Coffee Introduction

And now a few words on coffee. Coffee should never be merely the beverage at a meal. Coffee shoul be the center of any sit-down, if not the ONLY thing consumed. The odd doughnut or slice of cheesecake is allowed, though not prefered.

Coffee must be drank from a porcelin mug, that must be larger than a dixie cup. The main reason that styrofoam and plastic just don't feel right, and more importantly, your spoon (which must be metal) will not "clink" properly through the various stages of stirring unless porcelin is used. The mug mist be large so that you do not need to refill it too frequently, and so that stirring may properly take place without spillage.

Stirring occurs in very distinct stages. First a rotary swirling which makes the coffee form a small whirlpool and dip slightly in the center. Over ambition at this stage will cause spillage over the side-- something to avoid and to caution beginners of. Next, the cross-stroke, with follows a chord form one side of the mug to the other, passing roughly through the mug's geometric center, and which is generally made towards you so that over-ambition at this stage will slop coffee on you and not your comapanion. That cross-stroke creates random eddies in the coffee and effect proper mixing of the cream or sugar, or atleast stirs up the sediments. Finally the removal. The spoon should be tapped lightly on the rim of the mug, two or three times to knock off any large drops. DO NOT lick spoon to remove final drops. Spoon will leave a stain whereever you place it, so place it accordingly.

Companionship is the most overlooked part of drinking coffee. At its finest coffee is never consumed alone. However the proper companion is important. They should not talk too much, nor require that you talk too much. Talking limits one's ability to savour the moment and the brew. If silences are embarrasing between you and someone, do not drink coffee with them. If looking blankly at someone, or if being looked blankly over a mug bothers either of you, do not drink coffee together. Never drink coffee with someone drinking tea-- they are COMPLETELY INCOMPATIBLE experiences.

Coffee should be strong. Hot, brown colored water does not coffee make. But this does not mean it should taste like kerosene—coffee should be smooth, almost like melted, unsweetened chocolate. There is no such thing as good instant coffee. Nor will decaffinated coffee ever hack it. Also, sugar should always be used to sweeten-- never some artificial placebo. How much fat can one lump of sugar slap on your thighs?-- use the real stuff, because deep down you know nothing tastes the same.

And finally where to go with the perfect companion to drink this, hopefully, not completely repulsive cup of something they're calling coffee. The place must exist cafe style. Lots of small tables. Little oraganization. There should be a light buzz of conversation around you. Enough indistinct noise to cover the sound of you breathing, but not enough to cover the "clinks" of the removal stage of stirring. Well lit. Airy. Coffee is a private experience that can only be properly appreciated in a public place. If there aren't other people around who are screwing thier coffee experience up completely you do not realize how wonderful yours is Always exhale after finishing a cup and enjoy the heat and flavor of your breath.

Lastly, if you are a man, then remember that just because your well-sized, porcelin mug has a handle doesn't mean you have to use it. Assuming you have fairly large hands you can merely grip the mug near the top with the tips of your thumb and fore- and middlefinger, with the ringfinger draped around the handle so that you know where it is and don't bop yourself in the nose with it, and drink from the mug that way. Women must always use the handle, and putting two fingers through the hole is allowed. Sexist as it may sound, women and men approach coffee and food in general in different manners, ie, civilized versus "what's the extra fork for?".

The following information is reproduced from a brochure available at Starbucks (Seattle, Chicago, Portland OR, and more...) It appears here with permission. Modulo typos, the information here is verbatim, except I left out a long description of the >30 types of coffees you can buyfrom Starbucks. If you want a copy of this brochure, or one of three others they have put out for coffee education, you can call them at 1-800-445-3428. (or w/in WA, (206) 447-1575)

Coffee tasting terminology ranges from easily understandable to highly technical, and some of the more esoteric terms may be a little difficult to decipher.

This short vocabulary list explains some basic phrases that will help increase your understanding of fine coffees.

Flavor, acidity, and body are the three fundamental tasting terms.

Flavor is the total impression of aroma, acidity and body. It can be used in a general sense ("this coffee is flavor- ful"), or with specific attributes in mind ("this coffee has a flavor reminiscent of chocolate").

