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‘Heineken to move into coffee sales’

*Wednesday 31 December 2008

Brewing group Heineken is planning to start selling tea and coffee to bars and cafes in an effort to compensate for the downturn in beer sales, the Telegraaf reports on Wednesday.

Quoting company sources, the paper says Heineken has a new demo centre at its Zoeterwoude complex where coffee can be tested.

A spokesman for the company said more details would be made public in mid January.

© DutchNews.nl

*Source: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2008/12/heineken_to_move_into_coffee_s.php

Shade-Grown Coffee Protects Tree Biodiversity

Photo via prince_tigereye

*by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 12.31.08

We know that shade-grown coffee is much easier on the environment than sunny coffee plantations. They require less fertilizer, prevent soil erosion, require fewer or zero pesticides, the list goes on. NPR’s Science Friday has a cool podcast up about how shade-grown coffee farms also help with the upkeep of biodiversity of the areas, with a higher number of native tree species flourishing in the areas.

From NPR’s Science Friday:

“Shade-grown coffee is sometimes called “bird friendly coffee,” but a new paper in the journal Current Biology suggests that the plantations also help maintain the genetic diversity of native tree species.”

According to Mongabay:

“Shade coffee farms allow birds and bats to move and disperse seeds throughout the coffee landscape, promoting plant gene flow,” said Shalene Jha, a graduate student whose interests in insects led her to studying shade-grown coffee farms. “This is unlike most agricultural systems, which do not provide habitat for seed dispersers, and thus limit the distance plant seeds can move. By supporting important seed dispersal processes, shade coffee farms maintain plant population gene flow across fragmented habitats.”

Looking at this positive aspect of shade grown coffee plantations, researchers note that once the plantation has reached the end of its production life, it has a jump start on quickly becoming reforested.

Yet another reason to be sure the next batch of coffee you buy is shade grown (and organic, and fair trade…)

*Source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/shade-grown-coffee-protects-tree-biodiversity.php

2008 was good for Indian tea, with exports rising

*Wednesday, December 31, 2008 : 1020 Hrs

Guwahati (IANS): The beleaguered Indian tea industry is on a comeback trail after nearly a decade-long recession with exports increasing and prices firming up in the weekly auctions, officials here said Wednesday.

“The year 2008 was pretty encouraging for the Indian tea industry with exports increasing by 20 million kilogrammes from 2007 to 200 million kilogrammes,” Dhiraj Kakaty, secretary of the Assam chapter of the Indian Tea Association (ITA), told IANS.

India is the world’s largest tea producer after China and produced a record crop of 962 million kilogrammes in 2008 compared to 945 million kilogrammes the previous year. The northeastern state of Assam accounted for 55 percent of the total output.

“We are fetching good average prices in the weekly auctions with a kilogramme of tea sold at Rs.90, which is about Rs.22 higher then what we got in 2007.

“The overall mood is vibrant with the Indian tea industry now beginning to look up after a long recession. Overseas demand is on the increase and prices are also firming up mainly due to very good quality teas produced by us, besides shortage of teas in the world market,” Kakaty said.

Pakistan, Egypt, Iran and Iraq and countries in the Middle East figured prominently in the export list. Besides these countries, Kenya has been buying from India to meet its export obligations, while Pakistan has also begun to buy some quantities to meet the shortage arising out of Kenyan production troubles.

The healthy trend would continue with exports expected to further rise in 2009 as there is a global shortfall in tea production, Kakaty said.

India’s $1.5 billion tea industry has been in a slump since 1998, with prices and exports plummeting because of weak domestic demand and increased international competition, coupled with poor quality teas produced in the country. But now the markets are expected to remain strong, both in terms of exports and prices.

The slump in prices and exports was largely attributed to cheap and inferior quality teas produced by many new tea-growing countries like Vietnam, Bangladesh and Iran. This has meant premium quality Indian teas are facing stiffer competition in the global market.

On the whole the mood of the industry is very positive and vibrant once again, Kakaty said.

*Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/015200812311021.htm

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Coffee Bean Roasters

Green (or unroasted) Coffee

*Tuesday, 30 December 2008

Excellent coffee will come in handy if you consider purchasing a coffee roaster at home. Coffee lovers have a variety of brands of sizes of coffee roasters to choose from for home brewing. Nothing beats freshly brewed coffee, brewed right in the comfort of one’s home. You may also create your own coffee concoctions and regale your family and friends.

However, it is important to consume coffee from a roaster at once to experience great flavor. Green coffee beans stay fresh much longer than those that have been through a roaster. Green coffee beans stay fresh as long as six months while those that went through a roaster lasted for only a week. Why is this so? Within a week coffee from the roaster oxidizes. Upon cooling, the roaster continues with its internal chemical process.

Once the coffee is already ground, you cannot be assured of its freshness and quality unless laboratory results show you the facts, whereas, if you have your own roaster, your green coffee is guaranteed one hundred percent fresh, which in turns save you money and frequent trips to the grocery store or to your favorite coffee shop.

You will discover that once you have your own roaster, all the other coffee you have tasted will pale in comparison. Ground coffee from the grocery normally contains fillers, diluting its flavor.

Roasters employ different processes prior to giving you that delectable cup of coffee. An air roaster should not be used for a very long time, as compared to drum roasters, since they transfer heat very quickly in a high-velocity stream of air. A drum roaster, on the other hand, needs to conduct and convert heat coming from the coffee at a slower rate to prevent it from being baked and scorched by heat.

So take your pick from among the roasters advertised on the Internet, and be assured of quality coffee anytime, anywhere.

*Source: http://coffee-online.blogspot.com/2008/12/coffee-bean-roasters.html

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Flavor Your Coffee Naturally

Monin White Chocolate Syrup

*Vanilla hazelnut coffee. Chocolate macadamia nut coffee. Rum spice coffee. Cinnamon hazelnut – you get the idea. Flavored coffee is all the rage, and with good reason. Coffee, delicious on its own, also blends beautifully with a wide variety of flavors. Most major supermarket brands offer at least vanilla and hazelnut coffee, and a number of specialty roasters offer a range of flavors from cinnamon to rum. While some roasters use all natural flavors, most commercial flavored coffees are made with chemical sprays developed in laboratories. Some of those chemicals may not be terrific for your health and none of them are great for your coffee grinder or coffee maker. The oils used to add flavor to the coffee beans are almost impossible to remove from the various parts of the machine with which they come into contact.

So what’s a coffee lover to do if you love flavored coffee? There are a couple of different options to flavor your coffee without affecting your machine – or your health – adversely. Here’s the best suggestions from expert baristas.

Flavored Coffee Syrups

Most baristas choose flavored coffee syrup as the method of choice for adding flavor to your coffee. There are several different brands of coffee flavoring syrups on the market. Some of the brands that you’ll see include Monin, Da Vinci, Torani, Dolce, Stirling, and Senza. I’m most familiar with Torani, which offers a full range of flavored syrups that you can add to coffee.

Syrups are usually made with one of four sweeteners – fruit juice, beet sugar, corn sugar and pure cane sugar. Each of these have a different intensity of sweetness, and every one of the manufacturers has a secret recipe for each of their products.

To use coffee syrup in your coffee, add the desired amount to the espresso or coffee before adding milk, and stir thoroughly to properly dissolve it into the coffee.

Some of the most popular flavors in coffee syrups are vanilla, almond, hazelnut, chocolate and rum. You’ll spend about $7 a bottle for Torani syrup, and get enough to make months worth of flavored coffee. Added bonus – Torani is also great for making Italian soda – just add a squirt to club soda or sparkling water. It’s refreshingly not-too-sweet, and a great choice for your kids.

Flavoring Coffee Beans

If you prefer to brew your coffee with flavored beans, try this. Choose a natural flavor that is highly fragrant. Some choices are vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves, rose petals or citrus peel. Wrap about 1/4 cup of your flavoring agent in a small square of netting or cheesecloth and tie loosely. Drop it into your coffee jar, bag or other coffee storage option. Give the jar or bag a shake to bury the flavoring in the beans and store it – covered and airtight of course – for a day or two. If you want to increase the flavor absorption, spread the beans in a flat layer on a cookie sheet and heat them briefly in the oven – and I do mean briefly. Preheat your oven to its lowest temperature and heat the beans for about five minutes, then dump them into an airtight storage jar along with your flavoring agent. Coffee beans are remarkably absorbent and will pick up the flavors and scents of the spices you’ve added within a couple of days.

