Kona coffee beans are grown in the ideal conditions of this region, offering the plants the optimum amounts of sun, moisture and temperature to grow the best beans possible. The blooms appear on the trees in February and March, and the small, white flowers that cover the plants are known as “Kona snow.” The beans are harvested from August to January every year, and the trees are picked over many times to ensure that the harvest is complete. Once the cherries housing the coffee beans have been picked and the beans are extracted, they will go through a sun-drying process before they are sold to roasters, or roasted by the farmer himself for a unique, customized coffee.

Where to find Kona Coffee

Many coffee distributors will offer Kona coffee, although it may not be available all of the time. It is important if you are shopping for Kona coffee to watch out for terms like Kona blend, or Kona roasted. Coffee makers who have picked up on the idea that Kona coffee is big business will try to use the terms in a variety of ways to market their coffees more effectively. Keep in mind that most Kona blends on the market are only ten percent Kona coffee, and the rest is probably Columbian or Brazilian. If a coffee is truly a Kona coffee, it will have been grown in the Kona region, and it will bear a unique stamp to that effect.

These types of flavored coffee are actually causing people to stand up and take notice of this beverage especially as people's tastes evolve.  While they start out drinking coffee that has a lot of cream and sugar in them, over time they will put less and less cream and sugar and may even start to drink it black.  With all of the different choices of flavored coffee available, maybe it is time for you to try something new.

Brief History of Flavored Coffee

In the 1990s, flavored coffee became very popular.  However, this type of coffee can actually be traced back several centuries to the Turks.  Over time, a lot of people have developed strong feelings about this type of coffee; either they love it or they hate it and only want to drink naturally flavored coffee.

Flavored coffee is made by adding flavored oils to the beans after they have been roasted and before they have been ground.  Another way in which this coffee can be made is by adding liquid flavors to the coffee while it is being prepared, in much the same was as cream and sugar are added.

Types of Flavors

Counting Calories In Starbucks Coffee

Everyone seems to love Starbucks, and they have created so many delectable beverages, that once you taste them the calories seem to be unimportant to most of us. However, a person who is dieting needs to be aware of the calories in these coffee drinks. For instance, a Frappucino in a large cup yields an amazing three hundred and thirty-one calories. That’s a lot for a drink that started out at zero. Another example of a high calorie drink is a latte. A tall one has an amazing two hundred and ten calories. Most dieters would agree that these drinks would not be beneficial to their diets, but without doing the research on the calories in coffee drinks there is no way to know what they are actually consuming.

Low Calorie Coffee Tips

When you fix coffee to your liking, chances are you will add calories. There is however ways that you can cut down your intake of calories consumed in coffee.
Start by choosing a small cup, either eight or 12 ounces would be fine. When ordering, ask that your coffee be prepared with fat free milk. This can save you from up to 80 grams of fat. Use a sugar substitute instead of sugar. (1 tablespoon of sugar is 15 calories) You should always order coffee without cream, whipped cream, coffee syrups etc. when you are trying to cut back on the calories in your coffee.
A good way to limit the calorie intake is to refrain from more than one or two cups of coffee.

Did You Know…?

The history of coffee can only be tracked a little more than a thousand years, a relatively short period of time compared to alcoholic beverages, which have been consumed since prehistory, and tea, which goes back to over a thousand years BC.  Despite this, coffee has spread throughout the world as a popular beverage. A look at the history of coffee will help to show how it became so widespread.

African Origins

The history of coffee begins sometime around the 9th century, with its origins in Ethiopia as a beverage.  The legend of coffee is that Ethiopian herders noticed that their goats were especially perky after eating the berries of a particular bush, and thus got the idea to consume it as a stimulant.  The reality is that coffee probably had already been developed as a drink by the 9th century as a natural result of cultivation of plants.  From Ethiopia, the drink spread to North Africa, including Egypt.

Middle Eastern Success

The introduction of coffee to Egypt make it accessible to ports with trade to the rest of the Middle East, where coffee became a popular drink by the 1500s.  Shortly after its introduction, Muslim authorities placed a ban on the drink due to its stimulant properties.  But much like prohibition in the United States, the ban on coffee didn’t last and was later rescinded.  At this point in history, though, tight controls on such a commodity were in place. Though coffee in its roasted form began to be exported to Italy and other European Nations, unroasted seeds and plants were forbidden to be exported.