Acidity is the sharp, lively quality of all high-grown cof- fees. Acid is not the same as bitter or sour, and has noth- ing to do with objective pH factors. Acidity is the brisk, snappy quality which makes coffee refreshing and palate- cleansing.

Body is the tactile impression of the weight of the brewed beverage in the mouth. It may range from watery and thin, through light, medium and full, to buttery or even syrupy in the case of some Indonesian varieties.

OTHER USEFUL TERMS

Aroma is the odor or fragrance of brewed coffee. Bouquet is a less frequently used term, and refers only to the smell of coffee grounds. Aroma is often distinctive and complex. Terms used to describe aroma include: caramelly (candy or syrup-like), carbony (for dark roasts), chocolaty, fruity, floral, herbal, malty (cereal-like), rich (over-used), rounded, spicy.

Bitter is a basic taste perceived primarily at the back of the tongue. Dark roasts are intentionally bitter, but bitterness is more commonly caused by overextraction (too little coffee at too fine a grind). Bitter is not a synonym for sour.

Bland is the pale, insipid flavor often found in low-grown coffees. Underextracted coffee (made with too little coffee or too coarse a grind) is also bland.

Briny is a salty sensation caused by application of exces- sive heat often brewing. You'll recognize it as the fami- liar smell of "truck stop" coffee.

Earthy is often used to describe the spicy, "of the earth" taste of Indonesian coffees. Carried to an extreme, as in the case of the cheap filler coffees used in commercial blends, earthy can become dirty, an obviously undesirable sensation caused by poor processing techniques like drying beans on the ground.

Exotic refers to a coffee with unusual aromatic and flavor notes, such as floral, berry, and sweet spice-like quali- ties. Coffees from East Africa and Indonesia often have such characteristics.

Mellow is a term for well balanced coffee of low-to-medium acidity.

Mild denotes a coffee with harmonious, delicate flavor. Fine, high-grown Latin American coffee is often described as mild. It is also a coffee trade term for any arabica coffee other than those from Brazil.

Soft describes low-acid coffees such as Indonesians, that may also be called mellow or sweet.

Sour is a primary taste perceived mainly on the posterior sides of the tongue, and is characteristic of light-roasted coffees.

Spicy refers to an aroma or flavor reminiscent of a particu- lar spice. Some Indonesian arabicas, especially aged cof- fees, evoke an association with sweet spices like cardamom. Others, such as Guatemala Antigua, are almost peppery.

Strong technically refers to the degree of presence of vari- ous taste defects and virtues, or to the relative proportion of coffee solubles to water in a given brew. In popular use, it's often the assertive flavor of dark-roasted beans. It is also incorrectly associated with high caffeine con- tent. In fact, caffeine is actually highest in bland canned coffees, due to the large percentage of high-caffeine robusta coffees they typically contain.

Sweet is used as a general term for smooth, palatable cof- fee, free from defects and harsh flavors.

Tangy is a darting sourness, almost fruit-like in nature, related to wininess. A fine high-grown Costa Rican coffee is frequently tangy.

Wild describes a coffee with extreme flavor characteristics. It can be a defect or a positive attribute, and denotes odd, racy nuances of flavor and aroma. The textbook example is Ethiopia Harrar, a coffee which nearly always exhibits such flavors.

Winy is a desirable flavor reminiscent of fine red wine. The contrast between fruit-like acidity and smooth body creates flavor interest. Kenyan coffees are a classic exam- ple of winy coffee flavor.

Coffee flavor and aroma may be classified according to geo- graphic origin. Coffees, like wine grapes, get much of their flavor from the specific growing conditions and preparation methods of each producing region. Each region has common characteristics that you can learn to recognize.

Central and South American coffees are generally light-to-medium bodied, with clean lively flavors. These are the most popular varieties Starbucks sells, and their balance and consistency make them the foundation of good coffee blending an well. This category includes coffees like Colombia, Costa Rica Tres Rios, Guatemala Antigua and Mexico. Kona, though geographically a product of the Pacific islands, falls within this Latin American range of taste and aroma.