*Source: http://www.talkaboutcoffee.com/flavor-your-coffee-naturally.html

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Hawaii coffee traces Obama’s roots

*Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 12:11pm HAST  |  Modified: Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 4:29pm

A Big Island coffee company has made a special blend inspired by President-elect Barack Obama.

Kona coffee farmers Joe and deepa Tiare Alban, owners of Kona Joe Coffee, decided after the election to honor Obama with the Barack O Blend, which is made of Hawaiian, Indonesian and Kenyan coffees.

“The presidential blend honors Hawaii and Kenya, two of the great coffee-growing regions in the world,” deepa Alban said in a statement. “It also is a way to honor Barack Obama’s personal story, which goes from Hawaii to Indonesia and back again, and now reaches all the way to the White House. It’s a way to recognize his place in history.”

The Albans have been growing coffee beans for more than 10 years on their 20-acre plantation near Mount Hualalai.

The special Barack O Blend can be purchased after Inauguration Day for $12.95 for a 7-ounce bag at the farm, or online here.

*Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/12/29/daily20.html?jst=b_ln_hl

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Free coffee, tea at Thruway plazas for New Year’s Eve

*by Leslie Korngold
December 31, 2008

Free coffee and tea will be available to New Year’s revelers traveling on the state Thruway at all 27 travel plazas from 11 p.m. today to 7 a.m. tomorrow, according to the Thruway Authority.

The free service – to keep New Year’s travelers warm and alert – has been offered for 40 years.

“Holidays are always busy travel times, and motorists are encouraged to take frequent breaks if they are feeling fatigued,” Thruway Authority Executive Director Michael R. Fleischer said. “Remaining alert, driving with caution and being aware of your surroundings, especially on New Year’s Eve, are essential for safe and enjoyable travel.”

Fuel and food services from at least one restaurant will be available at each travel plaza. For a complete list of plazas along the system, go to the authority’s Web site here.

The Thruway Authority warns that caffeinated drinks impart only short-term alertness and that frequent breaks are more helpful.

*Source: http://lohud.com/article/20081231/NEWS01/812310331/-1/newsfront

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D+Caf Detects If You’re Drinking Real Coffee Instead of Decaf

*by matt buchanan, 3:15 PM on Tue Dec 30 2008, 5,623 views

I don’t understand drinking decaf coffee. It’s like non-alcoholic beer. Both are crappy, neutered versions of the original. But if you’ve absolutely got to drink decaf, D+caf will make sure it’s the real (fake) deal.

D+caf test strips are simply little strips of paper coated with antibodies that tell if you a beverage is properly decaffeinated, turning up blue lines if it’s got more than 20mg of caffeine per 6oz serving. Even modern decaffeination procedures can’t remove every single trace of caffeine, but between 20 and 30 percent of coffee and tea drinks “contain unacceptably high levels of caffeine” according to the strip’s maker, Silver Lakes Research.

The strips are 98 percent accurate for detecting caffeine, plus you have to use them before you add anything else to your coffee tea, like milk or sugar. And at $10 for a pack of 20, you’re paying 50 cents a strip, instantly propelling even cheap decaf coffee into Starbucks pricing territory. So I’m not sure these are worth the small bit of security that some smartass doesn’t occasionally slip you real coffee instead of decaf.

Besides, how the hell do you decaf people get through the day, anyway? [Discover Testing via MIT Technology Review via Medgadget, Photo: Joshua Scott/MIT TR]

*Source: http://gizmodo.com/5120739/d%252Bcaf-detects-if-youre-drinking-real-coffee-instead-of-decaf

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Health Benefits of Coffee

As a beverage, coffee has become the most popular drink in the world. Its stimulating effects have become one of its main selling points along with the rich aroma and distinct flavor that comes with every cup. Many people may not know it, but drinking coffee may bring with it some added health benefits. Here are just some of them.

