per year are consumed in Italy alone. These are staggering amounts, especially if you consider that the statistics of only 2 countries have been mentioned. Individuals from all walks of life love coffee, and office workers are no exception. Cups and mugs of this heavenly brew provide workers across the globe with the necessary boost and refreshing taste to get their morning off on the right foot. In today’s world of cell phones, email, text messaging and instant messaging, workers have become accustomed to working through many distractions. Most positions in a modern day offices involve a great deal of multi-tasking. Working on your computer, participating in conference calls and managing others are a sample of the multiple tasks that are expected out of today’s workforce. Many offices have gone out of their way to bring in specific services such as dry cleaners and day-care facilities to provide convenience, reduce stress and encourage their workers to focus on their jobs. A coffee service is another of these services which offices have leveraged in order to improve the work environment. Workers, who frequently consume coffee and tea, no longer have to worry about getting coffee throughout the day. Many office coffee services also offer water service and food service as well. Workers can rest assured knowing that these services will be available to them on a daily basis. Online Coffee Services Can Save your Business MoneyCompanies that supply tea or coffee to their staff members or clients are generally unaware of the hidden costs involved in the process. These costs include the time and money spent to shop for supplies as well as the time it takes for your accountant to record the yearly expenses. Businesses that do not have a coffee service or even a break room have to contend with staff members leaving the office to go to the nearest coffee shop for their favourite cup of coffee. This often leads to loss of production and a backlog of work. Making use of an efficient and reliable coffee service provider will put an end to all unnecessary expenses and time wasting activities. Staff members would no longer have to leave the premises, no more shopping for supplies. Besides all these advantages, coffee vendors offer a variety of quality coffees and teas to choose from as well as a range of bottled waters, sodas, snacks and sandwiches. Management and staff members can now enjoy their coffee at their desks while continuing with the job at hand. Freshly brewed coffee has an aromatic scent that will revive any soul that is about to die of boredom or fatigue, especially so if the coffee is supplied by the employer free of charge! In many cases, a happy worker is a productive worker and if it takes a delicious cup of coffee to do the trick then an online coffee service provider is a great solution. Service Offered by Coffee VendorsThere are many coffee vendors that provide coffee machines free of charge. The company only has to order a certain amount from the vendors to be granted this free service. The vendor then undertakes to keep in stock all the requirements needed by the various companies. Faulty equipment is immediately replaced or repaired. Many office coffee services have 24 hour service available to troubleshoot any problems that may arise, and non-scheduled deliveries if the office in question suddenly runs out of a particular item. Water filters are also changed on a regular basis and machine temperature checked. Coffee service providers also offer a free service trial and if it is not to your satisfaction, it can be returned without any obligatory charges.Ordering online is quick, easy and efficient. One of the first requirements of the company is to open an account with the service provider. An account or customer number is required each time an order is placed. Order forms will ask for the company’s name, manager’s name, e-mail address and street address of the company. The customer number must also be provided. The order form provides lists of all the available coffees and quantities that can be ordered. The orders can be in one cup quantities or in cases. The vast selection of teas and iced teas can also be ordered in boxed quantities. Cocoas, which include a wide variety of hot chocolate flavors, are in boxed quantities as well. Sugar, cream cups and lids will also be found on the list. Delivery options are made available as well. Order confirmation is usually done by phone.
Technorati Tags: coffee, Money, online, Save, service
Posted on Mar 03, 2010 under dried pods |
There are many advantages to using a K-Cup to brew your coffee. A K-Cup is a single serving packet of coffee that is used with a Keurig coffee machine. Ground coffee is packed inside the cup along with a filter. A foil lid is placed on top of the K-Cup. When the cup is placed into the coffee machine, the foil is punctured and hot water is forced through the cup and the coffee is brewed directly into a mug. Each K-Cup makes one cup of coffee.
There are many different manufacturers who make K-Cups for Keurig machines, and coffee drinkers have a wide variety of coffees to choose from. There are also K-Cups for teas and hot cocoas, making K-Cups versatile.