East African coffees are unique and under-appreciated. They often combine the sparkling acidity of the best Central Americans with unique floral or winy notes, and typically are medium-to-full bodied. These coffees are found in the morning cup of nearly every professional coffee taster. The category includes Kenya, Ethiopia Sidamo and Yergacheffe and Ethiopia Harrar.

Indonesian coffees are at the opposite end of the spectrum from Latin American coffees. Usually full-bodied and smooth, low in acidity, and often possessing earthy and exotic taste elements. Their fullness and depth make them an important "anchor" component of choice blends like Gold Coast and Yukon Blend. This group includes Estate Java, Sumatra Boengie, Papua New Guinea and Sulawesi.

Dark Roasts use coffees of varying geographic origins to provide a specific range of flavors, from the caramel spice of Espresso, to the smoky tang of Italian Roast, to the pungent roastiness of French Roast. The difference at Star- bucks is using specific, varietal-quality coffees in each dark roast blend.

Blends combine varietal tastes to create greater complexity and completeness. Typically, a blend might play off Central American acidity with Indonesian smoothness, or spice up a delicate varietal with the tang of a dark roast. Blending, at its best, is high art, offering a unity in diversity which few straight coffees can match.

Some roasters use the opportunity to dump low-grade filler coffees into the mix, to "extend" the blend along with their profit margins. At Starbucks, we blend according to taste, using premium quality beans to create a balanced brew, har- monious in body, acidity and aroma, seeking an overall fla- vor that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Decaffeinated coffees are growing in popularity and--we are pleased to note--in quality and availability, as well. Some find the effects of too much caffeine unpleasant; others are looking for a hot cup to enjoy before bedtime. Whatever the reason, Starbucks is here to ensure that these deserving souls are not condemned to drink the thin, flavorless decaf- feinated blends sold in supermarkets. We are proud to offer a complete selection, both in water and traditional processes, in regular and dark roasts.

Take one pound of your favorite coffee, regular grind and put it in a glass bowl
Add 8 cups of cold water
Poke the floating coffee down into the water so all the grounds are wet
Let the bowl stand in a cool, dark place for 10 to 20 hours
(depending on how strong you want the concentrate)
When the brewing period is over, use a large coffee cone and filter to filter
the concentrate into an airtight bottle and store in the refrigerator.
For hot coffee, use 1 to 2 ounces per cup.

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(4 cups, filter coffee maker)
3 1/4 tsp. dandelion root (roasted, ground fine)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
dash nutmeg

OR

(5 cups, plastic perk-type pot for microwaving)
2 tblsp. dandelion root (roasted, med grind)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg

Cook on high in microwave for 7 mins.

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One double espresso. An equal amount of frothed milk. two teaspoon hershey's cocoa. one teaspoon sugar-in-the-raw. Your best newspaper. One cold winter Sunday Afternoon.

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Get some strong coffee beans (preferably espresso) and grind them corsely. (Fine will work too, but it's a pain in the end). Take the grounds, dump them in cold water, stir it up, and stick it in the fridge. The next day, most of the grounds will have risen to the surface. Get a spoon and remove as much as you can. Then, pour the rest through cheese

cloth. That's it.

Now, when we made it, the proportions were 6 lbs coffee to 5 gallons of water. When I make it at home, i use 2 cups of coffee to a standard pitcher of water. It's safer to use extra coffee grounds 'cause you can always dilute it.

Also, you can add some vanilla to the stuff. Though, what i do at home, is to mix espresso beans with amaretto beans.

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Cinnamon - Place 1/2" of cinnamon stick in a coffee grinder, grind for a few seconds and then add coffee beans and process to your preference.

Orange - I dry strips or orange peel (the zest only) and put 1/2 of strip in the coffee grinder with the beans, typically it works out to be about 1/10 to 1/12 of the entire orange zest.

Mocha - 1/8 t of cocoa powder in the coffee grinds, be careful too much cocoa will clog the coffee filter.

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1/2 C. strong coffee.
1/2 C. milk (non-fat dry milk and water works fine)
1-2 t. sugar, honey, whatever

Mix together. Blend at highest blender speed for about 1 minute. Pour into a glass and drink with a straw.