Some studies have shown that coffee can help in the fight against some cancehealth benefits of coffee imagers. Researchers have found that coffee may have some anti-cancer properties. This gave evidence to studies that show coffee drinkers having a 50 percent lesser chance of developing liver cancer as compared to non-coffee drinkers. There are also some studies that suggest the beneficial effects of coffee in the lower rates of breast, colon, and rectal cancers in coffee drinkers.

There are also some new studies suggesting that coffee drinking may not lead to people suffering from high blood pressure over time. Although some studies have also shown that coffee may increase blood pressure in people already suffering from the common ailment, it hasn’t been exactly pinpointed as the cause of the development of high blood pressure in people with normal blood pressure. At this point, the influence of coffee in the cardiovascular effects in the body may require some more intensive study and research.

Coffee drinking is also linked in some way to the development of diabetes. Some studies have shown that heavy coffee drinkers may have a 50 percent less chance of developing diabetes compared to light coffee drinkers.  Coffee actually contains substances that help lower blood sugar and can also help in increasing one’s resting metabolism rate when taken regularly. This helps keep the development of diabetes at bay.

There have also been some studies that are able to show coffee being able to protect men from developing Parkinson’s Disease but may not have the same effect in women. The reason for this may be on the difference of hormone production in men and women. There are also other perceived health benefits connected with coffee drinking.

Coffee may help in increasing mental alertness as well as prolong ones waking hours. Drinking coffee may also help in improving short-term memory. Some substances in coffee may also help increase the effectiveness of certain migraine medication.

Although coffee may have these health benefits and more, drinking it in moderation may still apply. Drinking too much coffee regularly may also pose some possible health risks that may include insomnia and increased incidence of irritability and anxiety. Too much coffee may cause heartburn as well as indigestion.

These are just some of the health risks that can be caused by drinking too much of the popular stimulant. Moderation is the wise option in most indulgences. This also holds true to drinking coffee.

*Source: http://frenchpresscoffee.net/Health_Benefits_of_Coffee.html

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Tea ‘healthier’ drink than water

The researchers recommend people consume three to four cups a day

*Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers.

The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates.

Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found.

Experts believe flavonoids are the key ingredient in tea that promote health.

Healthy cuppa

These polyphenol antioxidants are found in many foods and plants, including tea leaves, and have been shown to help prevent cell damage.

“Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so its got two things going for it”
- Lead author Dr Ruxton

Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College London, looked at published studies on the health effects of tea consumption.

They found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack.

Some studies suggested tea consumption protected against cancer, although this effect was less clear-cut.

Other health benefits seen included protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, plus bone strengthening.

Dr Ruxton said: “Drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so it’s got two things going for it.”

Rehydrating

She said it was an urban myth that tea is dehydrating.

“Studies on caffeine have found very high doses dehydrate and everyone assumes that caffeine-containing beverages dehydrate. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid.

“Also, a cup of tea contains fluoride, which is good for the teeth,” she added.

There was no evidence that tea consumption was harmful to health. However, research suggests that tea can impair the body’s ability to absorb iron from food, meaning people at risk of anaemia should avoid drinking tea around mealtimes.

“Tea is not dehydrating. It is a healthy drink”
- Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation

Dr Ruxton’s team found average tea consumption was just under three cups per day.

She said the increasing popularity of soft drinks meant many people were not drinking as much tea as before.

“Tea drinking is most common in older people, the 40 plus age range. In older people, tea sometimes made up about 70% of fluid intake so it is a really important contributor,” she said.

Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation said: “Studies in the laboratory have shown potential health benefits.

“The evidence in humans is not as strong and more studies need to be done. But there are definite potential health benefits from the polyphenols in terms of reducing the risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancers.

“In terms of fluid intake, we recommend 1.5-2 litres per day and that can include tea. Tea is not dehydrating. It is a healthy drink.”

The Tea Council provided funding for the work. Dr Ruxton stressed that the work was independent.

*Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5281046.stm