What are the advantages to using a K-Cup over traditional coffee?
K-Cups are very simple to use. It is virtually impossible to make a bad cup of coffee with a K-Cup, unless you choose the wrong blend to make. K-Cups brew a quick, delicious cup of coffee. No need to measure coffee from a bag and make a mess. Just pour in water, place the K-Cup in, and put your mug under.
K-Cups also make a fast cup of coffee. Most machines that use K-Cups brew in one to two minutes. No more waiting 10 minutes for an entire pot to brew. You can enjoy multiple brew sizes with the K-Cup system as well. Each K-Cup machine allows users to set the brew size. For a stronger, more potent cup of coffee, a user can select a smaller brew size. For a larger, mellower cup of coffee, a user can select a larger brew size.
Coffee house quality at a fraction of the price basically sums up the K-Cup experience. One of the reasons many people chose to get their coffee from a coffee house each morning instead of from their own kitchen is because the quality tends to be better. With K-Cups, the quality is perfect each time. While K-Cups may be a bit more expensive than traditional coffee, they are far less expensive than a cup from the coffee house each day. If you replace your coffee house coffee each morning with a K-Cup brewer, the brewer will eventually pay for itself in savings. Over time, you will see significant savings.
Utilizing a Keurig coffee machine and K-Cups gives you the exact coffee you want each time. With traditional coffee makers, everyone drinks what has been brewed. With K-Cups, each coffee drinker gets the type and flavor coffee he or she wants.
K-Cups offer an easy system for brewing coffee. There are no beans to grind yet the coffee is always at its freshest because each K-Cup is airtight. There are also no filters to buy or clean, and no glass carafes to break. Since the K-Cup brews directly into a mug there is no glass carafe that will break and be next to impossible to replace. Glass carafes can get stained and grungy looking. No carafe means no cleaning a carafe. In many cases coffee can be saved as well. Sometimes you brew more than you need and end up pouring half a pot down the sink. With K-Cups, you make only as much as you’ll drink.
Organic or fair trade coffee is available for use with K-Cups as well. K-Cups are one of the few single brewing options that offer these green and responsible choices of coffee. K-Cups are a very easy clean up too. They are dry when taken out of the machine and can be thrown in the trash without leaving a messy, drippy trail.
While individual packs of K-Cups from the grocery store might be a bit expensive, there are many online sellers that offer a discount and many K-Cup coffee clubs that regularly send K-Cups at a discount. In fact, Keurig has its own coffee club with many discounts and benefits.
There are also a variety of K-Cup machines available, from heavy duty machines to small machines that can be kept directly on your desk. Since only one cup at a time is brewed, you don’t have to worry about having a hot carafe of coffee waiting to spill or burn.
One more thing you might want to know about K-Cups. Not just anyone can manufacture them. Green Mountain Coffee owns Keurig and the right to license out the making of K-Cups. That means that they need to approve any manufacturer that wants to put its product in K-Cup. This helps to assure quality, because Green Mountain Coffee is committed to making sure their product produces the best cup of coffee drinkers can have.
Most people who have a K-Cup brewing machine rave about the machine and the coffee it makes. Having a perfect cup of coffee, brewed just the way you like it in fewer than two minutes certainly is something to rave about.
Technorati Tags: Advantages, brew, coffee, Keurig, Using
Posted on Mar 01, 2010 under dried pods |
1. Keep your paint in a workable state. Acrylics dry super fast, it’s important that you only squeeze out a little bit of paint at a time. You may want to invest in a small water bottle so that you can regularly moisten your paint when it’s out of the tube.
2. Be sure to blot your brushes. It is recommended to keep a paper towel or cloth next to you as you are painting. Get into the habit of regularly wiping and rinsing your brushes after each use. This helps to prevent wear on the brush’s ferrule and ultimately fights against paper blotches.
3. Use a painting easel to support your unfinished paintings. Look for other types such as French easels that may come included with an canvas carrier and extra room for supplies. When it comes to an easel, do your research and choose the one that is perfect for your artistic flow.