Notes:

- This works best if everything is cold (if you make fresh coffee, mix it with the milk and let it sit in the fridge for 1/2 hour.

-If it is not frothy, add more milk, or even just some more milk powder.

-The froth gradually turns to liquid at the bottom of the glass, so you will find that you can sit and drink this for about 1/2 hour, with more iced coffee continually appearing at the bottom. Very refreshing.

I used to have problems getting milk steamed just right using the steam tube on my espresso machine. I've devised a foolproof way of getting perfect frothed milk: Measure about a cup of milk (I've used 1%, 2%, and whole milk successfully) into a blender. Whirl until you've got a fair amount of foam (about five seconds). Pour into a microwaveable container. Nuke on high power for about five seconds. It really works!

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1/4 cup instant coffee granules
1/4 cup sugar or equivalent sweetener
1/4 cup hot water
4 cups cold milk

Mix together until coffee and sugar is dissolved. Add milk. Shake well. Using a blender or milk shake maker produces a very foamy drink.

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2 teaspoons Kahlua
cooled strong coffee

Mix together in a glass and chill before serving.

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4t unsalted mirin
1C soy milk
1t lime juice
1/2C grain coffee
1C boiling water
2C unsalted mirin

Whisk together mirin, soy milk and lime juice and set aside. Just before serving, combine grain coffee, boiling water and mirin and pour into mugs. To add the 'cream', hold a spoon upside down just over the surface of the liquid and gently pour on 1/4 of the 'cream'.

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3.5 cups water
1 3 inch piece cinnammon, broken into pieces
8 green or white cardamon pods, crushed
3 whole cloves
1/2 by 3 inch strip of fresh or dried orange peel
5 fresh basil leaves
2 heaping teaspoons leaf tea, or 3 bags orange pekoe or Darjeeling

Pour water into an 8 cup glass measure. Heat uncovered, at 100% power in 700 watt microwave for 7 minutes, or until water comes to a boil.

Add all ingredients. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes, or until color of tea comes out. Remove from oven and pour into a warmed teapot. Serve tea strained into cups and pass milk and sweetener as desired.

Variation

To make 1 cup classic spiced tea, combine 1 cup water with 1 inch piece cinnammon, 2 whole cardamon cloves, 1 whole clove, 1/2 by 1 inch piece orange peel, 1 basil leaf and 1 heaping teaspoon leaf tea or 1 teabag into 2 cup measure. Cook uncovered on high for 2 minutes. or until water boils. Serve as suggested above.

Presentation Bonus:

Peel an orange in a spiral, sticking cloves in the peel.
Pour a small amount of whiskey down the spiral. Ignite.

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Masala Chai (Spicey Indian Tea)

3 - 4 Tea Spoons/4 Teabags of good tea (Darjeeling/Orange Pekoke/Lipton)
A chunk of dry ginger (or fresh ginger if dry isn't handy)
3 - 4 cardmom pods, crushed (See Note below)
3 Cloves
Small piece of cinnamon
A Tsp of SOANP (Can be found at Indian grocers & indian resto -look cummin seeds)
1 or 2 whole black peppers (optional)
Sugar to taste

Milk (atleast Vitamin D, low fat won't do)

Bring 2 cups of water to boil (microwave or otherwise). Add all the ingredients and boil again for about 15 seconds. Let stand for a minute. Warm milk in a pot. Filter tea into cups. Add milk and sugar. That's IT.

Note: Since cardmom is expensive, I peel them and add the skin to my stock of tea leaves. This gives a distinct aroma. Of course you boil the skin with water.

If you don't like to spend much time, mix all the spices and coarsley grind them. Boil water and add tea and a tsp of this ground spices. Rest is as above.

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Espresso
Honey
Unsweetened cocoa

Brew espresso; for this purpose, a Bialetti-style stovetop will work. In a coffee mug, place 1 teaspoon of unsweetened powdered cocoa; then cover a teaspoon with honey and drizzle it into the cup. Stir while the coffee brews; this is the fun part. The cocoa seems to coat the honey without mixing, so you get a dusty, sticky mass that looks as though it will never mix. Then all at once, presto! It looks like dark chocolate sauce. Pour hot espresso over the honey, stirring to dissolve. Serve with cream (optional). I have never served this cold but I imagine it would be interesting; I use it as a great hot drink for cold days, though, so all my memories are of grey skies, heavy sweaters, damp feet

and big smiles.