Colonization and Coffee

This tight control over the export of coffee plants didn’t last.  This period of the history of coffee ended when Dutch traders smuggled coffee seeds out of the Middle East in the 1600s, where it was planted on the island of Java, which is still a major exporter of coffee today and also shares its name with a nickname for the drink.  Interestingly enough, as coffee plants spread to other European colonies, another century into the history of coffee, in the 1700s, the plant was smuggled to Brazil, which is still the largest exporter of the drink.

Coffee in America

The history of coffee in the United States follows that of early wars.  Introduced there in the 1700s, coffee’s popularity didn’t take off until the Revolutionary War, when tea was scarce and colonists turned to other drinks.  The drink again gained in popularity during the war of 1812 for similar reasons.  

100% Iced Columbian Coffee

Double strength Columbian coffee
Cracked Ice
4 tablespoons of sugar

Brew double strength Columbian coffee by simply adding 8 tablespoons of ground coffee to every 12 ounces of water.
Fill your electric blender half way with your chilled Columbian coffee and add the cracked ice.
Add the 4 tablespoons of sugar or sweetener and blend until you have a thick foamy coffee treat.
This recipe will give you approximately 4 servings, if you need more than that simply double or triple the recipe to suit your needs. This will became a fast favorite for the Columbian coffee lovers in your life.

Columbian Coffee Mousse

½ a cup of brewed 100% Columbian coffee
1 ¾ cups of milk
1 cup of heavy cream
1 package of unflavored gelatin
3 eggs; separated
¾ cup of brown sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coffee concentrates (1 cup ground to every 8 ounces of cold water)

Sprinkle the gelatin over a cup of cold water and let it soften while preparing the custard.
Heat milk to its boiling point in a saucepan. Beat egg yolks using a wire whisk or electric mixer. Pour the hot milk over beaten egg yolks slowly, beating constantly with wire whisk. Return mixture to saucepan, add brown sugar, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until custard has thickened slightly, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and add gelatin to the hot custard and stir until dissolved. Add coffee concentrate, vanilla and almond extracts.

The Processes that Green Coffee Beans Undergo

There is a process that these green coffee beans must go through before they actually become coffee powder. Firstly, the beans must be picked from the coffee plantations.  This is usually done by hand by laborers who get paid for each basket that they pick.  Then, since coffee beans have a fruity flesh that directly wraps around the coffee bean, once they are gathered this flesh has to be removed right away.  This is done by soaking the beans, scouring them and then mechanically rubbing the bean.  

Once the green coffee bean is free from its fruity flesh it is then cleaned with water.  This is done in order to remove any of the fruity flesh that may still be sticking to it, as well as any additional sugars that are on it.  The beans are then dried by spreading them over a large concrete or rock plane where they are dried by a combination of the air and direct sunlight.

After the beans have been dried it is time for the beans to be put into categories that are based upon the color and the size of the coffee bean.  Any beans that are discolored, decayed or damaged are removed from the other beans at this point.  

Black coffee is still one of the most appreciated beverages of all times; this is mainly because it tastes so wonderful and its aroma is so tantalizing.  As such, black coffee has a way in which it is able to take your spirits to the highest levels possible.  It does not matter what time of day or night it is; coffee knows no time limits.  You will want to drink it anytime anywhere, which is why this is such a great drink for all occasions.

It is interesting to note that there are more than 40 different types of coffee plants; the most popular varieties are “Arabica” and “Coffee Robusta.”  Arabica coffee beans are actually considered to be superior in quality to Robusta coffee beans.  For this reason, Robusta beans are what are usually used for mass production.

There are several ways in which coffee can be prepared with espresso being the most popular way.  Regardless of the method, coffee is prepared by forcing the steam that comes from boiling water through the finely ground coffee beans.  As such, the preparation time for espresso is a lot shorter than it is for regular coffee.

Tips to Help You Make the Best Black Coffee Possible

When making coffee, use cold water for brewing so it gets a fresher, richer taste. Ideally, try to use purified or bottled spring water to make your coffee. Clean your coffee machine thoroughly before and after each use.  The filters and brewers should also be cleaned regularly.  Remember that dirt, contaminated oils and grinds have a tendency of building up over the course of time. A lot of people prefer black coffee.  However, you can make this type of coffee a lot creamier and give it a richer look by adding milk or non-dairy creamer varieties available in a myriad of flavors such as French vanilla and hazelnut.  If you like such coffee, then you should take some time to give espresso a try.

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.