4. Improve your flow and keep your colors vibrant. You may want to use a flow-improver medium rather than simply water while painting. This increases your color flow with minimal loss of color opacity.
5. Use painter’s tape to support your hard edges. Without damaging an existing layer, you can place tape in areas where you want to make sharp lines or avoid painting overall. These tapes do not stick permanently to your artwork and they don’t leave behind any residue.
6. Experiment with your paints. If you are working in mass medias, you can use acrylic paints as an adhesive material. There is no need in wasting glues or time, if you are working on a collage you can use your wet paint as glue.
The other things to keep in mind when using acrylic paints is both blending and glazing. You want to make sure to mix your colors as soon as you squeeze them from the tube. Likewise, while glazing you should do it layer by layer and avoid any buildup. Of course pre-planning is highly recommended. If you know you will be painting with acrylics be sure to invest in the proper acrylics, stay-wet palettes, towels and containers, and of course the appropriate painting easel.
Technorati Tags: Acrylic, painting, Starters, tips
Posted on Feb 28, 2010 under dried pods |
- Giant Oar Pods measure 24 in. to 30 in. by 4 in. wide with 6 inch Stems. Sold in package of 4.
- Available colors: Dark Honey with Light Oak accent and Mahogany Brown.
- Flexible stems assist you in creating your design
- Unique shape and coloring.
- This is an all natural, green and renewable resource product.
Product Description
These fabulous pod oars measure 32 in. They are approximately 4 in. across. The unique pod has a natural design of several warm rich honey colored hues have the flavor of an outdoor design or they are also available in cherry brown. They are on 6 inch bendable stems which will aid you in creating the perfect angle for your design. Sold in package of 4…. More >>
Giant Pod Oars – 32 in. on short Stem, Pack of 4 – Cherry Brown – $28.99
Technorati Tags: $28.99, brown, Cherry, Giant, Oars, Pack, short, stem
Posted on Feb 27, 2010 under dried pods |
There are millions of people who love to start their day with a fresh cup of roasted ground coffee. A strong cup of coffee is the best way to liven up the senses and it can also give you adequate adrenaline to kick start your day. In fact, the mere aroma of roasted ground coffee beans brewing in the percolator can calm your senses. But getting the perfect cup of coffee is not all that easy. It takes a lot of expertise to make a delightful cup of this refreshing drink, especially if you have just ordinary coffee beans.
Brew a perfect cup with freshly roasted coffee
Fortunately, you no longer have to rely on ordinary coffee beans to make the perfect cup of coffee. You can now make home made coffee taste exactly like the ones you get at your favourite coffee store thanks to the introduction of freshly roasted coffee. But the selection of freshly roasted coffee beans is very wide as it includes numerous choices and flavours. Due to this, you can be sure that you will never get bored of drinking coffee.
The most popular type of coffee
Gourmet roasted coffee is definitely the most popular type of coffee found all over the world. This type of coffee is a wonderful treat to the taste buds. But what is it about gourmet roasted coffee that sets it apart from regular coffee? Gourmet roasted coffee includes careful selection, drying, sorting of the coffee beans. But more importantly, it is the roasting of this coffee that makes it special. It is important that the beans are roasted to perfection as over roasting would make it taste burnt and under roasting would make it weak. There are different types of gourmet roasted coffee available to suit every taste.
Of the different types of gourmet coffees, Arabica coffee beans are very popular in a number of places. This is because they are one of the most aromatic and flavourful coffees in the world. Many may not know this, but at least 70% of the coffee in the world is Arabica. There are 25 different types of Arabica coffee beans and more than 6,000 varieties of this coffee. This type of coffee is also known as mountain coffee as it is planted at higher and cooler elevations. This makes the beans grow more slowly and as a result the beans get a deep aroma and flavour.
The best thing about all kinds of gourmet roasted coffee is that they do not really need special preparation to taste great. Simply brewing them in coffee maker machines is enough to make your coffee a great way to start everyday.