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8 cups water
5 tea bags
1 cup sugar
1/2 of a large can of OJ probably about 16oz (not concentrated)
1/2 small can of pineapple juice (about 8ox, again not concentrated)
3T lemon juice
1 T whole cloves

First make tea in the water. Then add all the other stuff. SIMMER at least 1/2 hour. Makes a nice smell in the kitchen at Christmas parties.

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Mix 1/4 cup instant tea with 1 cup Tang (powdered orange drink).
Add 1 T cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar. Adjust mixture to your taste.
To make a cup of Russian Tea add about 2 T mixture to a large glass of water.

Variations:

- Use other powdered fruit drinks (eg. lemonade or Kool-Aide) or add different spices (eg. ground cardamon, ginger, mint).
- Avoid the caffine and sugar by using decaf'd instant tea and yourf avorite sweetening chemicals.
- Make it from fresh ingredients: fresh brewed tea, real fruit juice.

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3 cups Tang
1 cup Instant Iced Tea Mix
1 pkg (scoop) Instant Lemon Drink Mix (powdered lemonade)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves

Two teaspoonfulls to one cup of VERY hot water.. Does wonders for sore throats, contains LOTS of vitamin C, and is delicious to boot. *smile*

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Incidentally, a pinch of cinnamon is indeed a nice addition to coffee but true heaven is a cardamom seed

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6 tablespoons whole rich coffee beans, ground fine
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander powder
4 or 5 whole green cardamom pods, ground
Place the coffee and spices in the filter cone of your coffee maker.

Brew coffee as usual; let it cool.

In a tall glass, dissolve 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar in an ounce of the coffee (it's easier to dissolve than if you put it right over ice). Add 5-6 ice cubes and pour coffee to within about 1" of the top of the glass.

Rest a spoon on top of the coffee and slowly pour whipping cream into the spoon. This will make the cream float on top of the coffee rather than dispersing into it right away.

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Strong, black ground coffee
Sugar
Evaporated (not condensed) milk
Cardamom pods

Prepare a pot of coffee at a good European strength (Miriam Nadel suggests 2 tablespoons per cup, which I'd say is about right). In the ground coffee, add 2 or 3 freshly ground cardamom pods. (I've used green ones, I imagine the brown ones would give a slightly different flavor.) Sweeten while hot, then cool quickly.

Serve over ice, with unsweetened evaporated milk (or heavy cream if you're feeling extra indulgent). To get the layered effect, place a spoon atop the coffee and pour the milk carefully into the spoon so that it floats on the top of the coffee.

1/4 c strong Thai tea
1/2 c boiling water
2 t sweetened condensed milk
Ice cubes
Mint leavs (for garnish)

Combine Thai tea (i.e., the powder), boiling water, and sweetened condensed milk; stir until blended. Pour into 2 tall glasses filled with ice cubes. Garnish with mint leaves. Makes 2 servings.

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Thai iced tea is made from a mixture of ingredients called "chaa". You can get it at some Asian food stores. There is also Thai iced coffee, made from a mixture called "oliang". Oliang is usually made from coffee beans, roasted tamarind seeds, roasted corn, and sesame seeds. Sorry, I don't know what goes into chaa, except that one of the ingredients is yellow food coloring.

The following recipe will work for either Thai Iced Coffee or Thai Iced Tea:

6 Tbs. oliang or chaa
6 cups boiling water
2 - 3 Tbs. sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Finely grind the oliang or chaa mix in a coffee mill. Place in a filter and drip as you would regular coffee. While still hot, add the sugar and condensed milk. Let cool. Add evaporated milk and serve over ice.

