‘Kaffa’-Co
There are people (just like me) who can’t start (or can’t imagine) their day without having a cup of coffee (or let’s say freshly brewed cup of coffee). I love coffee so much that sometimes I call myself “coffee addicted”, and all coffee lovers can understand this feeling as well. However, drinking a daily cup(s) of coffee isn’t necessarily a bad habit. On the contrary, it’s proven to be healthy, scientists say. Your daily morning coffee provides you with more than just an energy boost. It’s also shown to protect us against Type 2 diabetes and liver diseases as well as lowering the risks of heart failure. Besides the effect on our health, here are some of the more interesting facts about coffee.
Having fallen in love (my lines for tea and coffee because in mountains not necessary to get coffee everywhere — चाय मेरा यार, कॉफी मेरा प्यार) with the quality of coffee, I was all sitting on jhula with my cup of coffee and I did research about it (trust me Coffee lovers around the world who reach for their favourite morning brew probably aren’t thinking about its health benefits or risks. And yet this beverage has been subject to a long history of debate.)So this is the story of ‘Kaffa’, it was started in Ethiopia and here is how the story goes.
Kaffa is the origin of the word “coffee.” It is the name of the region in which coffee was discovered and was located in the ancient country Abyssinia, which is now modern Ethiopia. The brewing of coffee beans began in Kaffa when, in the 9th century AD, a goat herder named Kaldi noticed his goats become energized and excited, prancing about the fields. After eating the berries himself, Kaldi felt equally as elated. He rushed home to share his discovery.
Upon his wife’s recommendation, he brought the berries to the nearest place of worship in the village. After a brief explanation, the Monk deemed the berries to be the “Devil’s work,” and abruptly threw the berries into a nearby fire. Soon thereafter, a sensual and powerful aroma filled the room that could not be overlooked. The monk, who had thrown them in the fire in the first place, ordered the embers be pulled from the fire and for hot water to be poured over them to preserve the smell. Upon drinking the mixture, they experienced the peaceful, warming, and calming sensation it gave them. The after-effects were just as powerful, as they were able to stay alert and discuss important matters for longer periods of time. As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula, it began a journey which would bring these beans across the globe.
Since this seemingly accidental discovery, coffee houses have been vital to the makings of history and society, as we know it today. I think coffee has always been known for bringing people together.
Did you know there were more than 3 attempts to ban coffee? Yes, this is true (Imagine life without coffee…pinch yourself and never imagine that again). Well, it almost happened. In 1511, coffee was banned in Mecca because leaders believed it stimulated radical thinking. And, 16th-century Italian clergymen tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600. The Ottoman leader Murad IV took it even further when he ascended the throne in 1623 by creating the first punishments for drinking coffee, which included beatings and if you were caught the second time, you were sewed into a leather bag then thrown into the sea. Luckily coffee is here to stay and we want to use those good fortunes to deliver you freshly roasted coffee that creates change.
We truly love coffee breaks (I always say it like “I need coffee break”) especially when you need a quick pick — me — up, but how did the word ‘coffee break‘ originate? Well the British may have invented ‘Tea Time’ but America invented the ‘Coffee Break’. In the 1950’s the sale of coffee declined and thanks to an innovative marketing campaign by Pan-American Coffee Bureau, the idea of a coffee break was created. The idea was born by Mr Watson after noticing during World War II some factories started giving their employees a couple of minutes off every shift, during which time some of these workers would drink a quick cup of coffee to wake themselves up.
They say the ‘Coffee Break’ ritual was not fully adopted by American businesses and industries until 1952 due to the Pan-American Coffee Bureau ad campaign to “Give Yourself a Coffee-Break — and Get What Coffee Gives to You”. It actually almost set-off a strike in 1964 by the United Auto Workers who demanded a daily 15-minute Coffee Break in their contracts. There you have it, we do indeed love our coffee, and it is part of culture.
Recently I went to a new café near my house with my brother and he ordered coffee for us. His words ‘I like to have dark roasted coffee and one cold coffee please.’ I was all shocked because it was for the very first time that he said I like strong coffee (…and I was all thinking about my coffee at home, till now I was the only person in the house who drinks strong coffee now he’s too). A true coffee connoisseur will ask “Do you mean in taste or caffeine?” The coffee making process has it that the lighter the roast, the more caffeine it contains.
Let me explain, as coffee beans absorb heat in the roasting process, their colour becomes darker, and oils appear on the surface of the beans at higher temperatures. The longer that it is roasted, the more it loses its original flavour and the oil contained. This oil is what contains the caffeine and makes the coffee what it is. Light roasts are light brown in colour, with a light body and no oil on the surface of the beans. Light roasts usually have a toasted grain taste and pronounced acidity. The origin flavours of the bean are retained to a greater extent than in darker roasted coffees. It also retains most of the caffeine from the coffee bean. The problem is that some consumers just don’t like light roasted coffee because the taste can be extreme. Light roasted beans generally reach an internal temperature of 180°C — 205°C. At or around 205°C, the beans pop or crack and expand in size.
Medium roasted coffees are medium brown in colour and have a good amount of body. They have no oil on the bean surfaces. They are known to exhibit a more balanced flavour, aroma, and acidity. This roast is usually recommended by coffee experts because it is a compromise that often brings out the best flavours in coffees. Caffeine is somewhat decreased, but there is more caffeine than that of dark roasts per bean. Medium roasts reach internal temperatures between 210°C and 220°C — between the end of the first crack and just before the beginning of the second crack.
Dark roasted coffees are dark brown in colour, like chocolate, or sometimes almost black. They are usually considered bold, rich and dark. However, in unskilled hands or inexpensive beans can give you a charred, acrid or burnt flavour. This flavour can eclipse the origin flavours in the roasting process. They have a sheen of oil on the surface, which is usually evident in the cup when the dark roast coffee is brewed. The coffee will generally have a bitter and smoky or even burnt taste. The amount of caffeine per bean is decreased compared to the light and medium roasts.
It’s an industry secret that when you have beans you’re trying to use up rather than putting them on sale you put them into a French Roast. Almost anything tastes alike in a French Roast (sorry, coffee roaster friends).To reach the level of a dark roast, coffee beans are roasted to an internal temperature of 240°C — about the end of the second crack — or beyond.
Although caffeine levels differ, the difference is marginal and dependent on how you measure your coffee. If you measure your coffee by scoops, light roast will have more caffeine. Since the beans are denser than a dark roast. However, if you weigh out your scoops, they will both have similar amounts of caffeine per cup. Most people at home measure them by scoops compared to commercial coffee makers that usually go by weight.
So our conclusion is it really is dependent on preference and taste. If you want a strong kick of caffeine then we suggest a lighter roast but if you want a bold taste then darker roast it is. However, if you are getting a cup of coffee from a coffee shop, barista or a commercial brewing machine that brews according to weight then the difference in caffeine is minor.
For me, medium roast is my preference and recommendation because it provides a balance of caffeine, keeps the original flavour and still has a bit of that boldness.
For me life is scary without coffee that’s why I always say ‘Hakuna Ma’Coffee’.