Technorati Tags: coffee, freshly, Gourmet, ground, Start, wonderful
Posted on Feb 26, 2010 under dried pods |
The word Gourmet is used to refer to the fancier grade, cut, or quality of many of the foods and beverages we consume. Gourmet foods and drinks have long been associated as the regular fare for the rich and famous who can afford the higher pricing that often accompanies many of these finer food and beverage versions. Coffee is a beverage that has been available in cheap, regular and gourmet versions for a long time and the consumption rate of coffee among people from around the world continues to increase every year. Gourmet coffee may have once only been served in the finest dining establishments and found being served mostly in the homes of the upper class, but gourmet coffee is widely available and affordable to a variety of people and is found in a variety of settings today.
Coffee is made from coffee beans which are found within the berries that develop and ripen on a number of smaller evergreen bush plant species known as the Coffea plant. After ripening, coffee berries are harvested, and then undergo a processing which also includes drying them. It is the coffee beans that remain after the processing and drying of the coffee berries. The beans are then roasted to various degrees which cause them to change physically and in the tastes they produce. Finally, the coffee beans are grinded down into a fine consistency that is commonly known as coffee grounds, and packaged and shipped to destinations around the world where consumers can buy and brew coffee grounds to make coffee in commercial, hospitality, institutional, and residential settings. Some people prefer to grind their own coffee beans before brewing them for coffee. Packaged coffee beans that have not been ground can be purchased in stores and ground using the grinding mills that are made available in most of the stores selling them, but also with grinding machines in the home.
The two most commercially grown species of the coffea plant that produce the coffee beans used to make the coffee that the world’s population consumes, are Robusta and Arabica. Gourmet coffee is made from the top tier coffee beans from the arabica coffea plant. These top tier arabica coffea plants are typically grown at very high altitudes (above 3000ft) with ideal soil and climate conditions. The coffee beans produced have fuller flavors, are more aromatic, and have less caffeine in them than other varieties of coffee beans such as Robustas. The coffee beans of arabica coffea plants grown at lower altitudes are still noted among consumers as having richer flavors than the flavors produced by Robusta coffee beans, but it is only the top tier arabica coffee beans that are considered to be Gourmet, and thereby from which gourmet coffee is derived.
Coffee bean grounds and coffee beans that have not been grinded down need to be stored in air-tight containers and kept cool in order to protect them from losing their flavor. The containers that coffee is typically sold in are not the most ideal for storing coffee for a long period of time. When you arrive home after purchasing coffee grounds at the store, consider transferring the fresh coffee grounds to appropriate storage containers to extend its shelf life and full flavor.
Coffee can be brewed in many ways such as boiling, pressuring, and steeping. Most of us brew our coffee using automatic coffee brewing machines and percolators which use gravity to pull hot water through coffee grounds where the hot water mixed with the oils and essences of the coffee grounds empties into a liquid holding container below. Filters are used to keep coffee granules from being emptied into the carafe or liquid holding container from which the brewed coffee can then be served from because most people do not want to drink the coffee granules. Coffee granules can be very bitter once the flavor able oils and essences have been removed through the brewing process. Plants and flowers love coffee grounds though for anybody who is looking for a greener alternative of what to do with coffee grounds after brewing instead of just throwing them in the trash.
Of course, Gourmet coffee beans are only the beginning to creating a truly gourmet coffee experience for many gourmet coffee drinkers. Some people are quite content with drinking their gourmet coffee black, without adding anything like milk, creamer, sugar or other sweeteners or flavorings, to their coffee. While many others want to enhance their gourmet coffee and drinking experience with tasty additions like milk that is whipped into a froth, sweeteners, and mixing in other flavors like chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and mint, to name just a few. Big name coffee chains sell a wide variety of gourmet coffee with different tasty additions and flavors to appeal to gourmet coffee lovers. However, brewing gourmet coffee at home is usually much cheaper, and you can add what you want to your coffee to satisfy your refined, gourmet tastes.