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3.5 c water
1/3 c Thai tea (no other explanation for tea type)
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c condensed milk
1/2 c half & half

Heat the water to boiling, then using four layers of cheesecloth as a filter, pour the water through the tea _four_ times (Why? I don't know; I plan on steeping the tea until it reaches the right color.). Set the tea aside to cool. Mix together the remaining ingredients. Fill glasses with crushed ice; pour milk/sugar mixture about 1/2 full into each glass;

carefully pour cooled tea over top to preserve separation. Serve.

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Thai tea is packed in 1 lb. cellophane packets; it has the texture somewhat like instant coffee and a faint vanilla aroma. (I buy it at an Asian market in town.)

1/2 c Thai tea
3 c Water
14 oz Sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 c Evaporated milk or half-and-half

1. Place the tea in a bag of muslin or other fine cloth. Bring the water to a rapid boil, pour it over the tea, and let it steep for 3 min. Pour the liquid back through the tea 5 or 6 times until it is a deep orange color and is flavored strongly.

2. Strain the tea well, pressing out all the liquid that you can. Add the sweetened condensed milk to the warm liquid and mix it well. Allow the mixture to cool to room temp.

3. Just before serving, fill each glass with cracked ice and fill it half to three quarters full of tea. Add evaporated milk or half-and-half to fill the glass, and stir well.

Variation: If you prefer a darker colored and stronger flavored tea, substitute 3/4 cup granulated sugar for the sweetened condensed milk.

---The recipe for Thai coffe is exactly the same as above except you use

1/3 c of Thai coffee in place of the tea.---

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Turkish Coffee

1. Put some arabica beans, some granulated sugar, and a non-trivial number of cardamom seeds into the grinder and reduce to a fine powder.
2. Put powder into an ibrik (a middle-eastern copper brewing kettle, roughly triangular in shape with a long handle) together with some water.
3. Bring to a boil (just until it spills over the sides of the ibrik and deposits some grounds on the range burner). Let cool for severals minutes. Repeat this step twice more (enjoying that oh! So distinctive burned.
4. Pour into tiny cups, let stand a minute or two for the grounds to settle into a sludge at the bottom, and sip the sweet brew until mouth region encounters aforementioned sludge.
5. Get next section of Sunday paper, and repeat items 1-4. By Sunday noon, a tremendous buzz will have happened, and you'll be ready to conquer the world.

Adendum:

You forgot "bang the ibrik against the side of the range", which comes right after removing it from the flame when it boils over. I'm not sure but I think you're supposed to do this either 1 or 3 times on each iteration.

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Same coffee (see Melya)
Sweetened condensed (not evaporated) milk
Ice

Make even stronger coffee, preferably in a Vietnamese coffee maker. (This is a metal cylinder with tiny holes in the bottom and a perforated disc that fits into it; you put coffee in the bottom of the cylinder, place the disc atop it, then fill with boiling water and a very rich infusion of coffee drips slowly from the bottom.)

If you are using a Vietnamese coffee maker, put two tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of a cup and put the coffee maker on top of the cup. If you are making espresso or cafe filtre (the infusion method where you press the plunger down through the

grounds after several minutes of infusion), mix the sweetened condensed milk and the coffee any way you like.

When the milk is dissolved in the coffee (yes, dissolved *is* the right word here!), pour the combination over ice and sip.

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For each cup of tea, begin with 10 ounces of water. Bring the water to a rapid boil and add (for each cup):

3 whole cloves
4 whole green cardamon pods
4 whole black peppercorns
1/2 stick cinnamon
1 slice fresh gingerroot (optional)

Let this boil, covered, for 15-20 mins (longer for larger amounts of tea). Then add:

1/4 teaspoon of any black tea
1/2 cup cold dairy milk (per cup of liquid)

If you wish to make more than one quart, you will need less spices. A good amount of spices to use for 2 quarts of Yogi Tea, is about 20 each of cardamom pods, peppercorns and 15 each of cloves. For cinnamon, use about 3 sticks, and 1 T of black tea. Boil for at least 30 mins. Use 1 quart of milk.

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Make a jar of spices cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, gingerroot (dry), peppercorns, cherry bark, fennel seeds, anise, almonds, carob, crystal malt...

Use about 2 T spice mix to a quart of water.
Black tea and milk are optional.
Add some honey when cooking.

Yogi Tea is also sold in your local health food store tea section.