coffee

Where do Coffee Beans Grow?

While there are many countries throughout the world which grow coffee beans, the majority of our beans come from Brazil, Columbia, Indonesia and Mexico, respectively. Coffee trees are a bit persnickety about the sunlight, moisture and temperatures that they require to grow well. Plants that are grown at higher altitudes tend to yield more flavorful beans, since the lack of oxygen in these areas offers the plants a longer time until harvest and allows the flavor to develop more fully. Coffee beans are distinguished by whether they grow in a high or low area, the flavor of the beans and the aroma. Arabica beans tend to have the most flavor and aroma, while Robusta beans offer an earthier aroma and taste.

Keeping Coffee Beans Fresh

There are many versions of how Irish coffee came into play but so far no one can prove the real origin. Some say it was invented in Ireland and was intended to help travelers keep warm while traveling the Atlantic Ocean. It is said that Stanton Delaplane brought the drink to the United States and convinced the Buena Vista bar in San Francisco to put it on their drink menu. Whatever the origin, the Buena Vista bar is one of the most popular spots to drink this Irish coffee.

Typically the Irish coffee consisted of black coffee, sugar, whipped cream, and Irish whiskey. This combination allowed for a smooth tasting drink that caught on rather quickly. Today there are different variations which contain bourbon whiskey and Baileys Irish Cream. Many health conscious people will also leave out the sugar or replace it with a sugar substitute to get the added sweetness. It was said that without sugar, the cream will settle to the bottom instead of floating on top. Later it was discovered that the cream needed to be frothed in order to produce the consistency needed to float.

Irish Festival Serves Up Best Irish Coffee

Each year in Montgomery, NY the town hosts an Irish festival to pay honor to the Irish heritage. Each year the festival offers traditional Irish crafts, dancing, food, and lots of Irish coffee. The festival takes place in Orange County Park which offers a tranquil setting for a day of fun and relaxation.

Enjoying Irish Coffee at Home

A Marriage of Flavors

Chocolate and coffee work well together, so much that some chocolates in Europe will have recommended servings that include serving with coffee, particularly dark chocolates.  However, any kind of chocolate can make great chocolate covered coffee beans, even white chocolate.  This sweet, crunchy snack gives you the mellow flavor of one of the favorite candies in the world with the tang and aroma of coffee.  And even better, this is a snack with kick, since you’ll get a little caffeine rush from eating chocolate covered coffee beans.

Making Your Own

Some people are serious enough about their coffee to buy their own beans and grind them.  If you’re serious about your coffee, then you can be just as serious about your chocolate covered coffee beans.  By purchasing your own beans and chocolate, you’re guaranteed a quality product.  

Making this great snack food is a snap; all you need is a pot to carefully melt the chocolate in, and some sort of device, whether a fork or a strainer, to remove the beans.  Once the chocolate is melted, simply place the beans in the pot to coat, and then remove with the fork.  Set on wax paper to harden overnight, and you’ll have a great snack that you made from scratch.

Buying Beans

The selection of coffee beans can be important in the making of chocolate covered coffee beans.  You want to buy a medium or dark roast, since a light roast will simply be too acidic for chocolate covered coffee beans.  This is one reason why chocolate covered espresso beans are a popular sell, since it’s a very dark roast.  

Espresso coffee is usually enjoyed alone with a rich, bold taste that stands up very well on its own. It has a distinctive aroma which is similar to freshly ground coffee, only richer. Many people like to enjoy a cup of espresso coffee in the afternoon as a pick-me-up. The concentrated flavor and caffeine level serves to give you an energy burst, especially if you are feeling sluggish after a big meal.

Espresso coffee involves extracting only the best parts of the coffee bean by using water and pressure. You can purchase machines for the home that will produce some surprisingly good espresso coffee. It is best if you do some research before purchasing one of the machines since they offer different ways to extract the coffee bean flavor. The cheaper home machines usually put out a bitter tasting espresso which is not that great to drink. By paying a little more for a quality machine you will find that the difference in the taste of the espresso is well worth the difference in price of the machine.

Enjoying the Perfect Grind at Home

Learning how to produce a great cup of espresso coffee will take practice and patience. Creating that special blend will take a lot of hands-on tasting experience. There are websites that offer suggestions and help with this process.

Espresso is quite often dark roasted which will turn out bitter. A light roast is usually sweeter and offers the best aroma. Espresso is best if brewed within four days of roasting. The grind is also an important factor in flavor. Typically espresso is ground finer than regular coffee. The best taste is achieved when it is brewed just after the grinding process. This is when you get the maximum benefit of aroma and taste.

Water temperature for brewing espresso coffee is usually best if it is just under the boiling point. This prevents the coffee from having a bitter flavor. When looking to purchase an espresso machine you should always look to see what temperature water the machine produces. This is a very important factor when you are looking for great taste.