Technorati Tags: Brief, coffee, Gourmet, Overview
Posted on Feb 24, 2010 under dried pods |
- Photographic Print Title: Near Gweta Baobab Tree in Evening with Dried Pods Hanging from Branches, Botswana
- Artist: Lin Alder
- Size: 18 x 24 inches
Product Description
Near Gweta Baobab Tree in Evening with Dried Pods Hanging from Branches, Botswana is digitally printed on archival photographic paper resulting in vivid, pure color and exceptional detail that is suitable for any museum or gallery display. Finding that perfect piece to match your interest and style is easy and within your budget!… More >>
Near Gweta Baobab Tree in Evening with Dried Pods Hanging from Branches, Botswana Photographic Poster Print by Lin Alder, 18×24
Technorati Tags: 18x24, Alder, Baobab, Botswana, branches, Dried, evening, from, Gweta, Hanging, Near, Photographic, pods, poster, Print, Tree
Posted on Feb 23, 2010 under dried pods |
They say that disco is dead, I say it has been reinvented. Saturday night fever may not be high on the agenda, but all that is disco is back on the club scene and the folks are funking it up in a multi decade mash-up. The eclectic taste of the I pod generation covers everything from James Brown to Britney Spears, with a liberal dose of Debbie Harry and Liberty X. The rules are out of the window, like the veritable rock n roll TV leaving a 5th floor hotel room.
One of the oddest reinventions of the new disco generation is the introduction of headphones in the club. I’ve also heard a rumour that this has been happening at festivals across the country. To combat noise complaints and yet keep the little pixies dancing all night long, wireless headphones are being used as part of the PA system. I can’t quite comprehend how odd it would be to walk in to a dance tent or nightclub, with thousands of people quietly raving. It is a surreal notion, and one that requires a bit of contemplation. Surely its failure would lie in all those folks singing along. What is going to keep them quiet? Sure, it’s not going to be anywhere near as loud as a 35k rig, but it’s going to be a cacophony of wailing cat noises and people still screaming at their mate asking if they want a pint.
The quality of such a system can’t be up to much either. One of the greatest things about going to a really loud rave is the feeling of the bass travelling through your body. Standing in front of the speakers and feeling the air moving with the sound waves, rumbling through, from your toes to your nose. That experience is not going to happen from a pair of headphones. Maybe they have air blasting speaker simulation systems and an earthquake machine or something. Ah, as long as the music is good, the people will dance.
I’m more of a trad disco girl myself, a bit of Jackson 5 or the Bee Gees; a dance floor that is lit up like Manhattan with a liberal injection of dry ice and the obligatory disco ball keep me a happy little dancing bunny. Although I really don’t want to take part in the weird wireless disco vibe, I’m ready to make a move toward the new days of disco. I was miffed enough as it was when CD decks took over from vinyl, and all my DJ friends were up in arms at bedroom DJ’s making up disks and just ‘sticking them on’. The move from vinyl to CD seemed to somehow be cheating at being a DJ as far as the professionals were concerned. I thought it gave other people a chance to play their music, and is surely less painful than carting a flight case of vinyl around the place!
However, the iPod disco babies have another trick up their sleeve, a DJ-less club night. The new style disco nights consists of anyone in the club plugging in their iPod for 3 songs, any songs, and cutting out the mix master altogether. Hang the DJ or what! This is not a good move; the jockey of discdom provides a seasoned and reasoned entertainment service. As a selector of tunes, the DJ seamlessly spins one tune into another, judging the mood of the crowd and dancing them into a crescendo. A spotty Herbert with iPod can’t match that, but an old bloke called DJ Derek can. I was fortunate enough o watch his set at a festival recently and there he was, 75 years old, with his iPod plugged in to the PA and he has the whole crowd grooving to the funkiest tunes this side of the 70s. Goes to show that a good workman doesn’t have to blame his tools – Hail DJ Derek and the return of the Disco Days!
Technorati Tags: Blame, Disco, Equipment, Hang
